30th.: Moses: Let Me Quit
The Jews that came out of Egypt were difficult to work with.
God was ready to wipe out them out. But Moses persuaded God not to change his mind.
Afterwards, Moses went down to the people.
When Moses saw with his own eyes, what they had done, he too, became very angry.
What the people did was that bad (see Exo. 32:15-20).
Moses’ anger was such that he had those who chose to be ‘on God’s side’ (Exo. 32:29) go through and execute,
many of the Jews (hopefully just the worst offenders).
After judging the people of Israel, Moses went back up to God.
Moses then requested,
“Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin ---; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book, which thou has written.” (Exo. 32:31-32).
Moses
1. Acknowledged the grievous sins of the people against God.
2. Asked God to either forgive the people, or
3. Take Moses’ name out of some book that God was writing.
We might put it, that Moses asked God to either forgive the people, or let him resign.
God responded, “Whosoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” (Exo. 32:33).
God would not back down from, “The individuals who sinned against me will not be written in God’s book of life
(i.e. they will not inherit eternal life).”
However, God would spare the nation of Israel as a whole.
God then told Moses to keep leading the people to the Promised Land (Exo. 32:34).
“He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.” (Isa. 40:29)