Rev. Jusak Widjaja Hendra - WR Supratman 4 Sby
The book of Exodus chapter 32 is overall divided into five parts as follows:
- vs. 1 – 6 about golden calf
- vs. 7 – 14 about God’s wrath
- vs. 15 – 20 about the two tablets of stone being broken (signifying redemption)
- vs. 21 – 29 about the wrath of Moses toward Aaron and the people of Israel (signifying sanctification)
- vs. 30 – 35 about the prayer of Moses over the people of Israel (signifying the ministry of reconciliation)
Today we continue learning the second part about God’s wrath.
Exodus 32:7-10
7 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.
8 "They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!?
9 And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff–necked people!
10 "Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation."
Below are the reasons of God’s wrath:
- the Israel had corrupted themselves
- the Israel had turned aside out of the commandment of God
- the Israel was a stiff-necked / hard-heartened people
Now let us learn more about the stiffness of Israel.
Exodus 32:9
9 And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff–necked people!
“I have seen” = God had seen the golden calf and seen the Israel being a stiff-necked people. The golden calf, which describes the stiffness/hardness of man’s heart, was an idol that develops from age to age.
Exodus 32:4
4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"
The golden calf was firstly made by Israel and developed in the days of kings.
1 Kings 12:28-29
28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!"
29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
While the Israel was in the foot of Mount Sinai, they made only one golden calf, but it then became two in the days of king Jeroboam. Not stopping here, the hardness of heart continued in the days of King Jehu.
2 Kings 10:28-29
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel.
29 However Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.
Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel, but unfortunately, he kept the golden calves. Thus, the hardness of heart remains from age to age: from the days of Israel in the wilderness to the days of king Jeroboam and king Jehu, until in the end of the age.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
The hardness of heart has blinded many people that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, which describes Jesus as the King of kings and the heavenly Groom, or which is commonly known as the Bride Tidings.
The blindness here means:
- to think that all doctrines are the same
- to hesitate about the true doctrine because of worldly matters.
Why did Jeroboam make two golden calves in Bethel and Dan? At that time, the kingdom was broken into two: (1) the kingdom of Israel led by Jeroboam (2) the kingdom of Judah stated in Jerusalem and led by another king. Jeroboam thought about losing his position because of Israelites’ serving in Jerusalem. He knew that the serving to God at Jerusalem was right but he made two calves of gold so that Israelites did not need to serve at Jerusalem and his position as king was saved. Such is a big mistake because hard heart is an idolatry that is to say not holding fast one true teaching word because of something in the world and the heart becomes harder. Do not doubt nor consider that all teachings are same. - to put up with another doctrine as Eve did
2 Corinthians 11:3-4
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted––you may well put up with it!
Putting up with another doctrine means being unable to reject a false doctrine.
We have to beware of the gold calf, i.e. the hard heart making the mind blind until someone cannot see the gospel of the glory of Christ.
Proverbs 7:2
2 Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye.
The hardness of heart blinds not only our eyes, but also our hearts. Therefore, it is no use staying in the hard heart.
“Keep my law as the apple of your eye”; meaning the true doctrine
is the apple of the eye. If we disobey and reject the true doctrine, the eye
of our heart is blind.
Thus, the hardness of heart blinds our mind and heart.
The blindness will bring about the following consequences:
- He will forget the forgiveness and repeat his forgiven sins.
2 Peter 1:9
9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
None who disobeys and rejects the true doctrine can restrain himself from a sin; he will repeat it and the sin will get worse day after day:- It will become a habitual sin, which means the sinner will feel no regret and repentance anymore. We know that lying and stealing are sins, but we probably do not know that not serving God is also a sin. It has become a repetitive sin and now many Christians do it on purpose.
- It will become an intentional sin.
Hebrews 10:25-26
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Many Christians are now accustomed not to serve God; even they do it on purpose. Seeing that, we should pray that nothing could hinder us to serve God. The term “intentional sin” further means an intention to live in sin. There will be no mercy for these sinners; the wrath of God will come down and destroy them. Once again, being hard in heart or disobedient until rejecting the true teaching word, there will be no brake in life until one falls and rises in sins. Let us not be doubtful because of thought of advantage/disadvantage as Jeroboam did.
Better now we humble ourselves to hear and obey the true doctrine.
How do we know if it is the true doctrine? If the doctrine is written in Bible and explained verse by verse. Many despise this and suppose that explaining verse by verse is an easy thing with concordance in holy bible. In fact, explaining verse by verse is through the revelation of God, not by anything else. By hearing and obeying the true doctrine, we will be sanctified from sinful works and walk in light because the true doctrine is as a sword sharper than any two-edged sword.
Ephesians 5:8-10
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
Here are the results of sanctification by the true doctrine / the Bride Tidings:- the light of truth
- the light of goodness
- the light of righteousness
- everything that is acceptable to the Lord
We do not fall nor rise anymore in sins.
- He will hate his brother
1 John 2:11
11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Our closest brothers are our family at home, at church, and at other churches.
He who does not love his brother does not love God either.
