Doc Notes "Mr Outside and Mr Inside" Part 64 of Exodus

 Gentle Readers,

Read Exodus 33:4-10 and then consider what it means to be "outside the camp"




In order to enter into the significance of what is to be before us on this present occasion, and especially to discern its typical application to Christendom today, careful attention must be paid to the context. Moses’ pitching of the tent "outside the camp," and the seeking unto it of "every one which sought the Lord" can only be interpreted aright by noting carefully the imperative necessity for such a drastic action, and that, in the light of all which occasioned it. The section of Exodus in which our present portion is found begins with 32:1. In that chapter, as we have already seen, Israel is shown committing the awful sin of making and worshipping the golden calf. That, in turn, was the consequence of their throwing off allegiance to Jehovah. Having, in their hearts, cast off the God they loved not, they now set up an idol patterned after their own evil lusts—a beast, graven in gold.



That the Lord did not there and then let loose the thunderbolts of His wrath and completely exterminate Israel is something which should bow our hearts before Him in wonder and worship, the more so when we observe what it was and who it was that averted His righteous anger against them, namely, the earnest and effectual supplications of the typical mediator. Blessed foreshadowment was this of Him who has entered into heaven itself, "now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Heb. 9:24), and who is "able also to save them unto the uttermost (to the last extremity) that come unto God by Him, seeing that He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25). Had there been no Moses to plead their cause, Israel had perished. And had we no High Priest to plead before God the merits of His atoning sacrifice on our behalf, we too would perish in this wilderness scene. It is the ministry of Christ on High which succors and sustains us while we journey to the promised inheritance.



How Moses must have loved his people! Do we not have more than a hint of this in the words of the Spirit in Hebrews 11:24, 25, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." His love for them is brought out again in Acts 7:23, "And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel." Blessed adumbrations were these of a greater than Moses, who refused not to lay aside His heavenly glory and come down to this sin-curst earth, where His "brethren" (Heb. 2:11) were in cruel bondage to sin and Satan. More blessed still is it to follow out the love of Moses for his people under the severest trials and testings. Though they appreciated him not, though they repeatedly murmured and rebelled against him, though they manifested their utter unworthiness of his unselfish devotion to them, yet nothing quenched his love for them. So too we read of Him to whom Moses pointed, "having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end" (John 13:1). Nor could the awful sin of His people kill the affections of Moses: when unsparing judgment at the hands of a holy God was their only due, he stepped into the breech, and stood between them and His wrath.



But, as we saw in our last study, though the intercession of Moses averted the consuming wrath of God, yet it did not preclude the manifestations of His displeasure in a governmental way. The nation was not "consumed" (32:10), but it was "plagued" (32:35). This was due to no failure in the prayer of Moses, but to the lack of repentance on the part of the people. Most solemnly does this speak to us, and timely is its warning. How readily neglected is this truth today! if there be little or no preaching of "repentance" to the unsaved, there is still less to those who are saved. Yet, concerning the one we read "But, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3); and of the other, it is to be noted, that the very first admonitory word of Christ to the seven churches in Revelation 2, 3 is, "Remember therefore from whence thou are fallen, and repent" (2:5)! It is because there is so little repentance among God’s people today that His chastening hand is laid so heavily on many of them.



"And the Lord said unto Moses. Depart, go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it" (33:1). In these words Jehovah presses upon Moses the solemn position which Israel occupied. Having broken the covenant which they had made only a few weeks before (Ex. 19:5, 8; 24:7), they had thus forfeited their relationship to God as His people. Having rejected Him, He speaks, to them according to their transgression, saying to Moses, "The people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt." Nevertheless, He promised them the land, according to His absolute and unconditional promises to the patriarchs—to which Moses had appealed in his intercession (32:13). "And I will send an angel before thee: and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: unto a land flowing with milk and honey" (vv. 2, 3).



Next, the Lord added. "For I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way (v. 3). Solemn word was this; a real test of Israel’s heart. "At the beginning of this book. when the people were in the furnace of Egypt, the Lord could say, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.’ But now he has to say, ‘I have seen this people, and, behold. it is a stiffnecked people’, An afflicted people is an object of grace; but a stiff- necked people must be humbled. The cry of the oppressed Israel had been answered by the exhibition of grace; but the song of idolatrous Israel must be answered by the voice of stern rebuke" (C.H.M.).



Then we read, "And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned" (v. 4). Here was the first hopeful sign that the people gave. The Hebrew word for "mourn" in this passage means to sorrow or lament. The threat that Jehovah Himself would not accompany them moved Israel to deep contrition. How sad is the contrast presented in Revelation 3! There too the Lord is viewed as not being "in the midst" of His people, but outside (v. 20). Yet Laodicea is indifferent, content without Him (v. 17). When the Lord is no longer "in the midst" of His people, it is high time for them to "mourn."



"And no man did put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, ye, are a stiff necked people: I will come up in the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee" (vv. 4, 5). The removal of their ornaments was for the purpose of evidencing the genuineness of their contrition. Outward adornment was out of keeping with the taking of a low place before God. Contrariwise, external attractions and displays show up the absence of that lowliness of spirit and brokenness of heart which are of great price in the sight of God. The more true spirituality declines, the more an elaborate ritual comes to the fore. All around us Christendom is putting on as many "ornaments" as possible.



"And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb" (v. 6). This was a still more hopeful sign. Here we see Israel obeying God’s command to humble themselves. This is ever the ground of further blessing. The promise is, "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." A New Testament parallel to what we have before us here, is found in the case of the Corinthians. To them the apostle wrote, "Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings" (1 Cor. 4:8). There we see them with all their "ornaments" on. Later he was able to write, "For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath you sorry, though but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly manner" (2 Cor. 7:8, 9). They had "stripped themselves" of their "ornaments"!



"And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of the congregation" (v. 7). This movement of Moses denoted three things: it was an act of submission, it was an act of faith, it was an act of grace. Let us enlarge a little upon these things. The going forth of Moses outside the camp was an act of submission, it was a bowing to God’s righteous verdict. While Israel was a stiffnecked people, Jehovah could not remain in their "midst" (v. 3). While they continued in a state of impenitency life could not own them as His people (v. 1). Accordingly, Moses is here seen acquiescing in the Lord’s holy judgment, and therefore leaves the place where He no longer was. Well would it be—both for God’s glory and for their own good—if His people would act on this same principle today.



But more: the going forth of Moses outside the camp was an act of faith. This comes out plainly and most blessedly in what Israel’s leader did on this occasion: he "took" the tabernacle and "pitched it without the camp." It should be pointed out that this was not the Tabernacle proper, with its three apartments, for this had not yet been erected. If Gentle reader  you will refer back to Exodus 21:18 and 32:1 it will be found that Israel committed their great sin of worshipping the golden calf while Moses was up in the mount, during which time Jehovah had said to him, "Let them make Me a sanctuary: that I may dwell among them" (25:8)—details concerning which are found in the chapters that follow to the end of 31.



In the opening paragraphs of article 41 of this series ( 2012) on "The Coverings," we called attention to the distinction which is to be drawn between "the Tabernacle" (Heb. "mishkan") and "the Tent" (Heb. "Ohel"): the former signifies "dwelling-place"; the latter, simply "tent." The one refers to the abode of Jehovah, the other to the meeting-place for His people. The two are clearly distinguished in several scriptures, for example in Numbers 3:25 we read of "the tabernacle and the tent." In the majority of passages where the A.V. has "tabernacle of the congregation," the Hebrews reads "tent of the congregation." This holy building was Jehovah’s place of abode, but Israel’s place of assembly; they visited it, He remained there.



