Brethren, let's turn to Exodus
31. Now at the end of the chapter, Exodus
31, we read, And God gave unto Moses, when he had made an end
of communing with him, Upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony,
two tables of law, tables of stone written with the finger
of God. Back in Exodus, Moses came down
from the mount and he wrote in a book, Scripture says, all the
words of the Lord and all the judgments. Moses wrote that in
a book, everything he'd heard from the Lord, the law. And then
here it says God wrote with his handwriting, with his finger
on the tables of stone. Now that whole law that Moses
wrote and recorded and the whole law that God recorded on the
stones is what the Spirit of God moved Paul to speak of in
Colossians when he called it the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us. That word ordinance doesn't mean
simply the ceremonial law. The whole law was against us.
You don't divide the law. Religion divides the law into
ceremony and morals so they can keep people under the Ten Commandments.
The whole law was against us. The whole law was against us.
It was against us because we broke it in Adam. You know Romans
5 says God gave the law that the offense might abound. The
offense. The offense of the garden. The
offense of our sins. He gave it to declare us guilty
and shut our mouths before God. Now in the next chapter, we're
going to open up here the next chapter and we're going to see
why the law is against us. We're going to see why the law
is contrary to us. We look at Aaron and the children
of Israel and we see you and me. This is us, brethren. This is our sin, this is our
guilt. What we see in Aaron and the children of Israel is what
your sin nature is and what my sin nature is, idolatry. It's what our sin nature produces
all the time, continually, continually. I say that to make us constantly
aware how we need Christ continually. There's never a moment when sin
is not mixed with everything we do. Idolatry is mixed with
everything we do. So when we look at Aaron and
the children of Israel, we need to think about ourselves. We
need to remember this is us. But here's the good news. While
Aaron and the children of Israel are committing this great, horrible
sin. Apostasy is what it amounts to. It's idolatry. They're worshipping
another god, worshipping a graven image, breaking the first two
commandments of the law, which is to break the whole law. But
while they're doing that, Moses is in the mount, between them
and God, interceding for them, so that God doesn't destroy them. because he's interceding for
them. And in Moses, we see a type of Christ, our intercessor, who
intercedes for all his elect. The subject is Christ, our intercessor. We're saved from the curse of
the law because Christ blotted out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us and took it out of the way. He took the
law out of the way for us, nailing it to his cross. He fulfilled
it for us. So all our sins are blotted out.
Every ordinance that was against us is blotted out. Now, we serve
God in love. In love. Not by law, but by love. Christ's people are right now
shown continual mercy from our God because Christ is in the
heavens at God's right hand in the Mount Zion interceding for
us right now. And we'll try to get through
the first point so we can get to the intercession part but
there's some things We need to see in this first part, we could
spend a whole message here, I hope I don't end up doing that, but
first we see ourselves in Aaron and the children of Israel. Now
verse one, Exodus 32 one says, and when the people saw that
Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered
themselves together unto Aaron and said unto him, up, make us
gods which shall go before us. For as for this Moses, the man
that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we want not what
has become of him. Now, when Moses gave them the
law, back in Exodus 24, do you remember what they said? They
said, all that the Lord has spoken will we do, and be obedient. That's what they said. When they
heard that law in their ear, they said, everything God has
spoken, we will do it. We'll be obedient. And God took
the blood of a lamb and sprinkled that blood on them, which was
them being brought into a covenant of works. So they're responsible
to obey the law if they want any of God's promises fulfilled
to them. If they want to live, they're to obey the law. It's
been less than six weeks. Less than six weeks. And here
they are asking Aaron or commanding Aaron to make them a golden calf,
to make them a god, to make us gods. Now, one thing we see here
is carnal sight is not faith. Carnal sight's not faith. Carnal
sight never discerns correctly, and we need to get that. What
we see with these eyes is not faith. Look, it says, when the people
saw. when they saw with carnal sight that Moses delayed to come
down out of the mount. He'd been there 40 days and 49.
True worship of God is in spirit. True worship of God is through
God-given faith. Scripture says faith is the substance
of things hoped for. You don't see something you hoped
for, but faith is the substance of it. Faith is the concrete
evidence to us. It's the evidence of things not
seen. We see what carnal sight doesn't
see through faith. But carnal men only have natural
senses. By nature, all we have is the
natural senses, so natural man always sees spiritual things
wrongly. There was no delay. There's no
delay with God. God has the time set. There's
no delay with God, ever. There was no delay here, but
to call a sight, Moses delayed to come down out of the mount.
