No audio available. 

We’ve been going through the life of Moses as recorded in the Book of Exodus, and last week we had reached the well-known section where God gives Moses the 10 Commandments.  For the next 12 chapters of Exodus, beginning at ch. 19 & 20, God gives the law and instructions regarding how to build the Tabernacle, the place where God will dwell in their midst.  In ch. 32, the people ask Aaron to make gods who will go before him, because Moses is not coming back.  And so they melt their gold in order to make a calf, saying “these are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.”  As a result, God is ready to destroy them and make Moses into a great nation, but Moses intercedes for them, praying that God would spare them for God’s own name’s sake.  Because of Moses’ prayer, some of the unfaithful are killed, but the rest are spared.  Let’s pick up the story in Exodus 33:1-4:

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.'  I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.  Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."  When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments.

Wow – do you see what God just offered?  For 13 chapters he’s been laying down law after law, expectation after expectation – do this, don’t do this, build this, worship in this way.  He’s been giving them all the requirements regarding the Tabernacle.  And now, after the golden calf fiasco, God essentially tells them, “here’s the deal – you can go up to the Promised Land.  I will give it to you, and I will send an angel to drive out all your enemies.  Only one condition – I’m not going with you.”  You can have the promised land, the milk & honey, the peace, the prosperity, and you don’t have to worry about law or ritual or worshiping me.