Now it was the "tent" and not the "tabernacle" which Moses here "took" and "pitched it outside the camp," for, as we have said, the tabernacle proper had not yet been built. In this action of Israel’s leader we may discern the exercise of real faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Moses had been hearing the word of God yonder in the mount, and now that he is down in the camp again his heart lays hold of, and anticipates, the actual erection of Jehovah’s dwelling place. It was a temporary, provision to meet a pressing emergency. "It does not appear that Moses, in pitching the tabernacle outside the camp, was acting under any direct commandment from the Lord. It was rather spiritual discernment, entering into both the character of God and the state of the people. Taught of God, he feels that Jehovah could no longer dwell in the midst of a camp which had been defiled by the presence of the golden calf. He therefore made a place outside, afar off from the camp, and called it the ‘tabernacle of the congregation’" (Ed. Dennett).



Again; the pitching of the tent outside the camp was an act of grace. This will be seen the more clearly if we revert once more to the context; "The Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up in the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee." God was here speaking after the manner of men—just as He does when He is said to "repent." It was as though He were weighing the condition of His wicked people, waiting to see whether or not their "mourning" was genuine. Before He smote, He would furnish opportunity for repentance. The people availed themselves of His forbearance: humbled by their sin, awed by the solemn tidings of imminent destruction, they stripped themselves of their ornaments. Then, as another has said, "He who pronounced judgment upon the people for their sins, provided a way for their escape." Those who "sought the Lord" were not only spared, but permitted to go forth unto the tent. Thus, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."



"And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went unto the tent of the congregation, which was without the camp" (v. 7). Once more we have a striking illustration of the word "even so might grace reign through righteousness" (Rom. 5:21). God is "the God of all grace," yet it ever needs to be remembered that He never exercises grace at the expense of righteousness. God forgives sins, but it is because they were atoned for by Christ. Israel was delivered from the avenging angel in Egypt, but only because they were sheltered beneath the blood. So here: God maintained His righteousness. Holiness forbade Him entering the defiled camp, but grace made it possible for the people to meet Him outside.



"And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tent of the congregation, which was without the camp" (v. 7). Let us now consider the typical significance of this. We think at once of Hebrews 13:13, "Let us go forth therefore unto Him, without the camp, bearing His reproach." Obviously, the Holy Spirit here had Exodus 33:7 before Him, and it is in the light of what is there recorded that we must interpret this New Testament exhortation. What we have there is a call to separation, but unless we pay close attention to the type we shall err in our application of the antitype. The all-important thing is to bear steadily in mind the circumstances under which Moses pitched the Tent "outside the camp." It was not when Israel murmured (Ex. 16:2), when they desecrated the sabbath (16:27, 28), when the Amalekites fought against them (17:8); it was after Israel had disowned Jehovah and set up the golden calf. General and open idolatry in the camp constitutes the call to go forth" outside it!



The same principle holds good in the interpretation of Hebrews 13:13. This exhortation was not given to the Corinthians, where a sectarian spirit prevailed, where immorality had been condoned, and where the Lord’s supper had been turned into a carnal feast. Nor was the call given to the Galatians, among whom false doctrine, of a serious character, had come in. Instead, it was addressed to "Hebrews." The believing Jews were enjoined to forsake the unbelieving Nation who had despised and rejected Christ. The "camp" was guilty of the murder of God’s Son, hence the call to forsake it. What we would here press upon the Christian reader is that neither Exodus 33:7 nor Hebrews 13:13 supplies any warrant for Christians forsaking "churches" or companies of God’s professing people where Christ is owned, honored, worshipped. There are those claiming to "gather unto the Lord," who insist they are the only people that are on true scriptural ground. They have separated themselves not only from false systems, but from the great majority of God’s own people. Little wonder that today they are more sectarian than any of the denominations, and that God has blown upon their proud and pharisaical claims. To "go forth unto Him without the camp" is a vastly different thing than separating from God’s own people. All who are dear to Christ should be dear to the Christian.



It was corporate idolatry which made Jehovah refuse to continue in Israel’s midst. It was when the Lord Himself had been rejected, and not till then, that Moses pitched the Tent outside the camp. Nothing short of this ever warrants a Christian from breaking away from those who profess the name of Christ. Perfection will be found no where on this earth, and the loftier the pretentions of those claiming to come nearest to perfection, the least grounds for such a profession they will evidence. A drum makes a big noise, but it is very hollow inside! No, ideal conditions, a faithful carrying out of all the revealed will of God, are not to be met with among any company of Christians. Failure is stamped upon everything which. God has committed to man. But that does not justify me in holding aloof from my erring brethren and sisters, and assuming an attitude of "I am holier than thou"; for in the sight of God I am probably a greater failure than they are. We are all of us quick to discover the mote in another’s eye, while complacently impervious to the beam in our own eye.



"Strengthen the things which remain (not "pull down"), that are ready to die," is God’s word to us (Rev. 3:2.) "Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees" (Heb. 12:12): obedience to this will accomplish far more than criticizing and condemning every body and everything. "Forbearing one another in love" (Eph. 4:2), implies there is that in each of us which is a trial in the other. There will be much to test patience and love in any "church" or gathering, but if the Lord is there, that is the place for me too. He is "long-suffering," so must I be. But when He is disowned, when a false god is set up in His place, when "another Jesus" (2 Cor. 11:4) is preached (a "Jesus" who is not the God man, born of a virgin, died for the sins of His people, rose again in bodily triumph over death), it is high time for me to get out. To remain in a place where He is denied would be for me to dishonor my land. It was on this principle that Moses here acted; and not Moses only, but "every one who sought the Lord."



Thus, the principle which is to guide us to day in our application of Hebrews 13:13 to any local situation, is simple and plain, If I am worshipping with a company of Christians where the Lord Jesus is owned as the Christ of God, as the alone Savior for sinners, as the Exemplar of His people, though the preaching there may not be as edifying as I could desire, though my fellow disciples may come far short of what I wish, that is no reason why I should desert them; rather it is an occasion for me to be much in prayer on their behalf, and by my own walk seek to show them the way of the Lord more perfectly. But, on the other hand, if I am in a place where the Christ of God is denied, the inspiration of the Scriptures repudiated, the Holy Spirit quenched through a false god having been set up, then no matter what my friends may do, no matter what may be the decision of my brethren, I am responsible before God to separate myself from what is so grossly dishonoring to Him.



"And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle" (v. 8). From this it appears that not many responded to the call of separation. "The majority stood at their tent doors, interested in Moses, and looking after him, and seeing the pillar of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent, but not going out! They seem to represent those who have reverence for divine things, and are interested in the truth, but who remain in the camp. God-fearing persons, but not knowing the presence of the Lord in its attractive and satisfying power" (C. A. Coates).



"And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses" (v. 9). The "cloudy pillar" was the visible symbol of Jehovah’s presence. This is the third time in Exodus we find mention of it. First, in 13:21 we read, "And the lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light." Second, in 14:19, 20 we are told, "And the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night." Third, "the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses." Thus it was connected first with guidance, then with protection, now with communion.



"The cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses." Blessed answer of God was this in the confidence of His servant. How true are His words "them that honor Me I will honor." Moses was not put in confusion: his submission and faith were amply rewarded. God never disappoints those who seek His glory and count upon His grace. It is the compromisers, the fearers of men, and the unbelieving who are the losers. O for more single-eyed devotion to the Lord. then we shall have Him "talk with" (not "to") us.



"And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door" (v. 10). Nothing but a gracious manifestation of the Lord will produce real worship, and the more we are conscious of His unmerited favor, the more fervent will our worship be. Nor must we ignore the Spirit’s notice of the position occupied by these prostrate Israelites: they "worshipped every man in his tent door."’ This has a voice for us if we have hearts to receive it. The "tent" is the symbol of the pilgrim, and it is only as this character is maintained that worship will be sustained. The blessed sequel we must leave for consideration till our next study. May the Lord exercise each of us by what has been before us.




