The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 22 – Section 24
SECT. XXII.
THe people ſeeing that Moſes ſtayed ſo long in the Mount, and that the Cloud did not move; and perhaps conceiving that Moſes had forſaken them, or deſpairing of his Return, a great number(e)'Tis manifeſt that all the people did not joyn herein; for ſome of them afterwards at Moſes his command were imployed to put the Idolaters to death, v. 26. 1 Cor. 10.7. of them (as it ſeems) preſſed Aaron with great Importunity to make them an Image or viſible repreſentation of God (f)V. 1. Gods] the plural for the ſingular, by an Hebrew Idiotiſm. Declarant ſe velle veri unam effigiem Dei, divinae ſymbolum praeſentiae, ſed erat Carnalis Aegyptiorum imitatio qui vitulum colebant. Anonym. in loc.going before them, and manifeſting his Preſence among them; and this Image they would have made in the form or ſhape of a Calf, according to the Idolatry they had ſeen practiſed in Egypt. Aaron (to divert them, as 'tis probable, from this wicked Intendment) requires the golden Ear-rings from the Ears of their Wives, Sons and Daughters, to make it with, hoping that this demand would make ſuch a mutiny in all their Families that they would have choſen rather to deſiſt from their wicked deſign than part with thoſe Ornaments wherein they were wont to take ſo much delight. But herein he was much deceived: for their Superſtition was, at this time, above their Pride or Covetouſneſs, inſomuch that they preſently broke off their golden Ear-rings and gave them to Aaron, who appointed Workmen firſt to melt the Gold and caſt it into the form of a Calf, and then to poliſh and finiſh it with a graving Tool. It ſeems they deſired their Idol ſhould be made in this form in imitation of the Idol Apis, the Ox or Calf (g)Thus the Iſraelites borrowed not all Gold and Silver, but ſome droſs from the Egyptians, borrowing their Idolatrous Worſhip from them, 1 King. 12.28. Pſ. 106, 19, 20. Puller.the Egyptians uſed to worſhip. Then encouraging one another, and being much pleaſed with their Idol, they ſaid, This is thy God, O Iſrael, which brought thee out of the Land of Eypt, pretending ſtill to worſhip the true God in and by the Calf. Aaron ſeeing the people thus violently bent on their Idol, upon their motion, He yields to build an Altar for it, and to proclaim an Holy-day, and to dedicate a Feaſt to it. To morrow, ſays He, is a Feaſt to the Lord Jehovah, pretending all was ſtill intended for the Worſhip of the true God; And accordingly the people roſe early the next morning, and ſacrificed unto their Idol Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings, and upon the Altar they feaſted together, and then roſe up to play; that is, to ſing, and dance, and play about their Idol, ſhouting and making a great Noiſe [verſ. 17.] according to the wild cuſtom and manner of the Heathens in their Idolatrous Feaſts.
Exod. 32. from 1. to 7.
SECT. XXIII.
