Chapter 32:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Genesis Leviticus
Exodus 32
Concise Complete
The people cause Aaron to make a golden calf. (1-6)
God's displeasure, The intercession of Moses. (7-14) Moses breaks the tables of
the law, He destroys the golden calf. (15-20) Aaron's excuse, The idolaters
slain. (21-29) Moses prays for the people. (30-35)
Verses 1-6 While
Moses was in the mount, receiving the law from God, the people made a tumultuous
address to Aaron. This giddy multitude were weary of waiting for the return of
Moses. Weariness in waiting betrays to many temptations. The Lord must be waited
for till he comes, and waited for though he tarry. Let their readiness to part
with their ear-rings to make an idol, shame our niggardliness in the service of
the true God. They did not draw back on account of the cost of their idolatry;
and shall we grudge the expenses of religion? Aaron produced the shape of an ox
or calf, giving it some finish with a graving tool. They offered sacrifice to
this idol. Having set up an image before them, and so changed the truth of God
into a lie, their sacrifices were abomination. Had they not, only a few days
before, in this very place, heard the voice of the Lord God speaking to them out
of the midst of the fire, Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image? Had
they not themselves solemnly entered into covenant with God, that they would do
all he had said to them, and would be obedient? ch. 24:7. Yet before they
stirred from the place where this covenant had been solemnly made, they brake an
express command, in defiance of an express threatening. It plainly shows, that
the law was no more able to make holy, than it was to justify; by it is the
knowledge of sin, but not the cure of sin. Aaron was set apart by the Divine
appointment to the office of the priesthood; but he, who had once shamed himself
so far as to build an altar to a golden calf, must own himself unworthy of the
honour of attending at the altar of God, and indebted to free grace alone for
it. Thus pride and boasting were silenced.
Verses 7-14 God
says to Moses, that the Israelites had corrupted themselves. Sin is the
corruption of the sinner, and it is a self-corruption; every man is tempted when
he is drawn aside of his own lust. They had turned aside out of the way. Sin is
a departing from the way of duty into a by-path. They soon forgot God's works.
He sees what they cannot discover, nor is any wickedness of the world hid from
him. We could not bear to see the thousandth part of that evil which God sees
every day. God expresses the greatness of his just displeasure, after the manner
of men who would have prayer of Moses could save them from ruin; thus he was a
type of Christ, by whose mediation alone, God would reconcile the world to
himself. Moses pleads God's glory. The glorifying God's name, as it ought to be
our first petition, and it is so in the Lord's prayer, so it ought to be our
great plea. And God's promises are to be our pleas in prayer; for what he has
promised he is able to perform. See the power of prayer. In answer to the
prayers of Moses, God showed his purpose of sparing the people, as he had before
seemed determined on their destruction; which change of the outward discovery of
his purpose, is called repenting of the evil.
Verses 15-20
What a change it is, to come down from the mount of communion with God, to
converse with a wicked world. In God we see nothing but what is pure and
pleasing; in the world nothing but what is sinful and provoking. That it might
appear an idol is nothing in the world, Moses ground the calf to dust. Mixing
this powder with their drink, signified that the backslider in heart should be
filled with his own ways.
Verses 21-29
Never did any wise man make a more frivolous and foolish excuse than that of
Aaron. We must never be drawn into sin by any thing man can say or do to us; for
men can but tempt us to sin, they cannot force us. The approach of Moses turned
the dancing into trembling. They were exposed to shame by their sin. The course
Moses took to roll away this reproach, was, not by concealing the sin, or
putting any false colour upon it, but by punishing it. The Levites were to slay
the ringleaders in this wickedness; yet none were executed but those who openly
stood forth. Those are marked for ruin who persist in sin: those who in the
morning were shouting and dancing, before night were dying. Such sudden changes
do the judgments of the Lord sometimes make with sinners that are secure and
jovial in their sin.
Verses 30-35
Moses calls it a great sin. The work of ministers is to show people the
greatness of their sins. The great evil of sin appears in the price of pardon.
Moses pleads with God for mercy; he came not to make excuses, but to make
atonement. We are not to suppose that Moses means that he would be willing to
perish for ever, for the people's sake. We are to love our neighbour as
ourselves, and not more than ourselves. But having that mind which was in
Christ, he was willing to lay down his life in the most painful manner, if he
might thereby preserve the people. Moses could not wholly turn away the wrath of
God; which shows that the law of Moses was not able to reconcile men to God, and
to perfect our peace with him. In Christ alone, God so pardons sin as to
remember it no more. From this history we see, that no unhumbled, carnal heart,
can long endure the holy precepts, the humbling truths, and the spiritual
worship of God. But a god, a priest, a worship, a doctrine, and a sacrifice,
suited to the carnal mind, will ever meet with abundance of worshippers. The
very gospel itself may be so perverted as to suit a worldly taste. Well is it
for us, that the Prophet like unto Moses, but who is beyond compare more
powerful and merciful, has made atonement for our souls, and now intercedes in
our behalf. Let us rejoice in his grace.
Chapter 32:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Genesis Leviticus
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
