Exodus 32: Perhaps Jesus Will Atone

Moses talked with Yahweh too long, according to the Israelites. Though they had agreed to the Covenant they begged Aaron to make gods who would take Israel to Canaan. Moses and Yahweh were apparently not returning soon.

So Aaron obeyed and requested all their gold jewelry, the same gold Yahweh had secured for them from the Egyptians (Ex. 3:22; 12:35). With a little effort, Aaron had created Israel’s golden calf, you know, the same one that had led the people from Egypt. Israel worshipped the calf, while Moses conferred with God on the mountain.

But Yahweh wasn’t blind. He became furious watching his people break the covenant and declared he would “consume them” and continue his promised blessing through Moses (Ex. 32:10). However, Moses refused God’s offer and reminded him of the promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Surely Yahweh wouldn’t break the promise he swore by his own name.

Nevertheless, when Moses descended to the people, he responded with the same indignation Yahweh had just shown. Furious with anger, he smashed the two tablets of the law and ground the golden calf into a powder which he made Israel drink with water. Moses’ anger was not overblown but just like Yahweh’s. The story even uses the same vocabulary to make the point!

Though Aaron claimed “I threw [the gold] into the fire, and out came this calf,” Moses knew Israel had willingly abandoned the Lord and assembled the Levites for a little purification by sword (32:24–29). Nearly 3,000 men died, but not even the death toll covered Israel’s sin.

Moses told the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin” (32:30). The Apostle Paul called Israel’s great sin “idolatry” in First Corinthians 10:7. The golden calf represented more than a bad case of “Are we there yet?” but was in fact open rebellion against Christ himself.

Just as Israel put Christ to the test by its frivolous and irresponsible covenant disregard, all people, even Christians, fail to worship Christ for who he is. Certainly his anger would be justified, but instead he turns to the Father and says, “Perhaps I can make atonement.” Jesus isn’t uncertain, though. Of course he can atone! Only Jesus can rescue us from our sins’ just punishment. He alone makes it right with God.

Paul said to the Romans, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Rom. 8:33–34). Like Moses before him, Jesus climbs the mountain above our idolatry to plead our case.