Problems with Religion (Exodus 31:18-33:11)

An old eastern proverb says, “See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.” It is often represented as three monkeys covering their eyes, ears, and mouth. Of course, the intent is to give human beings a plan for resisting the influence of evil, not monkeys! Several religions have their own form of this saying. It’s not bad advice, but it can have a negative effect. What happens when evil is present within religion?

All too often devout religious people refuse to see it, hear it, or talk about it. They ignore it and may even deny it! The Bible is surprisingly honest about many problems with religion not just in other religions but even about what is taught in the Bible itself. It portrays the life of faith as messy rather than neat and tidy. So, if you claim to believe the Bible but insist on ignoring such problems, then you are distorting the faith, making more problems for yourself and for others!

We find a powerful example of this honesty in Exodus 32. Chapters 19-24 tell us that God appeared to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai to establish a covenant relationship with them that included the Ten Commandments and several other laws. In chapters 25-31, Moses goes up the mountain to receive the plan for the Tabernacle, the priesthood, and the sacrificial system of worship. But then something happens that almost leads the Lord to give up his plans. Yet this event also confirms the need for the pattern that he establishes in the Tabernacle.

To grasp the whole story, it helps to start in verse 18 of chapter 31 and to read through verse 11 of chapter 33. It shows us three problems with religion that we must accept. But it also demonstrates how we should respond.

Corrupt People

The news is filled with sad stories of terrible effects from contamination. Pollutants from generations past work their way through the soil into groundwater, yet people are often unaware. They drink it, cook with it, and wash with it. As they do, those chemicals can accumulate in their bodies and cause irreparable harm to their health.

According to the biblical worldview, we have a similar problem spiritually. We would like to think that we are pure and innocent, but our hearts have been contaminated by the sin of our earliest ancestor. In Romans 5:19, the Apostle Paul says, “by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.”

Some complain that religious people are all hypocrites, and they are right! True and perfect religion is bound to fail because we are all corrupt people. We find this corruption at work in the people of Israel.

Israel received powerful evidence for the existence of God through the Exodus. They witnessed the ten plagues that he brought upon Egypt as the Pharaoh refused to release them from slavery. When they were finally freed, the Lord led them and protected them with a fiery pillar of cloud. He parted the Red Sea and allowed them to pass through on dry ground. He provided water and manna for them in the wilderness. They even heard him declare the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai.

So, in Exodus 24, they pledge themselves to obey the stipulations of God’s covenant, and Moses ascends the mountain. Over the course of forty days, the Lord reveals to him the plans for the Tabernacle and the priesthood. Then Exodus 31:18 tells us, “And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.”

According to Deuteronomy 4:13, these tablets contain the Ten Commandments. They are more than moral standards. They reveal the character of God and define the boundaries of Israel’s unique covenant relationship with him. These tablets are to be kept in the ark of the covenant in the most holy place in the Tabernacle. So, their religion is designed to be centered around God’s words. But Exodus 32:1 says,

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."

The corruption within us can distort our perception, motives, and words. These people know where Moses is. They know that he did not lead them out of Egypt by his own will or power. Some may have been impatient, others worried. But their request directly contradicts the first two commandments. The Lord prohibited them from having other gods and from making idols.

Rather than acting on their own, they seek Aaron’s help. Verses 2-4 tell us,

So Aaron said to them, "Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"

There must have been a group of people who instigated this situation, but the whole nation joins in by contributing gold earrings. That original group proclaims this golden calf as representative of their gods, and Aaron fully cooperates. Verses 5-6 say,

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD." And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

The word “play” could be translated as “laugh.” In some contexts it carries a sexual connotation (Gen 26:8; 39:14, 17). In fact, Paul refers to this event in 1 Corinthians 10:7-8 and says that these people were committing sexual immorality. Such behavior may have been common in the worship of other gods, but adultery is forbidden by the Seventh Commandment.

So, as the Lord is revealing to Moses the pattern for worship that pleases him, the people are creating their own distorted pattern of worship to please themselves. How does the Lord respond? Verses 7-10 tell us,

And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

A lot of people want God to affirm all their desires and accept all their behavior. But morally corrupt behavior offends him, particularly when it comes from those whom he has saved, who have pledged themselves to obey him. Such behavior provokes his wrath. So, when you see hypocrisy among religious people, understand that the Lord’s anger far exceeds yours.

