Who Is On The Lords Side?
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Exodus 32:26 The Context: There are passages in the Bible that are easy to describe yet very difficult to understand. Sometimes we would prefer to read past them than to try to really understand what God is saying to us. This question is in that category. Moses had just been with God on Mount Sinai. Moses had heard God speak and experienced the terrifying majesty of God’s Holiness. Coming back down the mountain, Moses was bringing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments engraved by God Himself. Arriving in camp Moses discovered the Golden Calf Idol his people had made. Moses destroyed the idol and forced the people to drink the water in which the pulverized golden idol was scattered. Moses then asked:
God Asks Us: Moses said: “who is on the LORD’s side?” Then Moses commanded those who claimed to be on the LORD’s side to kill with a sword their brothers, companions, and neighbors. It is recorded that “about three thousand men” died that day.
jne: I can see where people get the idea that God is a merciless, blood-thirsty, tyrant. If this were the only side of the God the Bible describes it would be so. But the overwhelming picture of God in the Bible is one of patience and mercy toward people who are perpetually turning their backs and their hearts away from God. How is God to get our attention? How is God to get us to turn from our self-destructive ways? How can God get us to realize His ways are eternally superior and rewarding? For a few people God’s love and mercy is sufficiently persuasive. But for most people a serious wake up call is required. How serious was it that people turned back to idolatry after He had rescued them from Egypt? How serious is it when I choose my own path over God’s?
God has rarely commanded His people to kill wayward people. But when He has it was in response to clearly habitual unGodly behaviors. And the occurrences are only descriptions of what has happened and certainly NOT prescriptions for how we are to deal with wayward people around us.
The Bible says that “God is not willing that any should perish…” In this particular instance every Israelite who heard the question had the opportunity to answer “I am on the LORD’s side!” So in reality those who died made the choice to be on their own side rather than God’s. They chose the consequences of their decisions. It seems unfair only if we ignore the repeated demonstrations and offers of mercy from God.
It should be very sobering for me to consider God’s question of on whose side am I living.
Exodus 32:26 The Context: There are passages in the Bible that are easy to describe yet very difficult to understand. Sometimes we would prefer to read past them than to try to really understand what God is saying to us. This question is in that category. Moses had just been with God on Mount Sinai. Moses had heard God speak and experienced the terrifying majesty of God’s Holiness. Coming back down the mountain, Moses was bringing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments engraved by God Himself. Arriving in camp Moses discovered the Golden Calf Idol his people had made. Moses destroyed the idol and forced the people to drink the water in which the pulverized golden idol was scattered. Moses then asked:
God Asks Us: Moses said: “who is on the LORD’s side?” Then Moses commanded those who claimed to be on the LORD’s side to kill with a sword their brothers, companions, and neighbors. It is recorded that “about three thousand men” died that day.
jne: I can see where people get the idea that God is a merciless, blood-thirsty, tyrant. If this were the only side of the God the Bible describes it would be so. But the overwhelming picture of God in the Bible is one of patience and mercy toward people who are perpetually turning their backs and their hearts away from God. How is God to get our attention? How is God to get us to turn from our self-destructive ways? How can God get us to realize His ways are eternally superior and rewarding? For a few people God’s love and mercy is sufficiently persuasive. But for most people a serious wake up call is required. How serious was it that people turned back to idolatry after He had rescued them from Egypt? How serious is it when I choose my own path over God’s?
God has rarely commanded His people to kill wayward people. But when He has it was in response to clearly habitual unGodly behaviors. And the occurrences are only descriptions of what has happened and certainly NOT prescriptions for how we are to deal with wayward people around us.
The Bible says that “God is not willing that any should perish…” In this particular instance every Israelite who heard the question had the opportunity to answer “I am on the LORD’s side!” So in reality those who died made the choice to be on their own side rather than God’s. They chose the consequences of their decisions. It seems unfair only if we ignore the repeated demonstrations and offers of mercy from God.
It should be very sobering for me to consider God’s question of on whose side am I living.