A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Exodus · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII.
Verſ. 1. ANd when the people ſaw that Moſes delayed, &c.]
It is evident in that of the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 10. 7. Neither be ye idolaters, as were ſome of them, as it is written, The people ſat down to eat and drink, and roſe up to play, that ſome of the people (not all) joyned in this wicked act; yet withall doubtleſſe we may conclude that the greateſt number conſpired together herein, as therefore it is ſaid, verſ. 3. That all the people brake off their golden eare-rings, &c. becauſe the multitude were all in a manner combined together, and but a few to ſpeak of there were that kept themſelves clear in this generall deſertion.
And they ſaid unto Aaron, Up, make us Gods, &c.]
This word doth imply both how violently they preſſed him, and with what importunity they haſtened him to do what they required; as if they had ſaid, We have waited long enough for Moſes, and therefore diſpatch quickly, and with all ſpeed do what we require: make us Gods to go before us, that is, images as repreſentations of God, or viſible ſignes of Gods going before them, and preſence amongſt them. It cannot be reaſonably thought that the people were ſo ſtupid as to think that any thing made by mans hand could be the God that brought them out of Egypt, but onelyonly that they deſired ſome image as a ſigne of Gods preſence, according to the manner of their idolatry in Egypt. Yea happely conceiving the cloud not to move, they took themſelves to be forſaken or betrayed by Moſes, and ſo in their rage fall into this idolatry, as it were in deſpight of Moſes and Aaron. And therefore we ſee alſo in what a diſcontented manner, and how contemptuouſly they ſpeak of Moſes in the following words, As for this Moſes, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Verſ. 2. And Aaron ſaid unto them, Break off the golden eare-rings &c.]
We may well think that Aaron did at firſt indeavour to diſſwade the people from this they deſired of him: onelyonly becauſe he yielded at laſt, therefore it is in the next place related. Yea, it is probable enough that Aaron made this demand of their eare-rings, not gold in generall, with ſome ſecret hope that the womens unwillingneſſe to part with theſe ornaments, wherein they were wont ſo much to delight, might be a rub in the way.
Verſ. 3. And all the people brake off the golden eare-rings &c.]
That is, the generality of the people: and thus they diſhonour God with the ſpoyls of the Egyptians which God had given them, Exod. 12. 35.
Verſ. 4. And faſhioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf.]
Aaron is ſaid to have done this, not becauſe he did it with his own hands, but becauſe he appointed workmen to do it, and by his authority and command it was done. Firſt they melted the gold, and caſt it into a molten calf; and then they poliſhed it, and finiſhed it with a graving tool. And thus they changed their glory into the ſimilitude of an ox that eateth graſſe,, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Pſal. 106. 20. Now in this form it ſeems the Iſraelites deſired their idol ſhould be made, happely in imitation of the idol Apis, a pyed bullock which the Egyptians uſed to worſhip.
And they ſaid, Theſe be thy Gods, oh Iſrael, &c.]
So encouraging on… another, and eſpecially upon this pretence, that this was onelyonly intended for a repreſentation of the true God.
Verſ. 5. And when Aaron ſaw it, he built an altar, &c.]
That is, when he ſaw how violently the people purſued their purpoſe, and that in this idol they ſtill intended to worſhip the true God, he yields further upon the peoples motion, to wit, to build an altar, and proclaim an holy day, ſaying, To morrow is a feaſt to the Lord Jehovah: wherein ſtill he ſeeks to ſtop the mouth of his conſcience with this pretence, that all was ſtill intended for the worſhip of the true God.
Verſ. 6. And the people ſat down to eat and to drink, and roſe up to play.]
That is, they ſat down to eat and to drink of their peace-offerings, and other feaſts that did accompany their ſacrifices; wherein it may ſeem they were exceſſive eno…gh by their ſhouting, mentioned ver. 17. and then roſe up to play, that is, ſing dance and play about the idol, according to the cuſtome of idolatrous feſtivals.
Verſ. 7. And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, Go, get thee down, &c.]
That is, get thee away quickly, and ſo it is expreſſed, Deut. 9. 12. Ariſe, get thee down quickly from hencc.
Thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themſelves.]
The Lord here calls the Iſraelites not his people but the people of Moſes, thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, &c. whereby he doth not onelyonly teſtifie his great indignation againſt them, diſclaiming as it were any intereſt which they had in him, and refuſing to own them as his people any more; but withall likewiſe he ſ…eks to affect Moſes the more with their ſinne, by putting him in mind that they were his people, committed to his charge, that ſo he might be more ſolicitous to reduce them again into the right way.