Moses responds to this situation in two ways that serve as an example for us. First, he prays. Verses 11-13 tell us,

But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

He expresses his concern for God’s glory and reputation. He asks that God’s saving power would not be tarnished or his faithfulness called into question. Verse 14 tells us, “And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.”

It is hard to reconcile this portrayal of God with other biblical passages that speak of his foreknowledge and his sovereign plan. In Ephesians 1:11, for instance, Paul speaks of predestination and says that God works all things according to the counsel of his will. But if that is so, how can he change his mind in response to prayer? The intersection between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is a great mystery, yet both are clearly taught in Scripture. Perhaps it is best to say that his plan includes the prayers of his people. So, whenever we see corruption among God’s people, we should pray. We can also find comfort in knowing that Jesus secures our salvation by interceding for us (Heb 7:25).

Moses does not stop with praying, however. He also responds by confronting the people. Verses 15-19 tell us,

Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp." But he said, "It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

Moses just asked the Lord to remain faithful to his covenant. But he wants the people to recognize the implications of their behavior. He shatters the tablets to show them the severity of their actions. They violated the covenant. God had every right to break off his relationship with them. They also need to see that their behavior contaminates them. So, verse 20 tells us, “He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.”

When we see corruption among God’s people, we should pray about it and confront it. But we must also see it in ourselves. Jesus talked about taking the log out of your own eye before removing the speck in your brother’s (Mt 7:1-5). We must recognize and confess that our sinful behavior is not just external. Every time we sin, it is like gulping down pollution. We all need to humble ourselves before the Lord.

Compromising Leaders

The Bible often uses shepherding as a picture of leadership. Sheep are not the smartest animals. A shepherd cannot just let them loose. He must guide them to good pasture and protect them from predators. When some go astray, he must find them and bring them back. Apparently, sheep are not the most cooperative creatures either.

People should be more smart, responsible, and cooperative than sheep, but that is not always the case. As we have seen, the corruption of sin distorts our thinking. Some spiritual leaders respond by taking an authoritarian approach. They are strongly opinionated, rigid and unbending. They forget that their heart and mind are corrupt too. But other spiritual leaders go to the opposite extreme. To keep the peace, they go along with whatever people want. They compromise on issues where they should stand firm.

We have already seen that Aaron took this permissive approach. He gave in to the people’s demands. He collected gold earrings and made a calf. He set up an altar and proclaimed a feast. He offers an explanation as Moses confronts him. Exodus 32:21-24 tell us,

And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

Aaron refuses to take responsibility, but his excuses are contradictory. He blames the people and says that they are set on evil. But he does not mention any threats or any attempt on his part to resist. He simply acquiesces to their demands. Then he makes it seem as if the gold miraculously comes out of the fire in the shape of a calf, knowing full well that this idol is not from the Lord.

Though Aaron was in charge, he was not alone. There were elders from every tribe who could have spoken up. When leaders compromise on essential truths and practices, someone must take responsibility. No one did, but Moses gives them another opportunity. Verses 25-28 tell us,

And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, 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. And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.'" And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.

This response may seem harsh to us, but it is consistent with God’s Law. Exodus 22:20 tells us that the Lord had already decreed that death would be the penalty for idolatry. The Levites did not intervene earlier, but now they take responsibility and carry out the execution of 3,000 men, even though Moses indicates that some of the guilty individuals would be from the tribe of Levi.

This number may seem high, but according to Numbers 1, there were over 600,000 men in Israel. So, this group only represents one out of every two hundred. Why were they executed and not others? Were they the only ones actively participating in idolatry? Was their behavior particularly out of control? Perhaps they were the group who instigated it.

We should note that New Testament believers are never instructed to carry out any punishment like this. Israel was called by God to be a holy nation. His Law was their constitution. The church, however, is called to live as sojourners and exiles within other nations (1 Pe 2:11-12). We are primarily citizens of heaven, waiting for the return of our king (Phil 3:20). As we wait, we must submit to rulers and the law of the land, as long as it does not require us to violate New Testament commands (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pe 2:13-15; Ac 4:18-20).

We must leave the judgment of those outside the church to the Lord (1 Co 5:12-13). But if a fellow believer persists in disobedience and refuses to repent, that person should be excluded from the fellowship of the church (1 Co 5:9-10; Mt 18:15-17). Even in such cases, the goal is not to punish the person but to protect the church and to lead the individual to repentance and restoration.