To be continued . . .

"Doc Notes" Plagued Israel (Part 63)

 Gentle Readers, for this next study, please read Exodus 32:28 - 33:2

Hirhurim Musings posted a very thought-provoking Dvar Torah on Parashat Ekev entitled: The Snare of Idolatry. The concept presented is both intriguing, disturbing and – unfortunately - very applicable to our situation today. It’s well-worth a read:




(Excerpt)

“…Perhaps we can suggest that it is not either forced or assimilated idolatry but accidental idolatry. The Gemara (Avodah Zarah 8a) says that the Jews in exile worship idols in purity. What this means is that through their close personal connections with idol worshipers, it is as if they worship idols themselves. They cause others to worship idols. They praise idols. They discuss idolatry and value the contributions idol worship has brought to society. In this way, while they don't technically worship idols, they encroach on idolatry and associate overmuch with it. Perhaps that is part of exile and is an aspect of the punishment of living outside of our land.”



What’s most disturbing is that while the commentary refers to those living in exile, today it appears that those living in Eretz Yisrael have also fallen into this trap. And, as we all know, ”if the Jews in the Land of Israel worship idols, they will be exiled” (G-d forbid).



In his commentary on Parashat Ki Tisa, in his book Eretz Yisrael in the Parashah, Rabbi Moshe Lichtman also explores the concept of the “snare”, and “worshiping false gods in purity” (unintentionally - without paying attention).



Perhaps it’s time we all took a closer and more profound – albeit painful – look at the concept of Avodah Zarah and all of its trappings -especially since Israel is currently swarming with idolaters.



To Continue with our study...

Our last study closed with the descent of Moses from the mount and, upon his beholding the idolatries of Israel, his giving a stern commission to the Levites: "Put every man his sword by his side, go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor." In their response we behold the spirit triumphing over the flesh, the claims of Jehovah’s holiness over-riding all natural and sentimental considerations: "And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day" (vv. 28, 29).



The above verses present several most striking contrasts. First, from what is recorded in Genesis 34:25, 26, where, too, the "sword" is seen in the hand of Levi, not for Jehovah’s glory, but in fleshly anger—cf. Genesis 49:5-7. Second, from what is said in Exodus 28:41, where we read of the sons of Aaron being consecrated that they might minister unto the Lord in the priest’s office. The word "consecrate" means to "fill the hand," the reference being to the sweet-savor offerings and fragrant incense with which they were to appear before Jehovah. But here in our present portion their hands were filled with swords, to slay those who had apostatized. Third, from what is recorded in Acts 2:41: on the day of Israel’s idolatry there fell of the people "about three thousand men," on the day of Pentecost "about three thousand souls" were saved!



Fearful was the ensuing carnage. Stupefied with terror and awed by the irresistible power with which Moses was known to be invested, and by the sight of the threatening Cloud upon the mount above them, the people offered no resistance, and three thousand of them were put to death. "And so they were left for the night: the day of sin had ended in lamentation and woe. The camp, which in the morning had resounded with unholy merriment and licentious song, was full of groans and sighs: the dead awaited burial, and the wounded cried for pain. And every soul was weighed down, if not with remorse for the sin, at least with dread, lest wrath should go forth from the Lord, and the destroying angel appear with sword outstretched to smite the wicked people, who, after hearing the law uttered by the awful voice of God Himself, and promising to do all that tie had spoken, and then, even before the signs of His presence were removed, lightly passed over to idolatry and fornication" (G. H. Pember).



"Now all these things happened unto them for types" (1 Cor. 10:11), that is, types for us; "types" mark, not precedents, not examples for us to imitate. The weapons of our warfare "are not carnal," (2 Cor. 10:4), but "spiritual." No place for the literal sword is provided in the Christian’s equipment. It is a perversion of the Scriptures, a failure to rightly divide the Word of Truth, to appeal to Israel’s history as warrant for us to use physical force. No, No; the material things connected with them, were but figures of the spiritual things which belong to us. What, then, is the lesson for us in this solemn work committed to the Levites? Is not the answer obvious? Uncompromising and unsparing dealing with all that is dishonoring to God, with everything that savors of idolatry.



The Christian possesses a sword, but it is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Eph. 6:17). With that sword we are called on to smite every enemy which lifts up its head against Christ. "The sword must be drawn against every influence that corrupts the people of God, even though it may have a place in those nearest us. It might seem very severe to treat brethren, friends, neighbors, in this way, but it was the only way to be consecrated to Jehovah, and to secure His blessing. When what is due to the Lord is in question, it is with those nearest to you that you have to be most decided. There is no particular consecration in drawing the sword against people you care little about. But to take a definite stand for the Lord against influences which are not of Him, even in those that you regard and truly love, secures great blessing... If I am going on with something that does not recognize the rights of Christ, or maintain what is due to God, the kindest thing we can do is to take a definite stand against it. I may, now call you narrow, uncharitable, bigoted! But when I meet you in the light of the judgment-seat of Christ I shall thank you for it?" (C. A. Coates).



As we said in the preceding study, these Levites were the "overcomers" of that day, and if the reader will consult Revelation 2 and 3 he will find that all the promises contained in those chapters were made to the overcomers (all Jews) . How blessed then to find that these Levites were richly rewarded for their faithfulness. In Deuteronomy 33:8-11 we read, "And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummin and Urim be with thy holy one, whom Thou didst prove at Massah and with whom Thou didst strive at the water of Meribah: Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed Thy word and kept Thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law: they shall put incense before Thee. and whole burnt sacrifice upon Thine altar." It was because they crucified the flesh "with its affections and lusts," (Gal. 5:24) ignoring natural ties, knowing no man according to nature, not even acknowledging their own brethren when it came to maintaining the claims of God’s holiness; it was because they observed His word and kept His covenant, that unto this Tribe were committed the "Thummin and Urim," the gift of teaching, and the privilege of burning incense on the altar. Truly God does honor those who honor Him, but they who despise Him are lightly esteemed.



"And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people ye have sinned a great sin" (v. 30). It is solemn to note the absence of any recorded word of Israel’s repentance. Nothing is said of their contrition and horror at having so grievously offended against the Lord. Ominous sign was that. The rod of chastisement had fallen heavily upon them, yet, so far as we can gather, they had not bowed in heart beneath it. But God will not be mocked; if His chastening be "despised" (Heb. 12:5) it will return in a more acute form. It did so here, as we shall see in the immediate sequel. May the Lord grant each of us the hearing ear.



Moses did not wink at their wickedness, nor did he attempt to minimize the enormity of it. Just as when he first came down from the mount he charged Aaron with having brought "so great a sin" upon Israel (v. 21), so now, on the morrow, he says unto the people, "Ye have sinned a great sin." That he truly and clearly loved his people, the verses that follow plainly testify; yet, this did not deter him from dealing faithfully with them. As the Holy Spirit declares in Hebrews 3:5, "Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after." In this too was he a type of Christ, the Holy One of God, who ever stressed the heinousness of sin.



"And now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin" (v. 30). Care needs to be exercised lest we read into these words what they do not really contain. It was not the penal sentence upon their sin, but, we believe, the remitting of the governmental consequences to which Moses referred. It must not be forgotten that we have already been told in v. 14 that "The Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people." In answer to the earnest supplications of the typical mediator, the wrath of God in utterly "consuming" the people (v. 10) had been averted, and this, we say, should be carefully borne in mind as we endeavor to understand that which follows—admittedly a most difficult passage.



"Peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin." The "peradventure" here ought not to occasion any difficulty, though more than one commentator has tripped over it. The uncertainty was due to the character and circumstances of his mission. Moses was about to appear before God on behalf of a people who had evidenced no sorrow for their great sin; therefore it was doubtful whether or not the governmental consequences of it might be remitted. There are quite a number of similar cases recorded in Scripture. In a Samuel 16:12, following Shimei’s cursing of him, we find David saying, "It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day. When wayward Israel was threatened by the Assyrians, Hezekiah sent to Isaiah saying, "It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God."



Nor are such cases restricted to the O.T. In N.T. times we read of Peter saying to Simon the sorcerer, "Repent therefore of this that wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee" (Acts 8:22). While in 2 Timothy 2:25 we read, "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." The careful reader will observe two things common to all these instances: first, each had in view the governmental consequences of sin; hence, second, each emphasizes the note of uncertainty—because forgiveness was dependent upon their repentance.



"And Moses returned unto the Lord" (v. 31.) Very blessed is this. Moses was, preeminently a man of prayer. In every crisis we find him turning unto the Lord: see Exodus 5:22; 8:30; 9:33; 14:15; 17:4. Beautiful foreshadowing was this of the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, who, in the days of His flesh, ever maintained and manifested a perfect spirit of dependency upon the One who d sent Him. "And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, 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 hast written" (vv. 31:32). Let us consider first the practical lesson which this incident contains for our hearts. Most helpfully has this been brought out by another.



"But if we speak of drawing the sword in this way, let us remember that the same man who said in the camp, ‘Slay every man his brother’ went up to Jehovah and said, ‘And now, if Thou will forgive their sin... but if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book that Thou hast written.’ It was the same spirit of Christ which led him to take a decided stand in public against those who had allowed what was contrary to God, that led him to go up and pray for them in secret with such intense yearning for their good. He went as far as it was possible fox man to go in the way of self-sacrifice. He could not be made a curse for them; only the Blessed One could go to that depth; but he was truly in the Spirit of Christ. It might be thought that slaying the people and interceding for them were not consistent. But the same spirit of Christ that would stand for Jehovah even against the nearest and dearest, was the spirit that would plead with God to be blotted out Father than that they should not be forgiven. The man who takes the strongest ground against me when I am wrong, and when I have set aside what is due to the Lord, is probably the one who prays most for me" (C. A. Coates).



"And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, 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 hast written." Unspeakably precious is the typical picture presented here. How it brings out the intense devotion of Moses both to Jehovah and to His people. No sin on their part could alienate his affections from them. "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it" (Song 8:7). Superlatively was this manifested by the One whom Moses here foreshadowed: Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end" (John 13:1). Yes, notwithstanding the fact that all would be offended because of Him that night, yea, that all would forsake Him and flee, yet, He "loved them unto the end."



Moses gave proof that his affections were bound up with Israel, though they were a sinful people. So much were their interests his, he was willing to be blotted out of God’s book, if He would not forgive them. Here again we must be careful not to read into his words what is not there. Moses said, "Thy book," not "the book of life." In Psalm 69:28 we read, "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." In Isaiah 4:3 it is said, "And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem." Thus it seems clear from these references that the "book" mentioned by Moses was not "the Lamb’s book of life" (Rev. 21:27), which was written "from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 17:8), but the Divine register in which are recorded the names of those living on the earth, whose names are "blotted out" at the death of each one. God has various "books:" see Malachi 3:16, Revelation 20:12.



"And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book" (v. 33). God was speaking here from the viewpoint of the unchanging principles of his righteous government. Is not Galatians 6:7, 8 a parallel passage? "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." Does not Romans 8:13 sound-forth the same warning note? "For if we live after the flesh, we shall die?"



"Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, Mine angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them" (v. 34). Here is further proof that their penal deserts were cancelled. Equally clear is it that the governmental consequences of their sin were not remitted. They were not consumed, yet in due time God would deal with them. Does then our type fail us at this point? Certainly not; it only serves to exhibit the perfect accuracy of it. In connection with the mediation of Christ, we find the same two things: His intercession averts the penal wrath of God, but does not remove the governmental consequences of His people’s sins. The latter is conditioned upon our true repentance and confession, and the laying hold of God’s restoring grace.



"And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf which Aaron made" (v. 35). In view of what we said in our last article, namely, that what is found here in Exodus 32 has prophetic application not only to Israel in the Tribulation period, but also to Christendom in this present era, probably the reader is ready to ask, But how could this terrible sequel to Israel’s sin ever have its counterpart in God’s dealings with His own in this Dispensation of Grace? Surely Christ has never called for the "sword" to smite His own; surely He does not "plague" His redeemed! Ah, dear friend, the picture that is now before us was not drawn by man, and the heavenly Artist makes no flaws. If it be recalled that Revelation 1 to 3 supplies the key to the present application of our type, it will not be difficult to discover the antitype.



In the second of the seven epistles found there, we read, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried." This epistle to Smyrna contemplates the second stage in the history of the Christian profession. It was a period marked by opposition and persecution, suffering and death. It was the martyr age, covering the last half of the first century A.D. and most of the second and third centuries. It was the time when the early Christians suffered so sorely under Nero and the other Roman emperors that succeeded him. It is unnecessary to enter into detail, most of our readers being doubtless aware of the fearful conditions that then prevailed, and of the fiery trials through which the people of God were called to pass. But what is not so well known, what in fact has been quite lost sight of by most Christian historians, is the cause of that era of suffering, as to why God permitted the Enemy to rage against His people—for, of course, neither the Roman emperors, or Satan who stirred them up, could move at all without His direct permission.



God does not afflict willingly (Lam. 3:33), nor are the sufferings of His people arbitrary. The Scriptures expressly declare, "When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov. 16:7). The reason why God sent such tribulation upon His people in the second era of Christendom’s history was because of their evil conduct in the first period. The epistle which precedes the Smyrean in Revelation 2, namely, the Ephesian, makes known what that evil conduct was: "Thou hast left thy first love" (Rev. 2:4)—Affection for Christ had waned: He was no longer "all and in all" to them. And, inward decline was swiftly followed by outward corruption, as is evidenced by the fearful fact that by the time the Smyrean era had dawned the "synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9) had already become established in their midst. Thus, as cause stands to effect, the leaving of "first love" at the beginning, occasioned the sufferings of the second and third centuries. It was God chastening His backslidden people!



Had the people of God remained true to Christ, had not the love of the world crept into their hearts, haw vastly different history would have been! Nor is this a mere conjecture of ours. After Israel had suffered so severely from their enemies (see the book of Judges) God said through the Psalmist, "Oh that My people had hearkened unto Me, and Israel had walked in My ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned My hand against their adversaries" (81:13, 14)! But they did not "hearken" unto Him, nor did they walk in His ways. Sadly did history repeat itself. Just as God chastened Israel with the sword and "plague" then, so did He chasten and plague the early Church, using the Roman emperors as His scourge. Thus, what is seen in our type in Exodus 32 finds its counterpart in the history of Christendom. When there was departure from the Lord, when the spirit of idolatry came in, He called for the sword to smite them.



"And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sward unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: And I will send an angel before thee: and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittie, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way" (33:1-3). Thus Moses by his supplication secured the immediate safety of the people, and the promise of an angelic guide and protector, to go before them; but the further chastisement of their sin must yet be visited upon them. Nor were they restored to their covenant relations with Jehovah.



Moses was next directed to return to me camp with a message from the Lord. The details of that message, its effect upon the people, with the sequel, we must leave for consideration till our next study. May what has been before us bring to each of our hearts a greater horror and hatred of sin, and a more earnest crying unto God to be delivered from it.

