The Beautiful Story in Exodus 32:1-14

Exodus is a Greek word meaning “going out”.  The account through Moses explains the cruel bondage of Israel in Egypt and the journey through the Red Sea and the wilderness to Mount Sinai.

In Exodus 32, we read that the people of Israel had sinned and rebelled against God and thus divorced themselves from God’s face.  In order to test Moses, God suggested a plan to him, the test was so great that many people would have made a grave mistake by accepting it. God said to Moses, “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” (Exodus 32:10).  Because Moses knew that the promises were to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants and God does not change His promises, Moses did not say ‘Thank you God I will grasp the opportunity. I resign as leader of Israel so that you can freely destroy them’.  He could even have thought.’Now I will be a famous man, the man of a great nation as their father’. Instead, Moses refused to be separated from sinful Israel because he loved them. He told the Lord that if He would not forgive Israel, He should destroy him too.He was associating himself with them as our Lord did with us. Moses reply was, “Oh, this people have sinned greatly, yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not blot me out of the book of life which thou hast written, I pray”(Ex 32:32). It is rather difficult for us to imagine with our practical earth-bound and scientific mentalities the amazing happening of that event, for most of us would have answered ‘Yes’ to God’s proposition.

Moses and our Lord Jesus are heroes who can speak to the world about “God is love”, and that evil thoughts are brought about with individuals, societies and nations where love is diminished. Let us love each other so as to make our Ecclesias beautiful places till our Master Jesus comes.  So Jesus, come soon.

Bro. James Mwangoma (Lomba Mbeya, Tanzania)