Page 55 - Living Light Autumn 23

Friday November 3 - Sinful celebrations
Moses replied: “It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear.” Exodus 32:18
My 17-year-old son recently went to his first sleepover party at a friend’s house whilst his friend’s parents were away. It sounds as though it was a civilised affair and the parents did not return to find their furniture damaged and empty pizza boxes strewn across the floor (I hope!), but I’m not sure that I could enjoy a weekend away, knowing that my house was full of teenage boys!
I thought of this as I read of Moses and Joshua hearing the sound of the Israelite camp from afar. The Israelites are like irresponsible teenagers partying whilst their parents are away! Joshua fears that an enemy has attacked and a battle is being fought. Moses recognises it for what it is. It is the sound of singing – and not the reverent or joyful singing of God’s praises, but drunken partying in front of a false god.
This passage illustrates the progress of human sin. First, the Israelites doubt God’s presence. Then they try to make their own god by means of human wealth. They sacrifice and worship the false god and end up in debauched revelry. We can trace a line between wrong worship and wrong lifestyle. This is a pattern that is repeated throughout the Old Testament histories of Israel.
Gracious Lord, I offer you myself as a living sacrifice. May my life be transformed by your love and not conformed to the world in which I live. Amen.
Saturday November 4 - Broken vows
And Moses took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire: then
he ground it to powder...and made the Israelites drink it. Exodus 32:20
When God tells Moses what is happening with the Israelites, Moses intercedes on their behalf and God’s burning anger is averted. But when Moses actually sees what is going on, we read that ‘his anger burned’. He is so angry that he smashes the tablets, God’s written covenant law, on the ground.
How might we understand this? Is Moses demonstrating his zeal for God’s law, or is he taking God’s judgment into his own hands? Was it Moses’ place to break God’s written covenant law in this way? These questions are left unanswered. What is certain is that the Israelites’ breaking of faith with God results in Moses breaking God’s covenant with them. This feels like a final ending of the relationship between God and his people.
But this is not the end of the story. Moses will ascend the mountain again and God’s covenant will be carved on new tablets. It is not in man’s power to break God’s covenant of love and faithfulness with his people.
Sin must also be dealt with. Whilst the golden calf remains, Israel cannot return to God, and so Moses destroys it as thoroughly as is possible. The drinking of the gold- laced water is both a symbolic act of penance and an effective way of getting rid of it. We might also think of Good Friday, when human sin was obliterated through God’s covenant of love, shown to us in the death of Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, thank you for forgiving my sin through Jesus’ death. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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