To Be continued . . .

Doc Notes "Here comes the Judge" ( Part 62)

 Gentle Readers,  for this next study you need to acquaint yourself with Exodus 32:15-29




Our present section presents to us a vastly different scene than the one upon which we gazed in the preceding verses. There we beheld the typical mediator pleading so graciously and effectually before the Lord, turning away His wrath from His stiffnecked people. Here we see Moses coming down from the mount, where he had been in such wondrous and blessed communion with God, angered at the sin of idolatrous Israel, breaking the tables of stone, grinding the golden calf to powder, strewing it upon the water and making the people to drink. Here we see this man of prayer arraigning Aaron, the responsible and guilty leader, and then calling upon the Levites to put on their swords and "slay every man his brother." The contrast is so radical, so strange, that many have been perplexed, and grotesque have been some of the explanations attempted.



It is therefore pertinent to ask at once, Does our type now fail us? Is Moses in our present passage no longer a foreshadowing of Christ? Surely after all that has been before us in the previous chapters of Exodus we should be slow to answer these questions in the affirmative. If we are unable to perceive the spiritual meaning and application of this picture, certainly that is no reason why we should say or even imagine that there is a defect in the holy Word of God. Far better and becoming for us to confess the dimness of our vision and betake ourselves to the great Physician, that He may anoint our eyes with eyesalve that we may see (Rev. 3:18). It is only in His light that we ever "see light" (Ps. 36:9). If we who take up our pens to write upon the Oracles of God did this more faithfully and frequently, there would be far less of darkening "counsel by words without knowledge" (Job 38:2). Not that we dare to imply, though, that other writers have done this less than ourselves.



In his "Notes on Exodus," which are for the most part very spiritual and helpful, and from which, under God, the writer himself has received not a little help, C.H.M. says on the opening verses of our present passage, "How different is this from what we see in Christ! He came down from the bosom of the Father, not with the tables in His hands, but with the law in His heart. He came down, not to be made acquainted with the condition of the people but with a perfect knowledge of what that condition was. Moreover, instead of destroying the memorials of the covenant and executing judgment, He magnified the Law and made it honorable and bore the judgment of His people in His own blessed Person, on the cross" (page 316). Here is a case in point which shows the need for all of us to heed the Divine admonition, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thess. 5:21)—which applies to our own writings equally as much as any others—for only thus shall we be able to "take forth the precious from the vile" (Jer. 15:19).



In the first place, what we have here is not a type, either by comparison or contrast, of the first advent of God’s Son to this earth, coming here to seek and to save that which was lost. How could it be, when the section immediately preceding gives us a picture of His intercession on High? In the second place, when Christ was here, He did come with the ten commandments in His hands, came to enforce their righteous demands, though not to execute their inexorable penalty. He came here, full not only of "grace," but of "truth" as well (John 1:14), saying, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). In the four Gospels we see the tables of stone in the hands of Christ again and again: see Matthew 5:27-32; 15:3-6; 19:16-19; 23:2-3. In the third place, Moses did not come down from the mount" to be made acquainted with the condition of the people," instead, he already had full knowledge of their awful state and sin before he descended, as vv. 7-9 clearly enough show.



That what is before us in the second half of Exodus 32 possesses a deep and wondrous typical significance we are fully assured, though nought but Divine guidance will enable us to rightly divide this portion of the Word of Truth. We believe that this type has a twofold application, first to Israel, second to Christendom. Its application to Israel has already been pointed out at the close of our comments upon Exodus 24 (Article 32), but as many of our present readers have not seen them, we shall here repeat briefly what was then said.



First, in Exodus 24:18 we behold Moses entering the glory (the "cloud") consequent upon his having erected the altar and sprinkled the blood (vv. 4-8). If the reader will consult 24:16, 18 he will find that it was after "six days"—which speaks of work and toil, on the seventh day, which tells of rest, that the typical mediator was called by God to enter the glory Beautiful foreshadowment was this of Christ, as it is said of Him in Hebrews 4:10, "He that is entered into His rest, He also hath ceased from His works, as God from His." And what was the "rest" into which He entered? Does not His own request in John 17:4, 5 tell us! Thus, Moses going up into the mount and entering the cloud to commune with Jehovah is a type of the ascension of Christ, following the triumphant completion of the work which had been given Him to do. That which formed the subject of communion between the Lord and Moses in the mount was the revelation concerning the Tabernacle and its priesthood, which, coming in at this place in the book, tells of the provision of God’s grace for His people, secured to them by and in Christ during His absence.



Now the next event, chronologically, was Moses’ descent, recorded in Exodus 32. He did not end his days on the mount, but, in due time, returned unto the people. In like manner, the One whom Moses foreshadowed, is not to remain on High forever, but will come back again as truly and as literally as He went away. It is indeed striking to observe that Moses came down from Sinai twice after he had entered the glory. First, as recorded in 32:15; second, in 34:29, having of course returned thither in the interval. So also will there be two stages in the second advent of Christ: the first when He descends into the air, to catch up His mints away from this scene (1 Thess. 4:16, 17); the second when He returns to the earth itself (Zech. 14:4). These two stages in the Redeemer’s return will affect Israel very differently: the first will be followed by terrible judgment, the second will usher in an era of unparalleled blessing, even the Millennium.



That which we have in our present passage is what immediately followed the first descent of Moses. During his absence in the mount, the people had gathered themselves unto Aaron, saying "Up, mike us gods which shall go before us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him" (32:1). Is not that an accurate description of the spiritual state of the Jews all through this Day of Grace? They are all at sea over the long absence of their Messiah, not knowing what to think. While Moses was away, they made and worshipped a golden calf. And has not history again repeated itself? That which has characterized the Jews has not been the love of conquest or the lure of pleasure, as it has been with the Gentiles, but the lust for gold.



Now just as at his first descent Moses found Israel worshipping the golden calf, so at the first stage in the second advent of our Savior, Israel will still be pursuing their mad quest after material riches; and just as Moses’ response was to act in judgment, making them drink the dust of their idol and calling for the sword to smite them, so shall the Jews be made to drink the outpoured vials of God’s wrath and suffer beneath the sword. But just as the Nation was not completely exterminated under the anger of Moses, neither shall it be under the far sorer afflictions of the Tribulation period. In Exodus 33 and 34 that which followed the second descent of Moses anticipates millennial conditions.



Having dwelt on the application of our present type to Israel, let us view it now as it bears on Christendom. The action of Moses in the passage before us foreshadowed Christ in another character than that which was before us in our last article. There we viewed Him as the Mediator, making intercession for His people; here we behold Him as Judge, not consuming, but inspecting and executing corrective judgment. "Moses coming down from the mountain to expose and judge what was going on in the camp is very much like the Lord’s attitude in Revelation 2, 3. He takes His place in the midst of the seven lamps to pass judgment upon what is evil and idolatrous, and also to take account of such faithfulness as might answer to what was found in the sons of Levi" (C. A. Coates). We believe it is the first three chapters of the Revelation which supply the key to the meaning of our present type.



"And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables" (vv. 15, 16). This is not contradictory, but complementary, to that which precedes. First we have that which speaks of the grace of God, now that which Brings out His government. The tables of stone in the hands of Moses announced that the righteous requirements of the law cannot be set aside. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" was addressed not to worldlings, but to Christians. Let the reader note attentively the inspired description of Christ in Revelation 1:12-18. There we behold One "like unto the Son of man" (cf. John 5:27) in the midst of the seven lamp-stands, and "out of His mouth goeth a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength" (v. 16)!