WHen 40 days and 40 nights were now expired, and God had made an end of Communing with Moſes on the Mount, He gave him two Tables of Stone made by his own Hand, and wherein He had written with his own Finger the Ten Commandments; Commanding him to get him down quickly, telling him what the people had done in his abſence. Thy (h)God ſeems to diſown them now as His people.people (ſays He) which thou broughteſt out of the Land of Egypt have corrupted themſelves; They have turned aſide quickly, (after their entring into Covenant with Me, and promiſing to keep all my Precepts,) They have quickly turned out of the way which I commanded them, and have made them a molten Calf, and have worſhipped it, and ſacrificed unto it. Thou ſeeſt that this is a very wicked, and ſtiff-necked people; therefore interpoſe not for them, nor hinder Me by thy Interceſſion, that I may in mine anger Conſume them; and I will make of Thee a great Nation, yea a greater and mightier than they, Deut. 9.14. Moſes was wonderfully ſurpriz'd and aſtoniſh'd at the hearing of this, and humbly adoring the Lord his God, he ſaid, Lord, why doth thy Wrath wax hot againſt thy people which thou haſt brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty Hand? Wherefore ſhould the Egyptitians ſay, For miſchief did He bring them forth, to ſlay them in the Mountains? O Lord turn I pray thee, from thy fierce Wrath, and let not the Evil and Puniſhment, which this people have deſerved, fall upon them. Remember thy Covenant and Promiſes made to Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, to whom thou ſwareſt by thine own ſelf to multiply their Seed as the Stars, and to give them the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance. Thus Moſes ſtood before the Lord in the Breach to turn away his Wrath, Pſal. 106.23. So that the Lord was intreated not to deſtroy them at this time, as he had threatned. Then Moſes deſcending out of the Cloud with the Two Tables in his hand, and coming to that part of the Mount, where Joſhua (as it ſeems) had waited all this while for him, [verſ. 17.] Joſhua hearing the Noiſe and Shout of the people, and not knowing what it meant, He ſaid to Moſes, Surely there is a noiſe of War in the Camp. But Moſes told him, It was no ſuch noiſe, but rather of ſinging and merriment. When they came to the Camp, and Moſes ſaw the Calf, and the people piping, and dancing, and ſporting about it, after the manner of the Heathen, His anger waxed hot, and in an holy Indignation (not unadviſedly, but by the motion of Gods Spirit, ſee Deut. 9.16, 17.) He caſt the Tables out of his Hands, and broke them before their eyes; as a ſign that the Covenant between God and them was broken by this their hainous Idolatry; Then He took the Idol and melted it, and made it brittle, and fit to be broken, or ground to powder, and He caſt the duſt thereof into the water, whereof they drank daily, and made them drink thereof for the greater deteſtation, that they might underſtand the variety of ſuch Gods, that could be thus ſwallowed by them; as alſo to intimate to them that they deſerved to drink of the Cup of Gods Wrath, for ſo a great Provocation. Then He ſharply expoſtulates with Aaron about this horrid Miſcarriage. What did this people (ſays He) do to thee that thou haſt brought ſo great a Sin upon them? Aaron humbly deprecates his Anger, and excuſeth Himſelf as well as he could, upon the miſchievous diſpoſition of the people, and by a poor ſlender and imperfect Narration, ſeeks to extenuate his Fact, ſpeaking of the Calf as if it had been produced rather by accident than by any deſign of his. I caſt the Gold, ſays he, into the fire, and there came out this Calf. Moſes ſeeing that the people had now deprived themſelves of Gods protection, and were as ſo many naked, and unarmed, and diſpirited men, expoſed to be devoured by their Enemies (to which Aaron, by conſenting to their wicked deſire, had much contributed) He ſtood in the Gate of the Camp, and ſaid, Who is on the Lords ſide? Let him come unto me; ſummoning thereby all that had not conſented to this wicked Fact, to take Gods part againſt the Offendors, and to do in this Caſe what he ſhould require of them. Whereupon the Sons of Levi, who had kept themſelves innocent from this Fact (as it ſeems moſt of them had, though not all, as appears from Deut. 33.9.) came unto Moſes, who, according to Gods appointment, Commands them to take their Swords in their hands, and to go throughout the Camp, and ſlay all the Ringleaders and principal Offenders in this Rebellion and Tranſgreſſion that they ſhould meet with, not ſparing for favour or affection either Brother, Companion or Neighbour, or any other that were neareſt or deareſt to them. And 'tis probable, God ſo ordered it by his Providence, that none but the guilty came in their way. And Moſes told them that hereby they ſhould ſo Conſecrate themſelves to the Lord, and offer a Sacrifice ſo well pleaſing to him, that he would immediately ſet them apart as his peculiar portion, to be his Miniſters in the ſacred Service of the Tabernacle. The Children of Levi did as Moſes commanded them, and there fell that day of the people by their hand about three thouſand.
