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A God We Can See? - The Book of Exodus · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he received them at their hand
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  Speaker 1: and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had
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  Speaker 1: made it a molten calf. And they said, These be
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  Speaker 1: thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the
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  Speaker 1: land of Egypt. Exodus 32.4 Dear God, as you begin
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  Speaker 1: to bless me and enlarge my territory, I will not
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  Speaker 1: forget that you are my God, unlike the children of
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  Speaker 1: Israel in Exodus 32. I will not serve the idols
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  Speaker 1: of this world, but instead will hold fast to your
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  Speaker 1: instructions and commands. I will not go backwards and live
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  Speaker 1: in a way that represents the limiting and ungodly mindsets
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  Speaker 1: of slavery. I declare that I will remember the promises
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  Speaker 1: of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and live in a way
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  Speaker 1: as to secure them for myself. Drunkenness will not cloud
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  Speaker 1: my judgment. then devotion to man-made idols will not sever
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  Speaker 1: my devotion to you, God. I decree that I am
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  Speaker 1: on the Lord's side. I confess that I will stand
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  Speaker 1: for what's right when standing for what's wrong seems enticing.
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  Speaker 1: I acknowledge that my life isn't my own, but it's
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  Speaker 1: yours to bring glory to your name. Thank you that,
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  Speaker 1: despite my downfall like the Israelites in today's story, You
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  Speaker 1: will not leave me or forsake me, even when I
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  Speaker 1: wrestle with my sin and shortcomings. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
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  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: A God we can see? In our last story, we
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  Speaker 2: learned about God's promises to bless his people and be
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  Speaker 2: with them. He descended in fire, lightning, and smoke on
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  Speaker 2: Mount Sinai to give Moses a word for the people.
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  Speaker 2: He gave them the Ten Commandments. Then he asked them
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  Speaker 2: to build a tabernacle so he could dwell with his people.
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  Speaker 2: In this story, we learn about the Israelites already breaking
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  Speaker 2: the first commandment. Their impatience leads them astray, and they
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  Speaker 2: betray the God that had just delivered them out of slavery,
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  Speaker 2: as inspired by the book of Exodus.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of The Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year. In our previous episode, we learned that
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  Speaker 3: God brought the Israelites to the foot of Mount Sinai
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  Speaker 3: and spoke to them there. promising blessing if they obeyed
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  Speaker 3: His commands. God gave us the Ten Commandments, instructions all
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  Speaker 3: related to Him and how to know Him and how
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  Speaker 3: to live with one another. Today we'll hear how quickly
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  Speaker 3: they failed to keep the first of those commandments. Listen
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  Speaker 3: to their words to Aaron as Moses delays upon top
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  Speaker 3: of the mountain. Where have they placed their trust? Today's
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  Speaker 3: reading provides a stark contrast between the leadership of Moses
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  Speaker 3: and that of Aaron. highlighting why God called Moses instead
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  Speaker 3: of his brother. Finally, we'll discover there's a price for
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  Speaker 3: sin against God. Yet even in the midst of judgment
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  Speaker 3: and punishment, God's grace and mercy will come through. Let's
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  Speaker 3: listen now to today's story.
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  Speaker 2: Moses had ascended back up to Mount Sinai to hear
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  Speaker 2: from God on behalf of the people. The thunder still
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  Speaker 2: rolled down the mountain like waves crashing on a shore.
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  Speaker 2: The people took note of Moses' delay to come down
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  Speaker 2: from the mountain, so they turned to Aaron for guidance.
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  Speaker 2: We do not know what has become of Moses. He
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  Speaker 2: is the one who brought us out of Egypt. Quick,
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  Speaker 2: make God for us, to protect and nurture us. Aaron,
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  Speaker 2: just as confused and desperate as the people, agreed. He
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  Speaker 2: said to them, Take off all your rings, earrings, and
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  Speaker 2: necklaces of gold and bring them to me. so all
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  Speaker 2: the people began to lay down their possessions at the
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  Speaker 2: feet of Aaron. They willingly gave up what was precious
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  Speaker 2: to them, yet all for a fabrication, a false sense
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  Speaker 2: of security. Aaron, using fashioning tools, constructed a golden calf
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  Speaker 2: with his own bare hands. He brought the calf before
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  Speaker 2: the people, erected high into the air so everyone could see.
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  Speaker 2: Applause roared throughout the camp. Dancing and revelry began to spread.
