Wed.’s Devo -Moses - God’s Intercessor

Read: Exodus 32:1-33:23; Matthew 26:69-27:14; Psalm 33:1-11; Proverbs 8:33-36 The people got tired of waiting for Moses to come down and went to Aaron and told him to make them gods to go before them. Aaron foolishly told them to each bring one of their gold earrings they were all wearing and he took the gold, melted it and fashioned it with a tool into the shape of a calf. The people said that these were the gods who brought them out of Egypt. When Aaron saw that his calf was accepted by the people he built an altar before it and proclaimed a feast to the Lord. They brought offerings and sacrificed them and “rose up to play.” The Hebrew word for “play” means to laugh outright in merriment or scorn; to laugh, mock, play, make sport. They were making a mockery of the things of God. *** God told Moses to go down and told him what the people were doing. God wanted to kill them all and make a nation from Moses’ descendants but Moses reminded the Lord of what that would look like to his enemies who were spying on them. He also reminded God of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. *** Moses took the two tablets and picked up Joshua on his way down. Joshua heard all the revelry of the people and thought they were fighting a battle. Moses told him it wasn’t war, but singing that he heard. When he saw the calf and saw all the dancing he was so angry he threw the tablets down breaking them. He ground the calf into powder and scattered it on the water and made the people drink it. *** Then, Moses asked Aaron what the people did to him to make him do this. Aaron blamed it on the people. He said the were bent on evil and they came to him to ask him to make them gods to go before them because they didn’t think their leader was coming back. He asked for their earrings, threw them into the fire and out came this calf. (That explanation is laughable!) *** Moses saw that the people were exposed and a joke to their enemies. He stood at the gate of the camp and asked who was on the Lord’s side. All the sons of Levi came to him. He told them to put on their swords and go and kill all who were participating in this orgy. They killed 3,000 people. Moses told the Levites that what they did today qualified them for service to the Lord because they did not spare their relatives. *** The next day, Moses told the people that because of what they did, he would need to go to the Lord and make atonement for their sin. He told the Lord that if he didn’t forgive them then he wanted his name blotted out of his book. God said he would only blot out the names of the ones who sinned. *** In reading what the Bible says about what is written in God’s book and what is blotted out, it seems that everyone’s name who is born of God is written in his book. During their lifetime they can have their name blotted out by their rebellion against God. Daniel 12:1 says that, Michael will stand up when Israel is in trouble in the end. God’s people will be delivered, if their name is found written in the book. *** When we get saved, our name is sealed in that book and cannot be erased. *** God told Moses to go lead the people to their land and his angel would go before them and drive out all the “ites.” God would not go with them because he was afraid get so mad at them because of their hard hearts, that he would kill them. God sent a plague because of the calf that Aaron made. *** The people mourned when they heard what God said and took off their beautiful Egyptian garments and jewelry. *** Moses put the Lord’s tabernacle outside the camp and called it the tent of meeting. If the people wanted to seek the Lord, they had to come there. Whenever Moses came out his tent to enter the tabernacle, the people would stand at their tent door and watch. The pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent and the Lord would talk with Moses. The people would watch from their tent and worship the Lord. *** The Lord spoke to Moses as his friend. Moses would then leave the tabernacle and go back to his tent but Joshua, Moses’ assistant, never left the tabernacle. *** In one of Moses’ talks with the Lord, Moses asked to know God’s ways so that he might please him. He reminded the Lord that this nation of people were also his people. God promised that his presence would go with them. Then Moses asked to see his glory. God let him stand in the cleft of a rock where he covered Moses with his hand as he walked by. Then he removed his hand so Moses could see his back. God was gracious and merciful to Moses and let his goodness pass before him. *** In Matthew, Peter was sitting in Caiapas’ courtyard listening to all they were doing to Jesus when a servant girl recognized him as a follower of Jesus. Peter quickly denied it. When another servant girl said the same thing he denied it also. Then a bystander approached Peter and noticed his dialect and knew he was one of Jesus’ followers. Peter cursed and swore he wasn’t. The rooster crowed and Peter remembered what Jesus had said. He went out and cried bitterly. *** By morning the priests and elders had rendered the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him and delivered him to Pilate. When Judas saw the outcome, he tried to pay the priests back the money they had given him to betray Jesus. They didn’t want it. They had used Judas and they could care less about his soul. Judas took the money and threw it into the temple. He went and hanged himself. Since his money was blood money, they took it and bought the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. (Jeremiah 32:6-9). *** When Jesus stood before Pilate, he asked him if he was the king of the Jews. Jesus replied, “You have said so.” Jesus turned his question back on him. When he heard the accusations of the priests and elders, he remained silent and offered no defense. This amazed the governor. *** Lord, may we seek to know your ways and may we see your glory.