Six weeks have passed since the people made their solemn vow of fidelity to God. Concluding that Moses died on the mountain, they insist on creating a replica of an Egyptian god and worshiping it. Coming upon this grotesque scene, Moses dashes the newly inscribed tablets to pieces, dramatically illustrating the broken covenant. He destroys the gold calf and orders the Levites to slay the guilty Israelites. Israel’s repentance, Moses’ selfless intercession, and God’s faithfulness to his promises lead to a renewal of the covenant. New tablets are engraved, and Moses experiences yet another encounter with God on Mount Sinai.
Israel’s Rebellion
Chapter 32
1-6: Covenant’s Interruption 7-35: Moses’ Intercession
God’s Restoration
Chapter 33 1:12: Israel’s Repentance 18-23: Moses’ Request
Chapter 34 Covenant’s Renewal
The incident of the gold calf is but one of many cases of backsliding in Israel’s history. One lesson is clear: Believers are not immune from reverting to old habits and patterns of living. It may occur in an unguarded moment, such as an outburst of temper. Or it may be the result of impatience, when God’s timetable seems agonizingly slow.Take a personal inventory of your spiritual life. Have you made a commitment to the Lord in recent weeks? If so, have you followed through on it or reverted to your previous behavior? If you see a “gold calf” in your life, deal with it now! You’ll discover that “gold calves” make terrible “sacred cows”, but excellent hamburgers!
Excerpt from Daily Walk Bible
Day by Day with Billy Graham – Life is Eternal
Life is a glorious opportunity, if it is used to condition us for eternity. If we fail in this, though we succeed in everything else, our life will have been a failure. There is no escape for the man who squanders his opportunity to prepare to meet God. Our lives are also immortal. God made man different from the other creatures. He made him in His own image, a living soul. When this body dies and our earthly existence is terminated, the soul lives on forever. One thousand years from this day, you will be more alive than you are at this moment. The Bible teaches that life does not end at the cemetery. There is a future life with God for those who put their trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Daily Prayer
Thank You for the eternal life in Christ and for the peace that comes over me because of this triumphant promise! Today help me relay this joyous news to those around me.
“in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began”
Titus 1:2 ESV