1 John 4:20-21
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
That’s why, we should humble ourselves to hear and obey the true doctrine, and our heart and mind will be sanctified.
Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Why does our heart get harder? Because there is something hidden. Thus, our heart and mind needs sanctifying from hidden things, which are evil and unclean desires.
Mark 7:21-23
21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
23 "All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
evil thoughts = prejudices ; murders = hatred
As long as we have one of the above evil things, we cannot love the others.
Only after our heart has been sanctified, we can love the others as ourselves because the love of God has filled our heart deep inside.
Romans 13:8
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Our love towards our brothers is manifested by owing them nothing.
The debt here includes:- sin
- money
- evil works and words
Matthew 7:12
12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
In other word, the love is manifested by doing something to men as we want they to do to us. Once again, our closest brothers are our family. So, practice this at home first!
More than that, our love towards our brothers is manifested by sharing and visiting them who are in need.
1 John 3:17
17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
And the greatest is to love enemies, not by the strength and intelligence of men but by the power of the Word. Although a man is genius, he cannot love his brother without the sanctification of the word. On the contrary, although a man is a fool, he can love his brother if his heart is sanctified by the word.
Matthew 5:43-44
43 "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Loving enemies means loving ourselves, as none becomes the enemy of himself (his own body). Thus, if we love our enemies, we all have become one body. Remember, this can be practiced only by the power of the word sharper than any two-edged sword.
How can we love our enemies? We should pray that they get the forgiveness and mercy of God, until we can repay goodness for evilness as Jesus did on the cross (“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”) and as the Father makes His sun rise on the evil.
- He cannot see/worship God
John 9:37-38
37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."
38 Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
The hard heart filled with evil and unclean desires will blind our eyes, so that we cannot worship God. Yet, if we now humble ourselves to be sanctified from the things written in Mark 7 by the word which is sharper than any two-edged sword, we will be able to see and talk with God (to worship God). Thus, the key is our heart.
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
“talk with God” = worship God
In worship, we will find the glory of God like the disciples experienced on the mountain. They saw Jesus' glorious face.
In the story of John 9, the blind man was cast out from the temple of God soon after his eyes had been opened. But outside the temple, God had been waiting for him and he could see and talk with Him.
John 9:34-35
34 They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"
Thus, the right moment and the greatest chance to worship God is when we have to suffer because of committing no sin. At such moment, we are close to God and God is waiting for us. There is no reason for being desperate. All we have to do is worship Him and we will find His glory.
Not all the disciples went up on the mountain but only Peter, John, and James; meaning not all disciples went that is to say not all people experiences the sprinkling of blood. Having the sprinkling of blood, we are near to God now and we will see and talk to Him as well as have His glory.
What is the glory for?
To renew us from being fleshly to spiritual men, who are as glorious as Jesus Christ is.
Ephesians 4:23-26
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
The renewal include in these three things:
- honesty in words (no lie)
- wrath with love (not with emotion)
We may say in strong emphasis to our children but not with emotion. Saying softly, but the content is the word of abuse, is with emotion.
If children do the wrong, parents must be angry and beat them (if necessary), as it is said in Proverbs: “if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.” BUT not according to the parents’ pleasure, such as to beat the children’s heads or other vital parts – because it will disadvantage them, either spiritually (they will keep revenge) or physically (they will be handicap), and another possibility is they do not want to hear the word of God anymore. In short, parents may beat roughly but not brutally. If they beat the child’s leg, it shows that they get angry with love.
Unlike the parents should do, the great Peter could get angry with emotion in Gethsemane. He drew his sword and cut off Malchus’s ear. See, the emotional anger disadvantages another. That the Malchus’s ear was cut off implies the one whom the man gets angry with has no more desire for the word of God. - honesty in works (no theft)
Ephesians 4:28
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
Do not steal, especially God's possession, neither you are churchgoers nor pastors. There will be humiliation, no glory, in a theft of tithes and special offering.
Matthew 24:30-31
30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
When Solomon finished building the house of the Lord, the cloud of the glory came down.
1 Kings 8:11, 22-24
11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven;
23 and he said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.
24 "You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
vs. 11 talks about the consecration of the house of the Lord.
vs. 22 shows the connection between renewal and glory. Where there is renewal, there will be glory and we could pray.
vs. 24 shows the connection between glory and the lovingkindess of God. Where there is glory, there God will fulfill His lovingkindness.
What is the lovingkindness fulfilled for?
- 1 Kings 8:29
29 "that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there,?that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.
The Lord’s eyes are open toward us day and night like His hand are stretched to care and protect us from dangers, accidents, peaking sins, and antichrist. - 1 Kings 8:33
33 "When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple,
To give us victory over all problems. - 1 Kings 8:35
35 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,
To open the heavens up and bless us both physically and spiritually. Our life is preserved until Jesus comes a second time. - 1 Kings 8:46-47
46 "When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near;
47 "yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness?
To forgive and restore us from any kind of sin and from other bad things (broken
home, disease, etc).
Let us therefore hold the lovingkindness of God as it were the Two Hands carrying
us. He is going to fulfill it right now. God bless you!