Sunday, August 9, 2020

Exodus 32:7-14 comments: Moses pleads to God for Israel's sake





Exodus 32:7 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8  They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 9  And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 10  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. 11  And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 12  Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 13  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14  And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

God tells Moses to stand back while He destroys the Hebrews for their idolatry. This gives Moses the chance to argue that to do such a thing would go against God’s glory. It would not glorify Him in the sight of the Egyptians. It would even appear that this destruction was the very reason He led them out of Egypt and would justify the Egyptians rather than Himself. After all, no one would think what the Hebrews were doing was amiss, now would they, in the religious conditions of that world?

In verse 12 there is the definition of repent used here. It is to turn from something. This, then, in context is the definition of repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people in verse 14. He turned from this. This is in keeping with a doctrine found in the Bible that God does not repent as in ‘change His mind.’ As God’s foreknowledge covers every event as if it has already happened we must look to the context for understanding. In the next two verses repent is linked with lie, the point being that God can be trusted for the promises He made, and will not turn from them.

Numbers 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

1Samuel 15:29  And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

Here are other verses where repent means to turn from something as in the passage studied, to stop doing it or not do it, by comparing the contrast in the verse in which the words repent and turn are used.

Jeremiah 4:28  For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

Jeremiah 18:8  If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

Jeremiah 26:3  If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

Ezekiel 14:6  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Ezekiel 18:30  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Jonah 3:9  Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

Acts 26:20  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Sometimes, someone’s behavior can compel you to turn from what you are permitting or doing. For instance, a child you have given a privilege to disobeys in a way that compels you to punish them or to revoke the privilege. In that case their behavior repenteth you. And, in Genesis 6:6,7 that behavior that compelled Him in something He already knew was going to happen grieved Him.
Clearly then, to repent of your sins is to turn from them. For the Christian repentance also suggests being sorry for your sins and for who you are, a sinner. As Paul noted;

2Corinthians 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

It has been said that when Jesus preached the following verses He was stating first that those who realized they were spiritually bankrupt and mourned for sin were blessed, as are those who humble themselves before God and hunger for His righteousness, as are those who extend God’s mercy to others, keep themselves from sin as best as they can with the right attitude, preach God’s peace with mankind, and are persecuted for it;
Matthew 5:3 ¶  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

It is doubtful many modern Christians literally mourn for their sin against God and others. Repentance is not a casual thing or just a change of mind.

But, in this context repent is simply to turn from what was stated to be done.

In verse 13 the promise that God made to the patriarchs is restated. An immense number of physical descendants is to come through the Hebrews, a physical promise for physical descendants that has not yet been completely fulfilled.
Genesis 24:60  And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

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