Moſes, though he had already ſo far prevailed with the Lord, that he would not preſently deſtroy all the people, as He had threatned, verſ. 14. yet conſidering that the Lords Anger might ſtill be great againſt them, and that he might ſtill proceed further in puniſhing of them, He tells them, That on the morrow he reſolved to go up again to the Lord, and further to intercede for them, and to endeavour to atone him, that He might not proceed in wrath againſt them. And accordingly going up again into the Mount, and humbly proſtrating himſelf before the Lord, he acknowledges the greatneſs and hainouſneſs of their ſin, and earneſtly intreats the Lord freely to forgive them out of his own abundant Mercy, which if He would pleaſe to do, they ſhould always retain a deep ſenſe of that tranſcendent favour. But if he would not forgive them freely, Moſes out of the exuberance and greatneſs of his love to that people, deſires the Lord that he would accept of his life as an atonement for them,(i)Dele me de libro vitae, v. 32. and blot him out of the Book of the living; that is, cut him off by his own Hand, and ſo take his life as a Satisfaction for their Sin. And in this Moſes ſhewed himſelf a Figure of our bleſſed Saviour, who laid down his life for his Sheep, Joh. 10.15. and redeemed us from the Curſe of the Law, being made a Curſe for us, Gal. 3.13. But the Lord was not pleaſed to accept this his Offer, but told him, That they that had ſinned againſt him ſhould ſuffer themſelves for their ſin, yet He would ſpare them at this time; but when He began to puniſh them for other Provocations, He would reckon with them for this Sin alſo, which accordingly He did in after-times, ſee verſ. 35. But though He ſpared them for the preſent, yet He declares, That He himſelf will not go with them as before He had promiſed; but bids Moſes go before them and lead them, and He would ſend a Created Angel to go before them, and to be their Conductor, and to lead them to Canaan, a Land flowing with Milk and Honey; but He himſelf would no longer Conduct them, leſt (ſpeaking of Himſelf after the manner of men, who are moſt provoked when they are affronted to their face,) He ſhould conſume them for their Rebellions and Diſobedience in the way. Moſes deſcending from the Mount, acquaints the people with theſe ſad tydings, further telling them, That if they did not repent of their great wickedneſs, God would come among them, and Conſume them in a moment; therefore He commanded them to put off their Ornaments, and to mourn before Him; and according as their Repentance ſhould be true or falſe, He would either ſpare or puniſh them. When the people heard theſe things they mourned exceedingly, and ſtript themſelves of their Ornaments and gorgeous Apparrel, and put themſelves into a habit more ſuitable to true Penitents.
Moſes now removes his Tent or Tabernacle (which He had formerly erected as it ſeems both for the Worſhip of God, and for matters of Civil Judgment) afar off from the Camp, ſignifying thereby Gods departure from them as a polluted people. And thoſe that deſired Counſel of the Lord by him, went forth to this new erected Tent of the Congregation. And when Moſes went out of the Camp to the Tent, the Cloudy Pillar deſcended from the Mount to the door of the Tent, and out of it the Lord ſpake to Moſes face to face, as a man ſpeaketh to his friend; that is, preſent to preſent, by an articulate and audible Voice, ſo as He never ſpake to any Prophet, Deut. 5.4. & 34.10. Numb. 12.8. All which the people beholding from their Tent-doors, bowed themſelves and worſhipped; And when at any time, Moſes returned into the Camp, Joſhua ſtayed behind in the Tabernacle or Tent, poſſibly as his Deputy, to judge the People in his abſence. Moſes now humbly bemoans before the Lord, that He had impoſed that hard Province upon him, to lead that people, but had not let him know, whom He would ſend with him, and yet he had declared he knew him by Name; that is, had choſen him above many others, and out of many for his Service, and had taken ſpecial notice of him, and had a peculiar regard to him. He therefore humbly deſires of the Lord that (if He had found Grace in his ſight) He himſelf would pleaſe to ſhew him his way in which He would have him lead the people; and that He himſelf would be their Guide, as before he had been, and not turn them over to a created Angel, that ſo he may know by experience that He is good to them that ſeek him, and be aſſured that he had found Grace in his ſight, and that He did ſtill remember that this Nation was his people. The Lord was pleaſed upon this prayer of Moſes, and the peoples Repentance, to recall his former (k)Paenitentia commutat Comminationes Dei in promiſſiones. Cajetan.Sentence paſſed, verſ. 3. and now promiſes that his Preſence ſhall go with them, and He would bring them into the Land of Promiſe, where they ſhould have reſt from their Enemies. Moſes thankfully embracing Gods Promiſe, ſhews that nothing elſe but his gracious Preſence could have contented or ſatisfied him. For (ſays He) if thy Preſence go not along with us, I pray thee carry us not up hence; As if he ſhould have ſaid, We had as good never ſtir a foot further as to go without thy gracious Preſence, and favour accompanying of us, though we were ſure to come to Canaan at the laſt. For how elſe (ſays he) ſhall it be known, that we are thy peculiar people, and ſeparated from other Nations, but by thy gracious Preſence accompanying of us?
