We finish looking at the interesting things in the Exodus. There's a lot more, but we shall be moving on next time.
The Bible wrote:Ex 32:9-14 – The Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation." But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, "O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' " And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.
Ex 32:25-29 – When Moses saw that the people were running wild (for Aaron had let them run wild, to the derision of their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. He said to them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.' " The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day. Moses said, "Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day."
Now I find this quite a fascinating part of the book! Moses took it on himself to cajole God out of his decision to zap all the “evil” Hebrews. His main argument appears to be mainly a matter of “What will the neighbors think?” That appears to have stopped God in his tracks. The statement Moses made about God’s promise to multiply Abraham’s descendants is a moot point, since Moses was supposed to be a descendant of those guys, and God was all ready to go with him as the new patriarch. Another interesting thing about scene is that it is repeated, word for word, in the book of Numbers!
In the second passage, we see a horrible precedent set. God orders, according to Moses, that those who are true followers should be willing to kill even their own family members in response to sins committed. According to this, those who carried out this slaughter earned the right to be considered ordained ministers, and to be called blessed!
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