"And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome; but the noise of them that sing do I hear" (vv. 17, 18). An important spiritual principle here receives exemplification. If the reader will turn back to Exodus 24:13-18 it will be found that though both Moses and Joshua went up into the mount, leaving the congregation below at its base, yet Moses alone went into the midst of the cloud, to talk to Jehovah. For forty days Joshua had, apparently, been left alone, while Moses "communed" with the Lord (31:18). The effect of this we see in the verses before us: Moses, and not Joshua, is the one who discerns the true state of affairs in the camp. His ear was able to interpret aright the noise and din which came up to them. Ah, it is not only true that in God’s light we alone see light, but only by much communion with Him do we acquire the hearing "ear."



"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" (v. 19). A most appalling spectacle was spread before these servants of God. The very people who had only recently bowed before the manifested majesty of Jehovah, were now obscenely sporting around the golden image of a calf. In holy indignation Moses dashes the tables of stone to the ground, just as in the days of His flesh the Lord Jesus "made a scourge of small cords" and drove out of the Temple those who had desecrated His Father’s house; and just as in Revelation 1 He is seen with "His eyes as a flame of fire" (v. 14).



"And Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount." This affords a most striking illustration of what is said in James 2:10, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Israel had offended "in one point." God had said to them: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth be-hearth, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them (Ex. 20:4, 5). This they had disobeyed, and the law being a unit, they are guilty of all"—hence the breaking of the two tables to show that the ten commandments, as a whole, had been violated.



"And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it" (v. 20). Some of the so-called "higher critics" with their customary skepticism have called into question the reference to Moses strawing the powder upon "the water;" but if these men would but take the trouble to "search the Scriptures," they would find that the Holy Spirit has granted light upon this point, though not in this chapter (for the Bible does not yield its meaning to lazy people), but in another book altogether. In Deuteronomy 9:21 we read, "I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount." What that "brook" was that "descended out of the mount" Exodus 17:6 tells us.



Moses’ actions here in grinding the idol to powder, strewing it upon the water, and making the children of Israel drink thereof, are very solemn. The Christian is bidden to keep himself from idols (1 John 5:21), which, we need scarcely add, covers very much more than bowing down to graven images. An "idol" is anything which displaces God in my heart. It may be something which is quite harmless in itself, yet if it absorbs me, if it be given the first place in my affections and thoughts, it becomes an "idol." It may be my business, a loved one, or my service for Christ. Any one or anything which comes into competition with the Lord’s ruling me in a practical way, is an "idol." And if I have set up an idol, then God, in His faithfulness and love, will break it down; not If I sow to the flesh, then of the flesh I must reap corruption (Gal. 6:8).



"And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?" Moses now arraigns the one who had been left in charge of the people, just as in Revelation 2, 3, Christ addresses, in each case, the responsible "angel" or "messenger" of the local church. Sad it is to hear the reply of the one who should have maintained the honor and glory of Jehovah.



"And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is be come of him" (vv. 22, 23). Very sad indeed is this. There was no sense of the terribleness of the sin committed, no sign of repentance; instead, there was a throwing of the blame upon others. Thus it was at the beginning: when the Lord arraigned Adam, he blamed his wife (Gen. 3:12); and when Eve was questioned, she blamed the Serpent. How often we hear the leaders in Christendom saying, "We have to make these concessions because the people demand it."



"What a contrast there is here between Aaron and Moses! Aaron afraid of the people, instead of protesting against their idolatrous wishes, actually making the calf; and then excusing himself in a way which is just a sample of the kind of excuses people make for doing evil (v. 24). Moses comes down in an energy that could take a stand single-handed against six hundred thousand men, that could execute judgment on their sin, and maintain what was due to God. It is just the contrast between the servant who is with men and the servant who is with God. If a man acts with God he always acts in power. He may have plenty of exercise as to his own weakness in secret, but in public he acts in power and with no uncertainty or hesitation" (C.A.C.).



"And 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" (v. 24). The breaking off of their "golden" ornaments was a figure of their being stripped of their glory. This is ever what precedes all idolatry. What is man’s "glory?" To be in subjection to his Maker and to be grateful for His mercies. Man is only in honor when God is given His true place. Just as we read of the Gentiles, in Romans 1:21, "When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful." What followed? This: they "changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man" etc. Nothing will preserve from idolatry but a will bowed to God’s authority and a heart lifted up in thanksgiving for His bounties. If I do not bow to God, I shall quickly bow to something else that is of the creature, and thus be stripped of my "gold," my glory.



"So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf." In this purile manner did Aaron seek to deny all personal responsibility in the matter. Really, he told a downright lie, as a reference to v. 4 will show. Great indeed was his sin: marvelous the mercy which pardoned it. It is blessed to learn from Deuteronomy 9:20 that the life of Aaron was spared in answer to the supplications of Moses. Thus we see in type, again, the efficacy of the Mediator’s intercession for His people.



"And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had make them naked unto their shame among their enemies): Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me" (vv. 25, 26). The situation called for drastic action. Having arraigned Aaron, Moses now considers the condition of the people, and beheld them naked and demoralized, having indulged in the idolatrous sensualism which they had so often witnessed in Egypt, and whose mad merriment they had, no doubt, remembered with many a sigh. They had been disturbed in their abominable orgies, and had yielded only to the terror of Moses’ presence. A swift and summary vengeance must therefore be visited upon them, in order that the survivors might be brought to soberness and repentance, and that the Divine wrath, which had only been suspended by his entreaties, might be averted from utterly consuming the Nation.



"Who is on the Lord’s side?" That was now the issue, clearly defined. "It was no time for concealment of the evil or for compromise. When there is open apostasy there can be no neutrality. Neutrality when the question is between God and Satan is itself apostasy. He that is not with the Lord, at such a time, is against Him. And mark, moreover, that this cry is raised in the midst of those who were the Lord’s professing people. They were all Israelites. But now there must be a separation, and the challenge of Moses, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side?’ makes all manifest. He becomes the Lord’s center; and hence to gather to Him was to be for, to refuse his call was to be against the Lord" (Ed. Dennett).



"And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him" (v. 26). The Levites were the "overcomers" (cf. Revelation 2, 3) of that day. They had, apparently, been preserved from the awful sin of their nation, and now promptly responded to the call of God’s servant. A most searching and severe test was presented to them: "And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor" (v. 27).



Natural inclinations might well shrink from compliance with such a command. Sentiment would say, Not so, let us be gentle and gracious, we shall accomplish more by kindness than severity. Reason would argue, We can do no good by slaying people: there is far more power in love than in the sword; let us seek to woo and win them back to God. Such arguments sound very plausible, but the call was distinct and decisive, "Put every man his sword by his side." There was nothing else for it in view of that calf. So in preaching to idolators today it is the wrath of a holy God, and not His love (which is a truth for His own people only), which needs pressing upon them.



As another has said in his application of this verse to the saints today, "It was obedience at all costs to the divine call, and hence complete separation from the evil into which Israel had fallen. God often tests His people in the same way; and whenever confusion and declension have begun, the only Path for the godly is that which is marked out by the course of Levi—that of full-hearted, unquestioning obedience. Such a path must be painful, involving for those who take it the surrender of some of the most intimate associations of their lives, and breaking many a tie of nature—of kindred and relationship; but it is only the path of blessing. Well may all challenge their hearts and inquire, if in this evil day they are apart from all that dishonors the Lord’s name, in subjection to His Word."



The terrible sequel we must leave for our next article. May the Lord sanctify to our souls the solemn yet salutary lessons contained in the verses which have been before us.




To be continued . . . .

