Exodus: Israel’s Disobedience
The Bad
As we continue down our path of learning from Exodus, we find ourselves on the flip side of The 10 Commandments and are now discussing the disobedience of the Israelites. This is a very concerning issue for two main reasons. First, it shows that the covenant that God made with Israel regarding The 10 Commandments was broken, and second, the breaking of this covenant and disobedience towards God takes up the rest of the Pentateuch(the next 3 books) and all the way until the New Testament until Christ comes. So why even bring this up? Doesn’t this seem like just a helpless situation? If no one can fulfill their side of the covenant with God, why even point it out and continue to shame Israel? The reason for this is not for shaming purposes but for learning purposes. It’s time we take a slice of this humble pie and realize that we ourselves wouldn’t be able to uphold this covenant either. As John Piper notes, “The most astonishing and shocking way the design of God is used in history is to maximize the display of his mercy and to shut the mouth of all human boasting.” The disobedience of God’s people not only teaches us how fallen we are but also points us to Christ all the more. With that in mind, let’s dive in.
God’s Mercy
As Piper clearly stated, the very reason God makes covenants with people whom He knows can’t fulfill their end of the bargain is for His glory and mercy to be seen and known around the world. The disobedience of Israel is not meant to point shame towards the Israelites, but rather to point humility to all of mankind. No one would be able to uphold their end of the covenant that God made with man because we are all fallen and sinful creatures. There is no better picture of this than the golden calf that is made as an idol for Israel to worship while Moses is still speaking with God atop Mount Sinai. Exodus 32:7-8 mentions, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have behaved corruptly. “They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a cast metal calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” How crooked the human heart really is. Moments after God had given Moses The 10 Commandments and Israel agreed to follow them, they broke the first two laws before Moses could even come down the mountain. It’s very easy to point the finger here at Israel and state that we would never do something like this if we experienced what they did back in the Old Testament, but I believe we would be sorely mistaken. This is why the book of Romans is often used when discussing the Old Testament law. Paul is very clear in this book that the Law in the Old Testament was not what condemned people, but rather it was their own sin.
In fact, Romans is what Piper uses in his article when discussing the quote above. Piper uses Romans 11:30-32 to show how God uses the disobedience of Israel to teach the rest of the world. This passage says, “For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you, they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.” This truly is an amazing passage that reveals to us the grace and sovereignty of our Lord. Even while knowing that mankind wouldn’t be able to fulfill a covenant with Him, He made one anyway for the purpose of showing the world His love and mercy. Probably the biggest aspect of God that we see on display from when mankind broke His covenant until Christ came, is His perfect mercy. If you have read through the Old Testament and have walked away without seeing the amazing mercy of God, I would encourage you to re-read Israel’s history and see God’s amazing plan through this merciful light.
The Intercessor
Furthermore, beyond God’s mercy for a fallen people, we see God’s plan for a fallen people as well. Look at how Moses pleads with God for Israel to not be destroyed over their sin in Exodus 32. Verses 13-14 tell us, “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” So the LORD relented of the harm which He said He would do to His people.” This section of scripture is a beautiful cross-reference to the very gospel itself. Just as Moses intercedes for the Israelites to not be destroyed by God’s wrath, Jesus intercedes as well for all of mankind to escape the righteous wrath of God as well. We are clearly reminded in the book of Exodus that not only do we all need the mercy of God in our lives, but this very mercy is available to us through Jesus Christ. The Law is by no means an evil act displayed by God, it is just unattainable for us to fulfill because of our sinful nature. Therefore, it is unmistakable that the only way we would ever be able to be in the right standing with God is if He Himself made a way for us. This beautiful picture is seen in the character of Moses and his relation to the Israelites and the reality of it is fulfilled in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, the disobedience of Israel is a sad time in history, however, we must not gloss over it. It is through this very moment in history that God reveals to us His amazing mercy and foreshadows His ultimate redeeming plan for all of mankind.
Sources
[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/
[2] Piper, J. (2024, August 15). God’s Design for History: The Glory of His Mercy. Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gods-design-for-history-the-glory-of-his-mercy
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