Moſes having found the Lord ready to grant his Deſires, proceeds further to make one Requeſt more to Him; namely, That He would pleaſe to ſhew him his Glory. Poſſibly this holy man conceiving that God when he ſpake to him had put on ſome Corporeal and viſible ſhape full of great Majeſty and Glory, though overſhadowed, as it were, with a Cloud, ſo that He could not diſcern it, He humbly deſired to ſee the lightſome brightneſs of His Majeſty, the Cloud being removed; and a glimpſe of that bleſſed Viſion of Him, which is reſerved for another life. The Lord anſwers him, That he will reveal his Goodneſs to him ſo far as is profitable for him to know, and will Proclaim his great Name, and glorious Attributes before Him, declaring, When He paſſeth by, that He is the Lord Jehovah, who will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy, and is free in communicating his Grace and Mercy where He pleaſeth, without wrong to any. But to ſee his Face, that is, his pure Eſſence, and being in his Spiritual Majeſty and Glory, He tell him cannot be granted him but to his hurt; ſeeing no man, in that manner, can ſee the Face of God and live: Man's weakneſs being ſuch that he is not able to behold the brightneſs of ſuch an Apparition, till this Mortal has put on Immortality. Therefore the Lord tells him, That He will put him in the cleft of the Rock that was near, and cover him with his Hand, that he may not be ſwallowed up, when he paſſed by in ſuch Brightneſs and Glory as was never ſhown to mortal Creature, and He ſhould through this Cleft have a glimpſe of His Back Parts (that is, a tranſitory Viſion, and imperfect ſight of his Glory, ſuch as he was now capable of) as we are ſaid to ſee or know men but imperfectly, when we ſee only their back parts, and not their faces. For if He ſhould manifeſt his Glory to him to the full, it would be too much for defiled Infirmity and Mortality to ſubſiſt under. A man that would ſee God face to face muſt put off his mortality, and die before he can ſee Him in his Glory.
Exod. 31. verſ. 18.
Exod. 32. whole Chapter.
Exod. 33. whole Chapter.
SECT. XXIV.
THe Lord now Commands Moſes to frame and prepare two new Tables of Stone like to the former, wherein he would write his Law anew. And it ſeems from Deut. 10.1. that he gave him in charge at the ſame time to make an Ark or Cheſt of Shittim-wood to keep theſe Tables in, till that more curious and glorious Ark of the Tabernacle ſhould be made. Moſes having done as God commanded him, went up with the new Tables next morning into the Mount, no man going up with him, neither was any man to be ſeen in all the Mount. Then the Lord deſcended in the Cloud, and in ſome ſenſible ſigns of his Preſence paſſed before Moſes, and proclaimed before him (now hid in the hollow Cleft of the Rock) The Lord, The Lord merciful and gracious, long-ſuffering, and abundant in Goodneſs and Truth, keeping Mercy for thouſands, forgiving Iniquity, Tranſgreſſion and Sin, (upon mans hearty repentance) and that will by no means clear the Guilty; viſiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children, and upon the Childrens Children, unto the third and fourth Generation, if they continue in their Fathers tranſgreſſions. Moſes hearing theſe things, inſtantly bowed his head towards the Earth and worſhipped.
Exod. 34. from 1. to 9.