exodus 32

Question	Answer	Note---10-02-2016
		32:2 When the people came to Aaron to build an idol, it does not seem that he raised an objection. He simply just agreed to go with the people’s bidding.
		32:4 It seems rather dumb that they would turn to something that they had made as their god. It is also mind-boggling to think that they would dare to give the credit which is due to God alone, to this image that they had created. The cloud that overshadowed them  in the day was still visible. The cloud which God had descended on the mount was also still visible, and yet they turned to idol worship.
		32:5 It seems that Aaron is suggesting that the idol is also their creator, as he addresses this new made idol as Jehovah.
		32:7 It is interesting that the Lord seems to pass the ownership of the people over to Moses, as they have corrupted themselves. Instead of saying “My people” He says “your people” When Moses speaks of the people he says “your people.”
		It seems that to reason with Moses God comes down as a man, and shows that what the children of Israel have done is worthy of being wiped off the map.
If Moses did not intervene of the behalf of the children of Israel, would they have been consumed?	We can only speculate what could have happened, so we will say definitely what happened and that is Moses intervened and the people were spared.
		God’s character and emotions cannot be explained. Often we see Him telling/showing what the consequences are, but often times His mercy gets in the way, and He does not execute judgment in the way in which He previously described.
		No doubt this is one such instance in which God is both depicted as fully God and fully man at the same time.
		..vs 10 It is consistent with the character of God that before He does something, he reveals what He is to do to His prophet. In this scenario, it was Moses. God declares that He is about to destroy the Israelites that He had previously saved from bondage. But the character of the prophet is also consistent. In the same way that Abraham interceded for Sodom, Moses here intercedes on behalf of the Israelites. This is the lesson. When the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart, no sacrifice is to great for the saving of a soul.
		In the same way that Abraham had relatives living among the condemned, which might have fueled his intervention, no doubt that fact that Moses’ brother, sister, wife and sons were among the people, this might have fueled his intercession on their behalf.
		Vs. 14 Although nothing is recorded but that the Lord repented, maybe there is more to glean from what really happened. Maybe a compromise was reached, rather than God just taking back His word.
		Note that Moses quoted back the words of God to Him. Maybe it was on this account that there is no record that God objected to what Moses had said.
		15 Note that despite of common belief and presentation, the tables of stone was written on both of their sides.
		16 Written with the finger of God in the Hebrew language. How spectacular that must have been!
Could Moses display of anger here be understood as righteous indignation? Especially since He is filled with the spirit of God?	Thhis seems like a valid conclusion, and Moses may just be displaying the anger that God felt, and voiced to him on the mount.
In days of old contracts were written on stone, and the breaking of the stone represented a voiding of the contract. Was the breaking of the tablet by Moses an indication that the previous contract was void?	This seems like a valid conclusion. The plot thickens as we realize that it may have been God acting through Moses, breaking the tablets, demonstrating that the contract was broken between Him and his people.
What is this that Moses does, and what was the intent of these actions?	In case you are wondering, in theory gold can be eaten and no harm is done to the body.	It seems a little deliberate and malicious that Moses would grind the calf to powder and then throw it upon the water for the children of Israel to drink. It is not clear what was the intent or why this would have been done.
		21 Note that Moses addresses Aaron, who he left in charge.
		Noe how Aaron seems to dismiss the work that went into making the golden calf.  In verse 8 we are told he uses tools to fashion and mold it. In verse 24 Aaron says the calf came out on its own.
	Naked=  unrestrained	25: In this verse it is clear that the blame is on Aaron since he was the appointed leader of the people, and he did not restrain them.
		As a parent you are sometimes placed in circumstances when the children do whatever please them. Maybe this was how Aaron felt, he was too burdened with the responsibility of the people and just yielded to them.
Were the Levites the only ones who stood for the Lord after the announcement?	This could not be the case since, there was a representation of each tribe around the sanctuary after it was built. The announcement then seems to be localized to the group of people that had surrounded the idol, and not to the entire camp of Israel.	How brazen were the rest of the people, having seen the return of Moses, and hearing his announcement, would still have chosen the idol over the true and living God.
Where was Moses when he/Moses when this aanouncemtn was made?
Who heard the announcement made by Moses?
How/Why would the scripture say that all the sons of Levi came to him? Did all the descendants	There is nothing in the original to suggest that “all” is to be used.	26
Were the Levites who stood with Moses, after the declaration, originally worshipping the idol too?
Also were there other people who might have been labelled as idol worshipers, who were not killed, such as Aaron?
Didn’t the other people fight back?
Didn’t the other people have swords as well?
Why were the Levites (men with swords) able to kill so many people?
If it was the entire congregation that worshipped and danced before the idol, should not the men have killed more people? Why did they stop at 3000?
		33 This is the first mention of God’s book. He makes it clear that only those that have sinned against Him, will be blotted out of this book.
		Note that the Lord dismisses the request of Moses, and advises that the people will be punished for their sin. The scripture is not clear about what the Lord brought upon the Israelites, however it is clear that a plagued visited them.
		34 Those who did not repent were slain immediately, and it seems that those who were not slain but participated, a plague visited them.