It is never easy to take responsibility for confronting sin. It requires great courage. So, the Lord honors the commitment of the Levites. Exodus 32:29 tells us,

And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”

Later the Levites are given the responsibility to guard the Tabernacle and to transport it. Their whole tribe becomes civil servants for Israel. The Lord wants leaders who will stay true to his Word.

Collective Consequences

During my time in college, I worked for a painting contractor. For most of the first year, I never held a brush or a roller. I prepped everything and cleaned up everything. But somehow, I still ended up with paint all over me. You could get splattered by just walking into the room when the other guys were hard at work.

The same collateral damage can happen with sin. Sometimes the consequences affect people who are not directly involved. We do not know how many people participated in worshiping the golden calf beyond the 3,000 men who were executed, but there were serious consequences for the entire nation. Moses tries to intervene. Exodus 32:30-32 tells us,

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”

The sacrificial system made no provision of atonement for such a blatant, willful sin. Nevertheless, Moses seeks forgiveness from the Lord. He may even be offering up his own life when he speaks of being blotted out of God’s book. We find this idea of God having a book later in the Psalms. David uses it in Psalm 56:8 to say that the Lord has kept count of his tossings and tears. In Psalm 69:28, he speaks of a list of the righteous. In Psalm 139:16, he says that the Lord had written down every day of his life before he existed. In Revelation 20:11-15, the book of life contains the names of those who receive eternal life.

Moses is willing to be erased from existence for his people, but there is only one who can give his life to purchase forgiveness. Jesus died to atone for our sins; Moses could not. Exodus 32:33-35 tells us,

But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.

So, it seems that others were involved in idolatry beyond the 3,000. The Lord visits their sin by bringing a plague upon them. We are not told how many perished because of it, but those who lived must have grieved the loss of friends and family members. In a broader sense, all sickness and death is a consequence of the first sin that took place in the Garden of Eden. We have all been affected. All our griefs relate back to that mess.

Israel experienced another serious consequence for their idolatry. Exodus 33:1-3 tells us,

The LORD said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

The Lord would still fulfill his promise to Israel’s patriarchs. But as a consequence of their sin, the nation would not enjoy the blessing of his presence. The Tabernacle was effectively put on hold. How does Israel respond to this news? Verses 4-6 tell us,

When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

The Lord wants Israel to humble themselves in a time of national mourning. They are to lay aside their jewelry. Perhaps doing so reminds them of the gold earrings that they contributed to make the golden calf. This external act was undoubtedly intended to penetrate their hearts.

Some Christians act as if such mourning over sin is no longer necessary. We are certainly blessed to have salvation in Christ. We should be joyful, but we should not forget the Beatitudes. In Matthew 5:3-4 Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Our grief over sin, however, should not be hopeless or despairing. It should lead to another response that we find in Exodus 33:7. It says,

Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.

In the description of the Tabernacle, it was called the tent of meeting. Moses did not build his own Tabernacle. He probably used a normal tent, but he set it up outside the bounds of their huge camp. Others made the journey to join him. So, even when a group is spiritually cold, individuals can still seek the Lord.

This movement begins to impact the rest of the camp. Verses 8-11 tell us,

Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

The passion of the few is contagious. The whole nation begins to worship. At the same time, the Lord prepares a man to lead the next generation. When the twelve spies were sent into the land, Joshua went and returned believing that God would give them victory. Later he would be the one chosen by God to lead them into the land. No doubt this experience of being humble over sin’s consequences and seeking the Lord shaped his heart for his future role.

Throughout church history, times of great revival have always been sparked by individuals humbling themselves and seeking the Lord. Is that your heart?

______________

The problems with religion include corrupt people, compromising leaders, and collective consequences. The Tabernacle could not overcome these. But it foreshadowed the work of Christ on the cross, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every believer. Even with this blessed salvation, the problems remain until Christ returns. But until then we must stay humble and keep seeking the Lord.

These problems are not a reflection on him, but of our need for him. Are you submitting to the Lord? Are you seeking to follow his word? If not, I encourage you to start today. Begin to trust him and his plan of salvation in Christ. If you would like to learn more about how we overcome the struggle that we face with sin, you might want to read the twelfth chapter of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews.

If you are a believer, are you willing to take responsibility for these problems? There are limits to what any single person can do. But are you doing everything that you can? Are you praying? Are you growing? Are you involved? Are you speaking the truth in love? Don’t give up and withdraw. Perhaps you know someone who has turned away from the church. Would you encourage them to see the true nature of the problems and to respond in the ways that we have considered?

May the Lord revive his church to live for his glory!