Exodus 32–33: On Worshiping YHWH in a Carnival Mirror (Bible Talk, Ep. 33)

In Exodus 26–31, Moses is on the mountain talking with God. While that was happening, what were God’s people up to?

In this episode of Bible Talk, Alex Duke chats with Jim Hamilton and Sam Emadi about Exodus 32–33, in which God’s people “worship” God in terribly destructive ways.

SHOW NOTES

1:18 / What did the tabernacle symbolize?

2:29 / What did the people of Israel do when they decided that Moses was taking too long to come down the mountain?

4:38 / What’s Aaron’s bad response to Israel’s bad idea?

11:01 / How does the Lord want to respond to Israel’s idolatry, and how does his conversation with Moses about it go?

14:48 / Did Moses persuade the Lord to change his mind?

16:33 / What are the consequences of Israel’s sin?

18:47 / What should we learn from the way Moses and Aaron have their post-calf conversation?

24:15 / How is the sons of Levi killing their kinsmen a good thing? 

29:03 / Sam argues, “You can take the people out of Egypt, but you can’t necessarily take Egypt out of the people.”

30:37 / Does a new exile begin in Exodus 33?

33:40 / Jim points out how Moses would rather be in the wilderness with the Lord than in the land flowing with milk and honey without him.

34:54 / What should we learn about the Lord from Moses’ intercession for Israel?

37:37 / What is the tent of meeting?

40:10 / What does it mean that Moses could not see the Lord’s face and live, even though Exodus says they spoke face to face?

41:01 / Jim explains how Moses’ request to see God’s glory reveals his desire for more knowledge on how to obey him.

42:37 / Sam shows how Moses’ intercession for Israel is a type of Christ’s intercession for his people.

45:08 / “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

Image: The Adoration of the Golden Calf, by Nicolas Poussin (1633)