… I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf …
3 And Moses went up unto God, and
the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to
the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the
Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey
my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure
unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a
kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt
speak unto the children of Israel. (Ex 19:3-6)
The words of the Lord spoken to Moses and Israel apply no less to us today than
to them in their day. The words of God to Moses are a doubled edged
sword: 1) Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptian; This warning puts
us on notice that the same will happen to any nation or people who reject the
Law and Word of God. 2) “How I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you
unto myself.” Being with God is always the favored and blessed place. God
carried Israel as an Eagle bears her young – on her wings rather than by her
strong talons which may crush the young. Moreover, God places himself between
His people (Pillar of Fire & Cloud) just as the eagle places herself
between the archer on the ground and her young. But grace is a gift that must
be received and kept; otherwise it ceases to be a gift.
Why did God give His Law to His people? Was it to frighten them, to place them
in bondage, to become a tyranny to them? Not at all – it was given to reveal
Himself and His righteousness, and to be an example and rule of life for the
people to follow so that they could, indeed, be happy and prosper. No one who
believes there is no God is happy. No one who labors all the day long, seven
days a week to lay up treasure, is happy. No one who despises and dishonors his
parents is happy. No one who cheats, steals, commits adultery, or craves the
resources of his neighbor is happy. But those whose lives conform to the
righteousness of God’s Law are happy and will prosper both in body and spirit.
That is the reason for the Law Given and Received.
God spoke to Moses out of the thunderous cloud so that the people could also
hear Him and know that Moses was, in truth, given this Law by the very hand of
God. It is important that we keep this Law both in spirit and in written
record.
The Ten Commandments were written (twice) with the very Finger of God – there
were at least five such occasions when the Finger of God wrote in Scripture.
Can you name them? God not only gave the Commandments to Moses, but instructed
Him in their administration and keeping. “18 And he gave unto Moses,
when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of
testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” (Ex 31:18) God had given
particular counsel following His verbally giving the Commandments to Moses in
Exodus 20 concerning graven images and false gods. He addresses this matter
first and foremost after the giving of the Law. He KNEW that the people of
Israel would violate this Law first of all. 22 And the LORD said unto
Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I
have talked with you from heaven. 23 Ye shall not make with me gods
of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth thou shalt
make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace
offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I
will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 25 And if thou wilt make me an
altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy
tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 26 Neither shalt thou go up by
steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. (Ex 20:22-26)
Strangely, though their own Bible contains it, the Roman
Church omits the Commandment against graven images, and divides the last
(coveting) into two parts, to make up the missing the Commandment. Man is
constantly trying to bring God down to his level rather than aspiring to rise
to the righteousness of God.
The nature of the Commandments of God is unique among all of the laws of the
earth. They define a garment of whole cloth rather than a seamed garment. Every
Commandment hangs upon all of the others, and all hang upon one. We cannot
covet our neighbor’s possessions without violating the very first Commandment.
If God is uppermost in our hearts, we can neither steal nor lie about our
neighbor. Jesus was so compassionate as to give worldly examples to us for our
understanding – often in parables, and at other times, in real life situations.
We have a perfect example of the Commandments given by our
Lord in Matthew, Mark and Luke. I have chosen the passages from Mark for they
are most descriptive of detail: 17 And when he was gone forth
into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good
Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one,
that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear
false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20 And he answered and said unto
him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved
him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest:
go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying,
and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22)
There are several illuminating points raised by this account of the rich young ruler:
1.
He was eager to know by what means he could be
saved. “there came one running.”
2.
He was respectful to Jesus: “kneeled
to him.”
3.
He did not address Jesus as Lord, but
as “Good Master” (Teacher).
4.
He asked the WRONG question: “what
shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Salvation is gained through the
works of Christ and not our own works (doing)!
5.
Jesus asked why the young man called
Him ‘good’ since only God is good. By so doing, Jesus was testing the spiritual
knowledge of the young man to see if he knew that He (Jesus) was also God.
6.
Jesus told the young man that all he
needed do was keep (in perfection) the Ten Commandments and that would gain him
salvation. Jesus asked this question rhetorically since no man can keep the Law
of God without breach. Because we cannot keep God’s Law with perfection, we
need a Redeemer to deliver us from the penalty of that Law.
7.
The young man is sure that he has kept
the Commandments from his youth. Obviously, he has tried diligently to do so. “Master,
all these have I observed from my youth.” With this last comment, Jesus has
drawn out the soul’s great need of this lad. The young man has not kept even
the FIRST Commandment as the follow-up invitation of the Lord reveals.
8.
There was one Commandment that the
young man could not keep. He could not place the service to God above his
ambitions for wealth. Wealth was his god, not the God of Heaven: “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come,
take up the cross, and follow me.” Jesus knew what
premium the man placed on his wealth – it exceeded his desire to follow God and
be saved. It is possible to be wealthy, but to use that wealth to the glory of
God; but another thing to place wealth above our love of God. The young man
went away disheartened and unsaved. “And he was sad at that saying, and went
away grieved: for he had great possessions.”
The people of Israel
had a very primitive understanding of God. Their father, Jacob, had been dead
the 400 years of their bondage in Egypt. They lacked teaching and understanding
in its fullness. Moses was the closest man they knew as a savior. God spoke
directly to Moses, but not to them. So when Moses was away on Mount Sinai for a
protected period of time, they fell into old pagan rituals and customs of the
Land of their Bondage – Egypt. Moses, coming down from Sinai, was incensed to
see the people engaged in pagan orgy and having made an idol of gold which was
like unto the little bull-god of Egypt. Moses was so angry that he is the first
man to break all Ten Commandments at once; however, if we break one only, we
have broken them all. Such irreverence of the people also angered God: “And
the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a
stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot
against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great
nation.” (Ex 32:9-10) God expressed a desire consume these people in their
sins, but Moses, a type of Christ, interceded with on their behalf and the Lord
relented. “And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that
he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the
tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.” (Ex 32:19)
Man
will forever rationalize away his sins in his wicked heart, but the excuse of
Aaron when asked why such transgression had happened responded with the most
ridiculous excuse recorded in the Bible: I said unto them, Whosoever hath
any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the
fire, and there came out this calf. (Ex 32:24)
What is YOUR excuse,
friend?