Doc Notes "The Mediator" (Part 61)

Gentle Reader, For this study please read Exodus 32:11-14




In our last study we occupied ourselves  with the inspired account of Israel’s idolatrous worship of the golden calf. It was the first time that they were guilty of this awful sin since their leaving of Egypt as a nation. The subject of idolatry is both solemn and important, and as the nature and cause of it are so little understood we propose to offer here a few general remarks on the subject.



Man is the only creature who lives on the earth that was originally created with faculties capable of apprehending God, and with a sentiment of veneration for Him. True, all creation is to the praise of the Creator, but man’s praise is the homage of an intelligent heart and of a conscious choice or preference. But this capacity to offer intelligent praise is necessarily accompanied by responsibility. This was made evident in connection with Adam. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the visible means of the first man’s paying homage to God: abstention from its fruit was the witness of his subjection to the authority of his Maker. Obedience to God’s command concerning that tree would not only secure to him all the blessings of Eden, but was also the link which bound him to the Creator. Thus, that which united man to God at the beginning was the obedience of the will, subjection of heart. Whilst this was maintained God was honored and man was blest.



But that link was broken. Through disobedience man became "alienated from the life of God" (Eph. 4:18), and thus he lost his happiness and was turned out of the Garden. The original link being broken, it could never be reformed. If man was ever again to be in relationship with God, it must be on entirely new ground, namely, redemption-ground, resurrection-ground, the ground of new creation. Into Eden fallen man could never re-enter. It was a garden of delights for innocence alone; and guilt once incurred made a return to it impossible. But for His own people God has provided a new garden, the "paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7), where the guilty are restored to more than the pleasures of Eden. That new garden is anticipated by faith, and there is found forgiveness of sins and eternal life.



Now when man fell, though he became alienated from God (which is what spiritual "death" is) he lost none of his original faculties, nor was his responsibility destroyed. in his essential nature man remained after the Fall all that he was before it. True, his nature became vitiated by sin, and, in consequence, his whole being was corrupted; nevertheless, the" breath of life" which God had breathed into him at the beginning, remained his portion after his expulsion from Eden. True, all the faculties of his being now became the "instrument of unrighteousness unto sin" (Rom. 6:13), yet none of them had ceased to exist or to function.



It is the very character of man’s nature (that which distinguishes him from and elevates him above the beasts) which has made his fall his ruin. It has been rather vulgarly said that "Man is a religious animal," by which is meant that man, by nature, is essentially a religious creature, i.e., made, originally, to pay homage to his Creator. It is this religious nature of man’s which, strange as it may sound, lies at the root of all idolatry. Being alienated from God, and therefore ignorant of Him, he falls the ready dupe of Satan. It was to this fact of fallen man’s essential nature that Christ had reference when He said, "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness" (Matthew 6:23). The "light" in man is that which distinguishes him from the beasts, and that which is (potentially) capable of communing with God. But, as we have said, that faculty in man which is capable of communion with God, is, as the result of sin, put to a wrong use, and thus the "light" in him has become "darkness." Instead of worshipping God, he now serves his own lusts, and honors idols which are patterned after his lusts.



Man must have his god, otherwise he would not be man, and because the "natural man "—what he now is as a fallen creature—has lost his knowledge of the true God, he turns to the resources of his own mind to fill the void. And, as another has said (from whom part of the above has been condensed), "From the mental image formed in a corrupt mind, it is but a short step to the golden or wooden idol in the temple. Every shape and form had its prototype in the imagination, which to the philosopher was supplemented by the material things of nature; but to the vulgar, surrounding objects were the basis upon which the superstructure of idolatry rested. Through the senses their imagination was fed by the things seen and felt; and though these be not the sole source of idolatry, they greatly modified its form and multiplied its gods. For the mountain and the valley, the river, the grove, the heavens above and the waters beneath had their divinities, and everywhere that which in nature most impressed man soon took rank as a god.



"Nor let us forget the greatest factor which produced this confused mass of superstition and credulity. Not only did man not like to retain the knowledge of God and thus became the dupe of his senses, but over all was the delusive power of Satan, who held man in captivity through his fears and lusts. The loss of the knowledge of the true God, to a creature endowed with religious faculties, must result in subjective idolizing. Satan, the god of this world, presented himself in a tangible form and made it objective.



"The religious element in man’s nature was not eradicated by sin, but while every faculty of his mind and every instinct of his nature is debased and perverted, man’s complete ruin and his greatest guilt are seen in the degradation of those same faculties, originally given as the means of worshipping God. The endowments which placed him above all other creatures, now sink him beneath them" ("The Bible Tresury, 1882).



What has been said above not only serves to explain the universality of idolatry, but supplies the key to what is recorded in Exodus 32. There we behold the favored Israelites making and worshipping a golden calf. It was inexcusable, open, blatant, united idolatry. For a very good reason, the first command which God had written, with His own finger, upon the tables of stone, was "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me"; and here was the deliberate and concerted violation of it. What, then, must be the sequel? Jehovah turns to Moses, acquainted him with the awful sin of the people down below, and says, "Now there- fore 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."



Solemn and fearsome as those words sound, yet a closer examination reveals a door of hope opened by them. When the Lord said to Moses, "Let Me alone . . . I will make of thee a great nation," it was as though He placed Himself in the hands of the typical mediator. "Let Me alone" plainly suggests that Moses stood between Jehovah and His sinful people. This was indeed the case. But for Moses they were surely lost: he only stood between the holy wrath of God and their thoroughly merited doom. What would he do? When menaced by the Egyptians at the Red Sea, Moses had cried unto the Lord on their behalf (14:15). So, too, at the bitter waters of Marah he had supplicated Jehovah for them (15:25). When at Rephidim they had no water, yet again Moses had cried unto the Lord and obtained answer on their behalf (17:4). When Amelek came against Israel, it was the holding up of Moses’ hands which gained them the victory (17:11). But now a far graver crisis was at hand. Would Moses fail them now? or would he again intervene on their behalf?



"And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, which Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?" (v. 11). Moses did not fail his people in this hour of their urgent need. Most blessed is it to behold how he conducted himself on this occasion: God had said to him, "Let me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them . . . and I will make of thee a great nation," but Moses uses his place of nearness to God not on his own behalf, but for the good of the people.



At an earlier date he had "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward" (Heb. 11:24-26). So now he declines to be made the head of another nation, choosing rather to be identified with this stiff-necked and disobedient people. Is there not here a blessed foreshadowing of Him who "made Himself of no reputation" (Phil. 2:7), and who became one with His sinful people? Yes, indeed; and, as we shall see, in more respects than one.



"And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, which Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?" This was the typical mediator’s response to what Jehovah had said to him in verse 7, "Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves." We believe there is a double force to these words. In their local significance they furnish God’s answer to the wicked declaration of Israel recorded in verse 1. There the people had disowned their Divine Deliverer; here He righteously disclaims them. But there is a typical meaning, too, and most precious is it to contemplate this.



In verse 7 the Lord practically turns the Nation over to Moses, calling them "thy people"; here in verse 11 the typical mediator, as it were, gives them back again unto God, saying "Thy people." Was not this a plain adumbration of what we find in John 17? First, in verse 2, the antitypical Mediator speaks of a people whom God had given to Him: "As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him." Then, in verse 9, we behold Him giving back that people to God, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine."



Let us notice now the various grounds upon which Moses pleaded before "the Lord his God." They are three in number: he appealed to the grace of God, the glory of God, and the faithfulness of God. His appeal to God’s grace is found in verse 11, "Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, which Thou hast brought forth out of the laud of Egypt?" It was grace, pure and simple, which had actuated Jehovah when He delivered the Hebrews from the House of Bondage. There was absolutely nothing in them to merit His esteem; rather was there everything in them to call forth His wrath. It was sovereign benignity, unadulterated grace, the Divine favor shown to them, unasked and unmerited.



