Title: The Repentance of Israel (Exodus 32:28)
When Moses saw the Israelites bowing down and dancing in front of the golden calf, Moses got angry and threw down the two stone tablets of the commandments that God had written down from Mount Sinai and broke them. He crushed the calves and made a powder, sprinkled them on water and made them drink. Also, about 3,000 people who took the lead in this event were killed (Ex 32:28).
As the Lord had promised Moses, the Israelites will enter the land of Canaan, but he says, “I will not go up with you.” This was because if they sin again, the God of justice might destroy them in the midst of it (Exodus 33:1-5).
God's refusal to walk with Israel was fatal to them.百姓 heard these mournful words and was sad (verse 3). The word 'mourn' here is 'Abal' in Hebrew, which means 'mourning' when a child dies or 'groaning' (Jer. . Knowing that it was such a great crime to bow down to an invisible idol for a while, he What could be a greater calamity than the word that God will not walk with believers? Perhaps there are insensitive believers who do not even know that the God of God has already departed and do not grieve over it. Compared to this, it is fortunate that the people of Israel knew that they would repent even though they had committed the sin of idolatry.
Also, from that day on, none of them adorned themselves (v. 4). By removing the ornaments from their bodies and throwing them away, they showed a sober attitude before God. Decorated items refer to ornaments, playthings, and objects that are decorated to please people's senses. Now that we Koreans have solved the problem of eating, they are also passionate about decorating their bodies. Believers should focus on adorning their hearts rather than adorning their bodies (1 Peter 3:3-4).
Moses went to God and prayed. Even if he entered the promised land of Canaan, his poverty without God was meaningless to him. “If the Lord himself would not go, do not send us up from here. How do you know that I and your friends have found favor in your sight?” (Exodus 33:15-16).
Hearing Moses' earnest prayer, God promised to walk again, and as a proof of that, Moses allowed Moses to experience the glory and presence of the Lord. Even if you have committed a sin, if you grieve over your sin, hold on to the covenant and pray, you will know that God has mercy and walks with you again.