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  Speaker 2: These are your gods, people of Israel. These are the
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  Speaker 2: gods that brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
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  Speaker 2: The people cried out, paying no mind to God's first
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  Speaker 2: encouragement to them, when he said, I am the Lord
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  Speaker 2: your God, who brought you out of the land of
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  Speaker 2: Egypt and out of slavery. In the distance God was
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  Speaker 2: meeting with Moses, yet this was not hidden from his sight.
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  Speaker 2: When Aaron saw how happy the calf made the people,
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  Speaker 2: He built an altar for it. He hosted a large
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  Speaker 2: feast to celebrate their new god. They rose up early
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  Speaker 2: the next day to give peace offerings. As the day
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  Speaker 2: dragged on, they feasted like gluttons, filling their bellies with
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  Speaker 2: meat and wine. A strange daze of drunkenness slithered around camp.
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  Speaker 2: As people rose up in dancing and orgies, their laughter
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  Speaker 2: was not joyful praise, rather inebriated and lustful cackles. They
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  Speaker 2: paid homage to their created God by creating their own warship,
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  Speaker 2: satisfying every selfish desire they could come up with. The
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  Speaker 2: newly freed slaves of Israel began to look a whole
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  Speaker 2: lot like their old masters, the Egyptians. The stench of
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  Speaker 2: their idolatry carried through the canyons up to the mountain,
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  Speaker 2: where God met with Moses. In the quietness of his
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  Speaker 2: prayers to God, Moses heard his voice change. The Lord
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  Speaker 2: said to Moses, Go down to see your people, for
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  Speaker 2: they have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned from
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  Speaker 2: my commandments. High and lifted up among them is a
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  Speaker 2: golden calf for whom they have sacrificed and worshipped. Moses'
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  Speaker 2: eyes widened. Though the people may have lost their fear
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  Speaker 2: of God, Moses surely did not. He had remembered all
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  Speaker 2: the Lord was capable of and how kind he had
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  Speaker 2: been to all the children of Israel. God continued and said,
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  Speaker 2: I have looked upon my people, and behold, they are
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  Speaker 2: a stubborn people. Leave this place, for my wrath will
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  Speaker 2: descend upon them like wildfire. From you alone I will
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  Speaker 2: build my nation. These words disturbed Moses. He fell before
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  Speaker 2: God and said, Lord, why does your wrath burn hot
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  Speaker 2: against your people? You have brought them out of slavery
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  Speaker 2: with your might. The Egyptians will say you lured them
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  Speaker 2: out of slavery just to kill them. Please turn from
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  Speaker 2: your anger and have mercy on them. Tears began to
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  Speaker 2: flow from Moses as he begged God to spare them.
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  Speaker 2: Remember your promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses implored.
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  Speaker 2: His prayer was not long, but it was strong. Moses
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  Speaker 2: reflected the merciful heart of God in his prayers, and
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  Speaker 2: they pleased God. Moses was truly a leader, able to
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  Speaker 2: reflect God's heart and desire. Moses could have easily done nothing,
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  Speaker 2: but instead he interceded for his people. God looked upon Moses.
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  Speaker 2: He was pleased and relented. Moses hustled down the mountain,
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  Speaker 2: eyes piercing with an internal fury. Moses had two tablets
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  Speaker 2: of the testimony of God in his hands. The writings
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  Speaker 2: of God for the people were engraved in stone. Joshua
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  Speaker 2: was waiting at the base of the mountain for Moses.
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  Speaker 2: When Joshua heard the celebration from camp, he ran to
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  Speaker 2: go meet Moses and said, There are sounds of war
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  Speaker 2: in the camp. Moses and Joshua came near to the
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  Speaker 2: camp and saw the calf risen high among the people.
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  Speaker 2: Moses peered across the sea of drunk faces. They danced
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  Speaker 2: to the music. They caressed those that were not their
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  Speaker 2: wives or husbands. They drank their wisdom away. Moses watched this.