Brethren, whether we wait on God to save our lost children,
or whether we're waiting on God to save us out of the trial,
or whether we're waiting on God to return, we wait by faith. If we resort to carnal sight,
we're going to do what they did. We're going to resort to another
means, another method, another way. We wait on God. Whether
it's our lost children, we have to wait on God to quicken them,
make them heal. Whether it's the trial, we have
to wait on God to teach who he's teaching. Whether it's the end
of this life, we have to wait on God to return. I've never been disappointed
by waiting on God. But I've made a lot of blunders
by not waiting on God. Over and over and over in Scripture
we're told, wait on the Lord, wait on the Lord. Then we see
here, carnal sight and unbelief wants visible gods. Look here
in verse one, the people gathered themselves together into Aaron
and said unto him, up, make us gods which shall go before us.
There's some irony in what they said, make us gods. When we take
matters into our own hands, we make us ourselves to be gods. And they wanted him to make them
some gods. Carnal sight wants something
to see. Carnal sight wants something to happen. That's why waiting
is so difficult. God never works on our timetable.
It's the hardest thing we do, waiting on the Lord. Why? Because
we just are carnal in our flesh, and we want it now. We want it
immediately. We want to see something. Later,
they wanted a king like the other nations had. We have one God, our triune God
in Christ, and we worship Him alone, and we worship Him through
faith, in spirit, waiting on Him. And then they quickly turned
on Moses. Unbelief quickly forgets God,
quickly forgets all God's favor, quickly. Look at this in verse
one. They said, for as for this Moses,
the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we won't
know what's become of him. Remember, they turned on Moses
before when things weren't to their liking. You know, when
God brought them through the Red Sea, they praised God, but
when they got out and suffered a little bit, it was Moses' fault.
You brought us out here to kill us. You brought us out into this
wilderness to destroy us, Moses. They attributed everything to
Moses as if Moses was doing this against them. And this is after
they'd seen all that God had did through Moses. Think of what
all they saw God do through Moses. Think of all we've seen God do
through Christ. God provided Moses for them.
Moses didn't just show up, God provided Moses for them. God
provided Christ his son for us. Through Moses, God worked all
these different signs and wonders in Egypt and opposed Pharaoh.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, through Christ God our Father, worked
many signs and wonders in this earth. Signs and wonders of healing
people, giving them sight, putting away sin, saving us from our
sin. Through Moses, God provided them
a Passover lamb and made the head of each house, put that
blood on the house, picturing Christ our head, applying the
blood to our hearts, and when God saw the blood, he passed
over all the firstborn in the houses of Israel while he slew
the firstborn in Egypt. Christ is our Passover. He's
our lamb who's laid down his life for us, and he comes in
as the head of his house, applies the blood to each of his children
who are firstborn sons. And when God sees the blood,
he passes over us. But unbelief quickly forgets
God's favor. Through Moses, God brought them
out to the Red Sea, brought them through the Red Sea, and destroyed
all their enemies, then led them through the wilderness, providing
everything for them. Manna from heaven, water out
of the rock, the shoes never wore out. Through Christ, God
has delivered us, brethren. He delivered us. He's brought
us through the Red Sea. He's destroyed all our enemies.
We're more than conquerors through him that loved us, and he's leading
us through this wilderness. He is the manna, and he's providing
himself, and he's providing all for us. When we start looking
with carnal sight, isn't it hard to remember that? Isn't it easy
to forget? When the trouble comes and something
we didn't expect happens, like Moses delaying to come down,
we forget quickly what God has done for us. We act more like
unbelievers when trials first come than we do believers. Through Moses, God had done all
this for them now, but where Christ is not reigning in the
heart, where He's not constraining us by His love, if He just leaves
us to ourselves for a moment, we'll quickly forget and we'll
do like they said. They had Moses in contempt. They're
saying here, as for this Moses. It's a contemptuous thing. As
for this Moses. And then they attributed it to
him, the man that brought us out of Egypt. And they weren't
saying that in a good way. Saying he brought us out here
in this hot desert. We don't know what he's even
become of it. That's what they said of Christ when he walked
this earth. John 9, 29, we know that God spake unto Moses, as
for this, they said. The translators put fellow in
there, but as for this, we know not from whence he is. Talking
about Christ. Another time they cried out all
at once, saying, Away with this! Release unto us Barabbas. Contempt. That's what unbelief, that's
what's in my nature and your nature, is this contempt. God has to restrain it. He has
to mortify our old man. He has to make us put off the
old and put on the new. We'll forget Christ, we'll forget
the work of God, we'll forget what He's done for us just as
quickly as they did. But that was the people that
did this. Now, surely God's high priest
won't do this. He's God's high priest. He's
Moses' brother. Surely he won't do this. Verse
two, and Aaron said unto them, break off the golden earrings
which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons and your
daughters, and bring them to me. And all the people broke
off the golden earrings which were in their ears and brought
them unto Aaron, and he received them at their hand and fashioned
it with a graving tool after he had made it a molten calf.
