(A) INTRODUCTION
This is part 2 of my study of the book of Exodus Chapter 32. Part 1 of the “Golden Calf (Intercession1) can be found here.
Just to sidetrack, it is incorrect for one of the famous teachings using Exodus 32 to suggest that the Law kills but the New Covenant gives life. The fact that God killed 3,000 in Exodus 32, was because of the sin of His people. Somehow, modern teaching likes paraphrasing His word to avoid educating sinful lifestyles but exalting “Grace” messages. That alters the whole of the truth of His word.
Before reading the remaining verses of Exodus 32:30-35, the previous verses say that Moses succeeded in intercession and calming God from destroying Israelites and making another great generation after his name (verses 9-14).
Despite that God relented, He still commanded Moses to kill 3,000 men. Moses obeyed and did what God commanded. Indeed, Moses did not intercede from killing the 3,000 men this time round (verses 27-28).
And verse 29 says that after killing the 3,000 men, they still had to “SET APART” or be “CONSECRATED” so that the blessing may flow again.
(B) EXODUS 30:32-35
With that, the scripture reading for today of Exodus 30:32-35 continues. What is alarming me is verse 30.
| Exodus 32:30 GNT 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will again go up the mountain to the Lord; perhaps I can OBTAIN FORGIVENESS for your sin.” |
| Exodus 30:32-30 NIV 30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can MAKE ATONEMENT for your sin.” |
The successful intercession in verses 9-14 and the killing of 3,000 men was not enough. In short, the killing of 3,000 men did not mean that sin was forgiven.
Moses still needed to meet God on the next day to ask for His FORGIVENESS or ATONEMENT.
In other words, there is a difference between:-
-Intercession,
-Consecution/ Set apart and
-Atonement
Next, the remaining story of Exodus 32:31-35 unfolds as below:-
| Exodus 32:31-35 GNT 31 Moses then returned to the Lord and said, “These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold and worshiped it.32 Please forgive their sin; but if you won’t, then REMOVE MY NAME FROM THE BOOK in which you have written the names of your people.” 33 The Lord answered, “It is those who have sinned against me whose names I will remove from my book. |
| NIV 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then BLOT ME OUT of the book you have written.” 33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I WILL BLOT OUT OF MY BOOK. |
| GNT 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Remember that my angel will guide you, but the time is coming when I will punish these people for their sin.” 35 So the Lord sent A DISEASE on the people, because they had caused Aaron to make the gold bull-calf. |
(C) ATONEMENT, INTERCESSION & CONSECRATION
Frankly, I am even more alarmed by this last portion of the scripture. Clearly, the true meaning of “Atonement/ Forgiveness” is again different from “Intercession, and Set Apart/ Consecration.”
Indirectly, Moses was pleading with God to remove his name from the Book than those Israelites’. This would be the true meaning of the word “Atonement”. The Bible outlines in Exodus 32:31-35 as:-
– Blot out the Redeemer’s Name instead.
– It can mean judging the Redeemer instead.
Nevertheless, God answered Moses with a clear no. God is saying: “Whoever has sinned against me I WILL BLOT OUT OF MY BOOK…”
Subsequently, God sent a disease to His people to punish them (verses 34-35). Certainly, this was the punishment sent out apart from killing the 3,000 men earlier.
Apparently, even a Christian’s name that is written in the Book of Life can be blotted out if he is living in sin. Of course, I heard of sermons that said, the “Book” mentioned in verses 32-34 is not the Book of Life. It is “Once saved, always saved”, those preachers said.
But I know that the Book of Life is the only book that records all believers’ names. And, in the New Testament, Jesus warns the Sardis church in the Book of Revelation chapter 3 on the names being blotted out from the Book of Life.
Without a doubt, Jesus is saying only those clothes who have not been soiled, their names shall never blot out from the Book of Life. Again, Jesus does not say that a believer’s righteousness (that is denoted as the cloth) is based on His righteousness (Jesus’ cloth). Indeed, Jesus is saying the individual’s clothes are being soiled. It is not what modern-day teaches that “it is His (Jesus) righteousness.”
The problem is that modern teaching only likes to quote a singular or even half a verse in Revelation 3:5. They are not quoting in context.
Rightfully, the word “Righteousness” can be “Right Doing and/or Right Standing” under AMPC Bible. A better explanation can be found in one of my earlier posts “RIGHTEOUSNESS (PART 1)”
The scripture reference in Revelation 3:4-5 as below:-
| Revelation 3:4-5 NIV 4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis WHO HAVE NOT SOILED their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, LIKE THEM, be dressed in white. I will never BLOT OUT the name of that person from the Book of Life but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. |
(D) CONCLUSION
In conclusion, from these parts 1 and 2 of my study of the Book of Exodus 32, I learned that:-
(1) Any Bible interpretation has to be consistent and not paraphrased partially.
(2) Similarly, Typology Bible Interpretation can not be camped on selective verses.
(3) Names that are written in the Book of Life, can be blotted out if they continue living in sin.
(4) Based on Exodus 32 and Revelation 3, God is judging believers based on individuals’ cleanness/ righteousness rather than His righteousness as claimed by many theologians.
(5) It is unbiblical for modern teaching to claim when the Law was given, 3,000 people were killed, and when the New Covenant was given, 3,000 people were saved, based on Exodus 32. It was the building of the altar of Golden Calf that provoked God to kill 3,000 people. Amenbible
Related Postings:-
Golden Calf (Intercession 1)
RIGHTEOUSNESS (PART 1)
Top Posts:-
As He Is, So Are We In This World
See Jesus: (1 Corinthians 10)
End Times:- The Book Of Life Opens
Arise, Shine
Cast Your Net On The Right Side
Others:-
Full Armor Of God Part 1
Full Armor Of God – Part 2
FULL ARMOR OF GOD – PART 3