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  Speaker 2: He was right in front of them, yet unseen because
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  Speaker 2: of their drunkenness. In that moment, a deep anger came
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  Speaker 2: upon Moses, an anger that had not been awakened since
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  Speaker 2: he was a young man, strangling the Egyptian taskmaster. In
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  Speaker 2: an outburst of rage, Moses threw the stone tablets at
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  Speaker 2: the foot of the mountain. The sound echoed across the
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  Speaker 2: canyon and the dancing and music ceased. The people turned
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  Speaker 2: their heads and stared up at Moses. Silence fell upon
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  Speaker 2: them all. Moses walked into the crowd of people and
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  Speaker 2: took the calf from the altar. Without saying anything, Moses
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  Speaker 2: dragged the calf past the people towards the bonfire in
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  Speaker 2: the middle of the camp. He threw it into the
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  Speaker 2: fire and watched it melt with his back turned towards
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  Speaker 2: the people. He scooped up its ashes and scattered them
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  Speaker 2: in the water nearby. He took a cup and filled
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  Speaker 2: it with the water and gave it to the people
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  Speaker 2: to drink. The bitter taste of the gold-dusted water was
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  Speaker 2: a reminder of where they had come from. They had
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  Speaker 2: just escaped the bitter gripes of slavery and they ought
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  Speaker 2: not to make themselves slaves again. Moses looked to Aaron,
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  Speaker 2: who had remained silent.' What did they do to you, Aaron?'
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  Speaker 2: Moses said with his eyes filling up with tears.' Why
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  Speaker 2: have you brought sin upon all of them?' Aaron was frantic,
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  Speaker 2: seeking to justify his actions. He was a brilliant communicator,
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  Speaker 2: and just as his ancestor Jacob, Aaron could talk himself
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  Speaker 2: out of almost any situation. Don't burn with anger, Moses.
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  Speaker 2: You know the people are set on evil. They wanted
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  Speaker 2: the false gods. I tossed their god in the fire,
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  Speaker 2: and the calf just appeared, Aaron lied. And just as
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  Speaker 2: Adam did eons ago, he deferred the responsibility. Moses looked
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  Speaker 2: at the people and saw that Aaron had allowed them
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  Speaker 2: to divide and become loose with one another. Aaron had
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  Speaker 2: once been his mouthpiece, but now Moses had to speak.
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  Speaker 2: He stood at the base of the camp and shouted,
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  Speaker 2: Who is on the Lord's side? If anyone is on
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  Speaker 2: God's side, come stand by me. Out of the vast crowd,
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  Speaker 2: the sons of Levi came forward from the group. Moses
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  Speaker 2: then commanded them to kill those who had caused the
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  Speaker 2: most dissension. With swords in their hands, the sons of
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  Speaker 2: Levi killed about three thousand men that day. The silence
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  Speaker 2: was cut and screams oozed out of the camp like blood.
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  Speaker 2: Moses spoke to the sons of Levi and said, Today
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  Speaker 2: you have been ordained into the service of God. Each
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  Speaker 2: one of you will have a blessing this day. The
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  Speaker 2: sun rose the next day and a gentle breeze came
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  Speaker 2: in through the canyon. The people were silent. And Moses
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  Speaker 2: paced the camp, gathering them to the base of the mountain.
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  Speaker 2: He looked to them and said, Your sin was an
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  Speaker 2: intense sin. I am going back up to the Lord,
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  Speaker 2: and perhaps there is atonement for what you have done.
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  Speaker 2: So Moses left, and the people watched him ascend back
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  Speaker 2: up the mountain. Moses spoke before God and said, They
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  Speaker 2: have sinned greatly against you, gods of gold. Moses cut
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  Speaker 2: himself off and clenched his fist. His eyes closed and
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  Speaker 2: his face held back tears. Please forgive them, Moses whispered.
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  Speaker 2: But if you do not, kill me instead of them.
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  Speaker 2: Moses trembled as he said these words. If a simple
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  Speaker 2: sacrifice would not suffice, Moses wanted to stand between God
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  Speaker 2: and them as atonement. There was a gentle silence between them.
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  Speaker 2: The Lord said to Moses, Whoever has sinned against me,
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  Speaker 2: I will require something from them. And then he sent
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  Speaker 2: Moses back down the mountain. God would not blot out
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  Speaker 2: his people. He promised Jacob that his seed would spring
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  Speaker 2: forth a mighty nation and all nations would be redeemed.
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  Speaker 2: He would not waver from that promise. Hundreds of years prior,
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  Speaker 2: Jacob wrestled with God in the dead of night. Jacob
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  Speaker 2: was flawed and filled with sin, but he clung to
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  Speaker 2: God for blessing. So he renamed him Israel, which means
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  Speaker 2: wrestles with God Now the people of Israel would continue
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  Speaker 2: to sin, be flawed, but cling to God for blessing.
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  Speaker 2: They would continue to wrestle with God, and He would
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  Speaker 2: still bless them. A great plague fell upon Israel that day.
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  Speaker 2: Yet in the midst of their punishment, there was hope
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  Speaker 2: and mercy. God would not depart from them.