And they said, these be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee
up out of the land of Egypt. We saw God give that spirit,
that supernatural spirit, to Ahilioab so that he could engrave
and do all that work for the building of the tabernacle. That's
not what this was with Aaron. This was just his carnal spirit
using human ingenuity. He was a sinner in need of Christ's
righteousness, just like you and me. He was a sinner in need
of God's constant keeping hand, just like you and me. But right then, you know what
was happening right then? Right when he was baking this
golden calf. Moses was in the mount with God
and God was declaring, Aaron's my high priest. I'm making all these beautiful
garments to robe him in. While Aaron's down there making
this golden calf, this is what God is saying about Aaron. While
Aaron is worshiping another God, breaking the whole law of God,
God is saying, He's mine. This is who, in Psalm 105.26,
he's called Aaron whom God has chosen. In Psalm 106.16, he's
called Aaron the saint of the Lord. You see, when we fell in Adam,
this is what we became. Idolaters. God-hating rebels. And it didn't change God's purpose
of grace toward us one bit. He said, that's mine. That's
mine. And the same is true as believers. When we sin, God says, that's
mine. That's St. Joe. That's St. Sarah. How could He do that? How could
God say that? Only in Christ. Only in Christ. And that same is true of you
and me. Only in Christ, in His righteousness, in His suretyship,
in His holiness, can God say, that's my Holy One. Idolatry is the worship that
comes from our sin nature. It's the worship of another God.
It's the worship of ourselves. It's trying to present our works
to God on our altar apart from Christ our altar. Look here in
verse 5, when Aaron saw he built an altar before it, he saw the
people saying, these are our gods that brought us out of Egypt.
And Aaron quickly, he decided he's going to turn this into
worship. So he builds an altar before it and Aaron made proclamation
and said, tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. We're gonna worship
God now. And they rose up early on the
morrow and they offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings
and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
You know what was not far off from this new altar that Aaron
had built? You know what was not far off from that? The altar
God commanded them to build. They already had an altar, but
they built a new one. And that one they ignored. What's
the sin in that? We have one altar, it's Christ.
When we come into God's house to worship God, or when we're
at home worshiping God, or wherever we are, entering into God's presence
in prayer, we have one altar that makes us and our works accepted
of God and as Christ. And without Him, nothing we do
in religion is accepted. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And you notice here, they made
all these offerings. These were not offerings God
commanded. How many things in religion do
you see and you think, they didn't get that from the Word of God?
And people will speak of these traditions of men just like it's
the Word of God. And if you question sometimes,
people don't even realize nothing that they're doing is in the
Bible. They just assume it is. And you notice here too, when
they made these offerings, They didn't make a sin offering. You see, where there's no truth
of man's sin, and there are places today that say, don't speak of
man's sin. Don't talk about us being sinners. That's depressing. Nobody wants
to hear about that. Nobody wants to hear about blood.
where there's no truth declared about man's absolute, total ruin
in the fall, that we're totally, totally, totally depraved, with
no ability before conversion or after conversion to believe
on God, to give ourselves life, to keep ourselves, to persevere
without his preserving hand, to be redeemed without the particular
redemption of Christ, where there's no, no preaching of the ruin
of the fall and of the necessity of irresistible regeneration
and calling of God, where there's no preaching of the particular
successful, accomplished redemption of Christ and His people. You
know what it is? It's a vain, idolatrous show
just like they were doing. And that's what's going on in
99% of churches in the world. is a vain, idolatrous show. Reverend Aaron, notice here,
Aaron called this a feast to the Lord. And if you would have
asked them, they would have said, we're worshiping Jehovah. But they said, these be thy gods,
O Israel, pointing to this golden calf. These are thy gods that
brought us up out of Egypt. Not one, they said, these are
thy gods. Whatever your truth is, this
is your God. Whatever your truth is, this
is your God. Whatever your truth is, this
is your God. Truth's not relative. There's
one truth. But my point is this. This claim
that an idol is only a symbol that represents God. We're not
really worshiping this symbol. We're worshiping God. We're not
worshiping this idol. This is true worship. We're just
using this to help us worship God. That's a lie. That's a lie. Psalm 106.19, listen to this. They made a calf in Horeb. This is God's declaring what
it was. They made a calf in Horeb and
worshiped the molten image, thus they changed their glory into
the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. They forgot God
their Savior, which had done great things in Egypt, wondrous
works in the land of Ham, terrible things by the Red Sea. Now brethren,
every form of religious imagery is idolatry, crosses, angels, every form of idolatry. And not only that, but any addition
to the worship of God is idolatry. Any subtraction from the worship
of God is idolatry. Any mixture of false religion
with the worship of God is idolatry. Every effort of man to mix the
works of his hands with the work of Christ is idolatry. We're told in the New Testament,
wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. Flee from
idolatry. God warned in our day that men
would resort to man-made messages and man-made means and man-made
methods, and you know why? because Christ delayed to come
down out of the mount. Go to 2 Peter 3 and let's see
that. 2 Peter 3, 3. Knowing this first, there shall
come in the last days scoffers. we've been in the last days since
Christ came, have come in the last days, scoffers, walking
after their own lusts, saying, where's the promise of his coming?
