The Children of Israel - 3 Principles

Reading this week about the children of Israel; after they are freed from the Egyptians, hear the word of God and accept it, then regress to worshipping a golden calf - three principles stood out to me. The first is overarching with the whole story and the other two are within. Those I have marked parenthetically after the example given.

Principle 1 - A latter-day warning: We aren't saved just by making covenants. 

The Lord, Jesus Christ, spoke the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai so that all the children of Israel heard.

Exodus 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

(Principle 2 – The Lord speaks to his children, but they have to be prepared to listen)

They were then given the Mosaic Law (Exodus 21), and covenanted with the Lord to keep the Mosaic Law.

Exodus 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

8 and Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the tablets, the children of Israel saw the glory of the Lord on the mountain.

Exodus 24:17: And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

Moses is gone for 40 days; a little over a month. While still being able to see the glory of the Lord on the mountain, they become impatient, start murmuring that Moses hasn’t returned, and fall back on old habits.

The Lord tells Moses what is happening.

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.

(Principle 3 – We can’t hide sin from the Lord. He knows what we are doing even when he is engaged with something else. He knows us and is aware of us.)

Why, I wondered; would the children of Israel, after all the miracles they had witnessed and experienced; after being freed from hundreds of years of bondage; after accepting the gospel and covenanting with the Lord; would they – in less than 40 days – revert back to idol worship?

David Ridges has some interesting insight into this that helps me answer that question and apply the situation more to my life:

“It seems [the children of Israel] were afflicted with what might be called the “re-deciding syndrome.” They had trouble with long-term loyalty to the Lord, and kept “re-deciding” whether or not to keep the covenants … Sometimes, members of the Church find themselves similarly afflicted. They keep “re-deciding” whether or not to attend church, pay tithing, keep the word of wisdom, and so forth. Such lack of complete commitment takes a heavy toll on spirituality and peace of mind.”[1]

Put in modern terms, it makes what the children of Israel did seem easier to understand and even sympathize with. It takes work to keep covenants we make with the Lord in order to maintain that complete commitment required.

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[1] The Old Testament Made Easier, David J. Ridges, pg. 36