Sin Has a Price

Exodus 32:5-35

THE GOLDEN CALF (32:1-7):
- The Israelites became impatient with Moses on Mt. Sinai and asked Aaron to make them an idol.
- Aaron fashioned a golden calf out of gold and built an altar to it.
- The people worshiped the calf as the god who saved them from Egypt.
MOSES PLEADS FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL (32:8-14):
- God informed Moses what the people were doing at the bottom of the mountain and told Moses He would destroy them for their wickedness.
- Moses implored the Lord not to destroy the people and “reminded” God of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to make Israel a great nation.
MOSES BREAKS THE TABLETS OF STONE IN HIS ANGER (32:15-20):
- Moses descended the mountain with Joshua and saw the people honoring the golden calf.
- His anger “burned hot” and he threw the stone tablets, which contained God’s laws, on the ground and broke them.
- He destroyed the golden calf, ground it to powder, and put it in the people’s drinking water.
MOSES CONFRONTS AARON (32:21-24):
- Moses asked his brother what compelled him to do such an evil thing.
- Aaron blamed the people and told Moses the calf came up out of the fire when he threw gold into it, as if hadn’t intended it and didn’t design it.
THE LEVITES KILL 3,000 (32:25-30):
- Moses asked the people “Who is on the Lord’s side?”
- The Levites answered affirmatively and gathered around Moses.
- Moses told the Levites to take swords and kill their wicked countrymen.
- That day, 3,000 Israelites were killed, and the Levites were ordained for the service of the Lord.
MOSES ATTEMPTS TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR THE PEOPLE’S SIN (32:31-35):
- The next day, Moses went up on the mountain and ask God if there was a way to make atonement for the people’s sins.
- Moses offered to sacrifice himself for the people’s forgiveness.
- God told Moses the people would bear the consequences of their own sins.
- The Lord sent a plague on the people.