For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were
from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant
of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the
earth standing out of the water and in the water, whereby the
world that then was being overflowed with water perished. But the
heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept
in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and
perdition of ungodly men. But beloved, be not ignorant
of this one thing. That one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is
not slack concerning His promise. The Lord is not delayed. There's
no delay. But, what's he doing? Why is
he waiting? He's longsuffering to usward, to his elect, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He's calling out his people.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night,
into which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also,
and the works that are therein shall be burned up, seeing then
that all these things shall be dissolved. What manner of persons
ought we to be in all holy conduct and godliness? Looking for and
hasting unto the coming day of God, wherein the heavens being
on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look
for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that
you look for these things, Be diligent that you may be found
of him in peace, without spot, and blameless, and account this,
the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. He's not going
to lose one. Rather than the things that happened
to the children of Israel were written for you and I who believe.
Paul said, these things are examples to the intent we should not lust
after evil things as they lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were
some of them. As it's written, the people sat
down to eat and drink and rose up to play. All these things
happened to them for examples. They're written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore, let him
that thinketh, he standeth. Take heed, lest he fall. Let's
not forget, brethren, At our best state, we have a sin nature
that is nothing but an idolater. We have so many idols in our
lives, so many things that come between us and God. Next time
you think about reading the word of God and something interferes
with that and you get sidetracked, just know I got a lot of idols. It's sad, but it's true. And
even our purest form of worship, we still have this sin nature
mixed with it. We still have idolatry mixed with it. So flee
from every form of sin and flee from Christ. And as Peter said,
we need to be diligent to do it. We need to take aim at our
own selves to do it. and don't excuse it and don't
let it go on. Because we got Christ is coming.
He's made us holy. He separated us. And we're looking
for that day. Now let me get to this last part,
and I'm just going to go through it quickly. I'm going to look
at it another time in detail. Here's the good news. This is
why they weren't destroyed. This is why we're not destroyed.
Christ is in the mount making intercession for us. Verse 7,
the Lord said to Moses, go, get thee down, for thy people which
thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded
them. They have made them a molten calf and have worshiped it, and
have sacrificed thereunto and said, These be thy gods, O Israel,
which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the
Lord said unto Moses, I've seen this people. Behold, it's a stiff-necked
people. Now therefore let me alone, that
my wrath may wax hot against them, that I may consume them,
and I will make of thee a great nation. Now that's, God knew
it. He knew everything that was happening.
God knows everything about us, brethren. Everything about, all
our sin is open and naked before him. He knows it. But here's
why God didn't destroy all of them. Verse 11, and Moses besought
the Lord his God. Moses interceded for him. Christ
intercedes for those that are His, just like Moses did for
Israel. He says, look at the intercession
He makes here now. Moses says, these are Thy people. He says, these are Thy people,
Lord. He says there in verse 11, He says, He besought the
Lord and said, Lord, why did Thy wrath wax hot against Thy
people? These are Thy people. Christ
intercedes. God gave Him this people. He
said, Lord, glorify me that I may give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given to me. And then our Lord turned right
around and he said, I pray for them, I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast given me, because they're yours,
Lord. They're yours, Father. Just like Moses did, they're
your people. He's saying, you chose them by free grace. There
was some elect in there. You chose them by free grace.
That means nothing else can make you forsake them. Free grace
must save them. Sovereign grace must save them.
Don't forsake them because you chose them by grace. They're
saved by grace. That's Christ's intercession.