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  Speaker 3: We open today's reading with Moses on the mountain alone.
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  Speaker 3: He spent 40 days and nights hearing from God on
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  Speaker 3: that mountain. And in that period of time, the people
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  Speaker 3: began to worry. The Israelites could still see God's consuming
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  Speaker 3: fire on the mountaintop. He had not gone missing in action.
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  Speaker 3: But they began to doubt if Moses would ever return.
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  Speaker 3: As we've already seen in their short time out of Egypt,
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  Speaker 3: God's people were quick to complain. And a grumbling, complaining
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  Speaker 3: heart can quickly become a wandering and even sinful heart.
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  Speaker 3: The people tell Aaron to make them gods, little g,
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  Speaker 3: to protect them and to provide for them. Barely a
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  Speaker 3: month has passed now since God told them not to
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  Speaker 3: have any god before them, any other kind of god,
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  Speaker 3: lest they break his commandments. But somehow, in their sinfulness,
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  Speaker 3: they wanted a god, again, little g, that they could
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  Speaker 3: see and touch. even if this God was a fantasy.
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  Speaker 3: Aaron doesn't resist. He gathers all the gold he can
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  Speaker 3: find from them and fashions a golden calf. They build
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  Speaker 3: an altar and begin to worship this counterfeit, phony God.
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  Speaker 3: One sin births another, and soon the people engage in
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  Speaker 3: all manner of revelry seeking to gratify their flesh. They've
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  Speaker 3: all but forgotten the greatness and the glory and the
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  Speaker 3: holiness of God. but God has not forgotten them. He
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  Speaker 3: isn't blind to their sins. He tells Moses what these
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  Speaker 3: people have done and that he wants to burn with
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  Speaker 3: anger against them and even destroy them. Moses doesn't excuse
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  Speaker 3: the actions of his people, but he does intercede. He
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  Speaker 3: advocates for them. In an impassioned plea, he speaks to
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  Speaker 3: God of the promises that he had made to Abraham, Isaac,
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  Speaker 3: and Jacob. God hears Moses and turns from his anger.
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  Speaker 3: Moses descends the mountain and destroys the calf and the altar.
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  Speaker 3: He throws the stone tablets God had given him on
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  Speaker 3: the ground and breaks them. Yes, he's angry, very angry.
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  Speaker 3: When he confronts Aaron, rather than his own mistake, Aaron
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  Speaker 3: tries to justify it. Here we see two very different leaders.
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  Speaker 3: Moses was a strong leader who turned to God in
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  Speaker 3: times of distress. But Aaron listened to the people, bent
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  Speaker 3: to their will, and turned against God. It is a costly,
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  Speaker 3: terrible sin. Moses enlists the Levite priest to go through
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  Speaker 3: the camp and shed blood in God's name. Three thousand
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  Speaker 3: of God's people died that day, judged for their unfaithfulness.
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  Speaker 3: Moses went up to speak to God again and asked
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  Speaker 3: for forgiveness for his people. God reminded Moses that he
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  Speaker 3: cannot allow sin to go unpunished. There is always a
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  Speaker 3: price for sin, and the price is death. For the
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  Speaker 3: scripture says in the book of Romans, the wages of
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  Speaker 3: sin is death. Because of sin, our names are blotted
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  Speaker 3: out of the book of God. But because of his
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  Speaker 3: grace and because of what Christ has done for us
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  Speaker 3: in shedding his blood on the cross, we can have
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  Speaker 3: our names now written in the Lamb's book of life.
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  Speaker 3: The question is, is your name there? In God's words
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  Speaker 3: to Moses, we find hope and an enduring faithfulness as
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  Speaker 3: well as holiness. The people have sinned. There is a
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  Speaker 3: price to pay, a terrible price, but God will not
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  Speaker 3: forsake them. He will not abandon them. His presence will
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  Speaker 3: continue to be with his people. God, we know that
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  Speaker 3: you are a holy God. And this passage of scripture
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  Speaker 3: is a reminder that we are to be devoted to
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  Speaker 3: you and you only. May we trust in you always
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  Speaker 3: and obey you in the power of your Spirit. We
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  Speaker 3: do confess our sins and ask that you forgive us
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  Speaker 3: of every sin through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank
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  Speaker 3: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Dr. Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: app and make prayer a priority in your life. If
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  Speaker 3: make a difference in someone else's life. And if you
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: want more resources on how to tap into God's power
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: for Christian living, be sure to visit JackChristianLiving. Be sure
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  Speaker 3: to visit JackGraham.org. God bless you.