But let it not be overlooked that the Divine grace which was shown to unworthy Israel was not exercised at the expense of the claims of justice, for it is ever true that grace reigns "through righteousness" (Rom. 5:21). So it was in Egypt: the passover-lamb had been slain, its blood shed and applied. Thus, it is on the ground of redemption that grace flowed forth. And it is still the same, "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).



Now it was to this that Moses made his first appeal. Israel had sinned, sinned grievously, and Moses made no effort to deny or excuse it. Later, we find him acknowledging the Lord’s charge against His people, owning "it is a stiff necked people" (34:9). Nevertheless, they were God’s people—His by redemption. They were His purchased property. Unworthy, unthankful, unholy; but yet, the Lord’s redeemed. Blessed, glorious, heart-melting fact: O may the realization of it create within us a greater hatred of sin and a deeper appreciation of the precious blood of the Lamb. Is it not written, "If any man (Greek "any one"—of those spoken of in 1 John 1:3) sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1)? And what is the ground of His advocacy? What but His blood shed once for all!



"Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did He bring them out, to slay them in the mountain, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people" (v. 12). Here is the second ground on which Moses pleaded with God: he appealed to His glory. Where would be His honor in the sight of the heathen were He to consume the children of Israel here at Sinai? Would not reproach be cast upon His name by the Egyptians? The thought of this was more than Moses could endure; therefore did he beseech Jehovah to relent against His erring people.



"Spite of their shameful apostasy, the plea of Moses was that they were still Gods’ people, and that His glory was concerned in sparing them—lest the enemy should boast over their destruction, and thereby over the Lord Himself. In itself it was a plea of irresistible force. Joshua uses one of like character when the Israelites were smitten before Ai. He says "the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt Thou do unto Thy great name?’ (Josh. 7:9. In both cases it was faith taking hold of God, identifying itself with His own glory, and claiming on that ground the response to its desires—a plea that God can never refuse" (Ed. Dennett).



This ground of appeal to God is not made by any of us today nearly as much as it should be. The prayer of Moses here in Exodus 32 is also recorded for our learning. It brings before us the essential elements of those "effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man" which "availeth much." This was not the only occasion on which Moses appealed to the glory of the Lord’s name: let the reader consult carefully Numbers 14: 13-16, and Deuteronomy 9:28, 29; for others who used this plea, see Psalm 25:11; Joel 2:17, etc. It is the glory of His own name which God ever has before Him in all that He does.



It was for the honor of His name that He had, originally, brought Israel out of Egypt: "I wrought for My name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made Myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt" (Ezek. 20:9). So, at a later date in Israel’s sinful history He declared, "For My name’s sake will I defer Mine anger, and for My praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off . . . For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it: for how should My name be polluted?" (Isa. 48:9, 11). It is "for His name’s sake" "that He leads His people in the paths of righteousness" (Ps. 23:3).



Blessed is it to behold the Lord Jesus in His high priestly prayer, recorded in John 17, using this same plea before God. In that prayer He is heard presenting many petitions, and varied are the grounds upon which He presents them. But underlying all, first and foremost He asked, "glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee" (v. 1)! Here is one of the prime secrets in prevailing prayer. Just as bowing of the heart to God’s sovereign will is the first requirement in a praying soul, so the having before us the glory of God and the honor of His name is that which, chiefly, ensures an answer to our petitions. "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31) applies as strictly to our praying as to any other exercise. Let us take to heart, then, this important lesson taught us in this successful prayer of Moses.



"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou swearest by Thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever" (v. 13). Here is the third ground which Moses took in his intercession before Jehovah. He appealed to His faithfulness; he pleaded His promises; he reminded Him of His oath. There was no ground to go on and no plea which he could make from anything that was to be found in Israel, so he fell back upon that which God is in Himself.



"In the energy of his intercession—fruit surely of the action of the Spirit of God—he goes back to the absolute and unconditional promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, reminding the Lord of the two immutable things in which it was impossible for Him to lie (Heb. 6:18). A more beautiful example of prevailing intercession is not to be found in the Scriptures. Indeed, in the emergency which had arisen, everything depended on the mediator, and in His grace God had provided one who could stand in the breach, and plead His people’s cause—not on the ground of what they were, for by their sin they were exposed to the righteous indignation of a holy God—but on the ground of what God was, and on that of His counsels revealed and confirmed to the patriarchs, both by oath and promise" (Ed. Dennett).



But let us look a little more closely at this third feature of Moses’ prayer. In the above quotation there are two slight inaccuracies: it was not God’s promises to "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," but "and Israel"—the difference intimating the height to which Moses’ faith had risen; nor were God’s revealed counsels confirmed to the patriarchs "both by oath and by promise," but, instead, by promise and oath—note the order in Hebrews 6:13-18, which is the same as in Genesis 12:3, and then Genesis 22:15, 16. But that which we would here dwell upon is that Moses made these the final grounds of his pleading before God.



The Word of God is "quick and powerful" (Heb. 4:12), not only in its effects upon us, but also in its moving power with God Himself. If this were more realized by Christians, the very language of Holy Writ would have a larger place in their supplications, and more answers from above would be obtained. God has magnified His Word above all His name (Ps. 138:2), and so should we. He has expressly declared, "Them that honor Me, I will honor," and how can we more honor Him in our prayers than by employing the very words of Scripture, His words, rather than our own? Ah, here too, our speech betrays us. If the Word of Christ dwelt in us more richly, it would find fuller expression in our intercessions, for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Christ has left us a perfect example: His prayers were the outbreathing of the Psalms, and a close examination of the one which He taught His disciples reveals the fact that every clause of it was a quotation from the O.T.! And He explicitly enjoined His disciples, "after this manner therefore pray ye" (Matthew 6:9). But we do not; hence so many unanswered prayers.



Now that which Moses pleaded before God from His Word were the promises which He had made to the patriarchs. This, too, is recorded for our learning. It is the humble, simple, trustful spreading of the Divine promises before the throne of grace which secures the ear of God. That is what real prayer is: a presenting of our need before the Lord, and then reverently reminding Him of His own declaration that He will supply it. It is a confident asking with David, "Do as Thou hast said" (2 Sam. 7:25). This is what the "exercise of faith" signifies: a laying hold of God’s promises, an "embracing" (Heb. 11:13) of them, a counting upon them. "Hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" (Num. 23:19).



Men like a written agreement in "black and white," and the great God has condescended to give us such. How strange, then, that we do not treat His promises as realities. Jehovah never trifles with His words: His engagements are always kept Joshua reminded Israel, "This day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, not one thing hath failed thereof" (Josh. 23:14). Then let us seek grace to emulate Abraham, the father of all them that believe, of whom it is recorded, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Rom. 4:20, 21).



"And the Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people" (v. 14). These words do not mean that God changed His mind or altered His purpose, for He is "without variableness or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). There never has been and never will be the smallest occasion for the Almighty to affect the slightest deviation from His eternal purpose, for everything was foreknown to Him from the beginning, and all His counsels were ordered by infinite wisdom. When Scripture speaks of God’s repenting it employs a figure of speech, in which the Most High condescends to speak in our language. What is intended by the above expression is that Jehovah answered the prayer of the typical mediator.



"And the Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people" (v. 14). Blessed is it to note how Israel is still spoken of as "His people." "What encouragement to faith! If ever there was an occasion when it seemed impossible that prayer should be heard, it was this; but the faith of Moses rose above all difficulties, and grasping the hand of Jehovah claimed His help; and, inasmuch as He could not deny Himself, the prayer of Moses was granted" (Ed. Dennett). May this little meditation be blest of God to many to the enriching of their spiritual lives.





To be continued . . . .