He intercedes the Father saying, Lord, you redeemed them. Thy
people, verse 11, which thou has brought forth out of the
land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand. They're
your people. You brought them out. You redeemed
them, Lord, with great power and a mighty hand. Christ is
God who brought out His people. He is the power and wisdom of
God. He's the mighty hand of God who
came forth and laid down His life and redeemed us by His blood,
and He's brought us out. Justice has nothing else to say
to His people, and Christ intercedes. His presence reminds God. His
wounds remind God. You've redeemed them, Lord. You've
redeemed them, Father. Thirdly, his intercession says,
Father, do it for your name. Do it for your glory, verse 12.
Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, for mischief did
he bring them out to slay them in the mountains and to consume
them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath and
repent thee of this evil against thy people. He's speaking in
terms we can understand. God doesn't repent. God knew
what he was going to do from the beginning, but he's letting
us understand in a way we can understand it. But what he's
saying to him here is, He's saying, God, you won't share your glory
with another. And the same as you won't share
your glory with another, don't let the glory of your name be
polluted by people saying, you brought them out, but you couldn't
save them. These are things Christ uses to intercede for us, brethren,
by His presence being there. God says, for my name's sake,
I'll defer mine anger. For my praise will I refrain
from thee that I cut thee not off. For my own sake, even for
my own sake will I do it, for how should my name be polluted? That's security for you and me.
These are petitions you and I should make before God for one another
and for ourselves. Lord, this is your child. You chose him by grace. Lord,
this is the child you redeemed. Lord, this is a child that you're
getting glory to your name by saving him. Don't let your name
be polluted. This is why we come to God in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we pray, Lord, we
ask you these things in the name of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus
Christ, because you can't come to God except in his name. There's
no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved. If you don't
come in that altar, with that one altar, in that one high priest,
with that one lamb, in that one name, God won't hear us. But
that name is glorious and God's going to bring glory to that
name. And then he says, remember your everlasting covenant. Look
here, now theirs was a covenant of works, but here he's speaking
about the covenant of grace. Verse 13, remember Abraham, Isaac,
and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swearest by thine own
self. and said unto them, I'll multiply
your seed as the stars of heaven and all this land that I've spoken
of, will I give it to your seed and they shall inherit forever.
God gave us his covenant, Hebrews 6 says. He made a promise to
us. And not only that, he confirmed it by an oath. He swore by himself
because he could swear it by no greater. That's two immutable
things. God can't lie. He promised us
he can't lie. And then God confirmed it with
an oath. That can't be changed. We have
a covenant promise confirmed by a covenant oath that God will
not lose one. He will save His people. And
this is the covenant Christ fulfilled. It's the covenant written in
Christ's blood. It's the covenant God, it's the covenant that Christ
makes intercession with God for His people with. Do it for your
everlasting covenant grace. And then His intercession for
us, we see, never fails. He said in verse 14, the Lord
repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people.
Psalm 106.23 says, He said He would destroy them had not Moses
His chosen stood before Him in the breach to turn away His wrath
lest He should destroy them. And brethren, God would have
a long time ago destroyed this world When Adam sinned, He would
have destroyed you and me when we've sinned. He would have destroyed
us since then when we've sinned. Why doesn't He? Because we're
His people. Because He redeemed us by the
blood of Christ. Because His name is attached
to us. His glory is attached to saving
His people. And He's made an everlasting
covenant. And He won't go back on it. That's
security. That's Christ's intercession
for us by His very presence. He remembered for them His covenant
and repented according to the multitude of His mercies. Now
this is why John says, little children, these things are right
unto you that you sin not. We're never saying sin. We're never saying it's okay
to sin. No, it's not okay to sin. It's
not. But then he says, but when you
do. We're also saying we never don't
sin. When you do, here's the good
news. We have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He's mercy for us. He's the
propitiation. He's the place where our sins
have been put away, and God will receive us, and He's faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We'll look more at that next time. Let's stand together. Father, we thank you. Thank you,
Lord, that you've not poured out your wrath upon us, that
you've heard your Son and beheld Him and all your word fulfilled
in Him, all your law fulfilled in Him, your covenant fulfilled
in Him. Your name in Him, and we're thankful,
Lord, for His sake, for His sake, You have mercy on us. Lord, let
us remember this. Let us make this intercession
for one another, for these same causes. Put these things on our
heart, Lord, and make us pray for our brethren. And Lord, bless
it to the hearts of Your people. Make us see what great sinners
we are and what a great intercessor Christ is. We come to You right
now, Lord, asking You to hear our great intercessor, our Lord,
our Sovereign, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Righteousness,
our Advocate. Lord, hear Him on our behalf.
Amen.