1. The Long Delay
  1. When the people saw that Moses was a long time in returning 32: 1
  2. Moses returned soon with the 10 commandments, but now he was up getting the directions for building the tabernacle.
    1. They had president for a quick return and now it was 40 days.
    2. Targum “When they saw that the time he had appointed to them had passed, satan came and caused them to go astray and perverted their hearts with pride.”
    3. They began to question the commandments and rulings that Moses delivered to them and took religion into their own hands.
    4. Saul did the same in 1 Samuel 13: 7 – 14
    5. Commandment not to build an altar. 20: 22, 23
  3. The problem of waiting Luke 18: 1 – 8
    1. We hate waiting and lose faith.
    2. When God Returns will he find faith on the earth?
    3. Return of Christ 2 Peter 3: 2 – 4
      1. We look forward to a heaven filled with the righteousness of God. 3: 13
      2. Live lives that are  pure and blameless in his sight Vs 14

2. The False god Vs 3, 4

  1. These are the gods who brought us out of Egypt
  2. Aaron influenced by people Vs 5
  3. Punishment from a broken covenant. 32: 7 – 10 They have corrupted themselves.
    1. They built altar from pride and now Moses reacts humbly.
  4. Stone tablets so heavy they could not be held. 33: 19

3. The intercession

  1. God raised up Moses for this purpose, to intercede for the people.
  2. the acts of God being conditional.
    1. 2 Chronicles 7: 14
  3. Forgive them or erase my name from the record you have written 32: 32
  4. God refused the offer.  He was going to send the people ahead, but he was not going to go with them.
  5. The people had fallen out of favor, but Moses had not.
  6. EXAMPLE: Daniel praying for Israel Daniel 9: 7 – 9,

4. Favor of Messiah 33: 14

  1. We translate grace as unmerited favor, but in the Hebrew, favor and grace are the same word.
    1. Grace did not evolve in the New Testament and the whole Old Testament is Law. Remember, God does not change.
  2. God promised to go with Moses because his “Grace” rested upon him, but he did not promise to go with the children of Israel.
  3. Now Moses is refusing the offer.  Moses states that God must go with “us” Vs 15
  4. Moses keeps identifying with the people of God as one Vs 16 Paul Romans 9: 3
  5. If God was going to show favor to Moses, he had to show favor to the people, because Moses identified with them.
  6. God decides to go with the people of Israel Vs 17
  7. Grace is not unmerited favor that comes in our lives.
    1. Jesus  merited favor in the eyes of God and when we identify with Christ, we earn this unmerited favor in our own lives.
    2. John 20: 20 – 23
      1. The same oneness the Father and the son have, we now have with the son.
    3. unmerited, no way because it cost the life of Jesus as a sacrifice. John 17: 19