Verſ. 8. They have turned aſide quickly out of the …ay which I commanded them.]
Viz. after their entring into covenant with me: it is but a few dayes ſince they promiſed, that they would keep all that I commanded them, and now they have already tranſgreſſed the Law of my worſhip which I gave them in charge.
Verſ. 10. Now therefore let me alone, &c.]
As a father, being angry and making as though he would ſmite his ſonne, ſhould ſay to one ſtanding by, hold me not▪ meaning that he would have him interpoſe himſelf, and mediate for his ſonne.
And I will make of thee a great nation.]
See Deut. 9. 14.
Verſ. 11. Why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people which thou broughtest forth, &c.]
That is, let not thy wrath wax hot againſt thy people, &c. for it is uſuall in the Scripture to expreſſe that which is deſired by way of interrogation: Thus, Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? Matth. 8. 29. is expreſſed by ſaint Luke, I beſeech thee torment me not, Luk. 8. 28. Moſes had no purpoſe to expoſtulate with God, but humbly to deſire him to be pacified towards them, to which end he preſſeth him here with this argument, that he had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand, intimating that all this would be loſt if he ſhould now deſtroy his people.
Verſ. 15. The two tables were written on both their ſides, &c.]
On the two inward or foreſides, not within and without.
Verſ. 16. And the tables were the work of God, &c.]
Implying how hainous the peoples ſinne was, which deprived them of ſuch a jewel.
Verſ. 17. There is a noiſe of warre in the camp.]
This ſpeech of Joſhuas pr… veth that he had neither been in the cloud with Moſes, when the Lord told him of the peoples ſinne, nor in the camp with the Iſraelites, but had waited on the upper part of the hill till Moſes came down, in which time it is like that he was fed with Manna.
Verſ. 19. And Moſes anger waxed hot, and he caſt the tables out of his hands, &c.]
In an holy anger, yet not unadviſedly, but by the motion of Gods ſpirit, as may ſeem by his relation of it again, Deut. 9. 16, 17. And I took the two tables and cast them out of my hands, and brake them before your eyes. For this was intended as a ſigne that the covenant was broken betwixt God and them by this their ſinne.
Verſ. 20. And burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, &c.]
That is, he not onelyonly melted it, but by burning it in the fire, made it brittle or …it to be beaten or ground to powder, yea to powder even as ſmall as duſt▪ Deut. 9. 21. And I took your ſinne, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very ſmall, even untill it was as ſmall as dust, &c. that it might be utterly aboliſhed.
And made the children of Iſrael drink of it.]
How this was done we may reade Deut. 9. 21. where it is ſaid that he caſt the duſt of their idol into the brook that deſcended out of the mount, which was the onelyonly water they had in that place: for we muſt not think that Moſes gave to every one of the people a draught of water wherein he had firſt put ſome of the powder or duſt of their idol; but therefore onelyonly is it ſaid that he made the children of Iſrael drink of it, becauſe he caſt it into the water whereof they drank daily. Now this was done, 1. to make them aſhamed of their golden God, which muſt come to be their food firſt, and excrements afterwards; 2. to terrifie them by cauſing them to drink as it were the matter of their damnation.
Verſ. 24. Then I caſt it into the fire, and there came out this calf.]
As one that would have ſaid, if he durſt, that the calf came out beſide his intention. I do not think Aaron hoped or meant to perſwade Moſes to this; but fain he would have ſaid ſomething in his excuſe, if he knew what; and therefore being inexcuſable, by a poore dry and ſlender narration he ſeeks however to colour and extenuate the fact.
Verſ. 25. And when Moſes ſaw that the people were naked, &c.]
By this ſinne they were become naked, both in regard of the diſhonour and ſhame it was to them, and alſo becauſe it had provoked God to caſt them off, and ſo they were bereaved of his grace and protection, and as naked unarmed men expoſed to be devoured by their enemies; which when Moſes ſaw and conſidered, he labours by puniſhing the ring-leaders, and ſo by bringing the reſt to repentance, to appeaſe Gods wrath, &c.
Verſ. 26. Then Moſes ſtood in the gate of the camp, &c.]
A place of enterance into the camp where he ſtood, 1. becauſe it was (as afterward in cities) the place of judgement; 2. becauſe the avengers were to paſſe from gate to gate; 3. as withdrawing himſelf from a curſed people; as for the ſame cauſe he did the like, Exod. 33. 7.
Who is on the Lords ſide? let him come unto me.]
When Moſes uſed theſe words, in ſummoning thoſe to come in that ſhould be imployed in puniſhing the people, his meaning doubtleſſe was that thoſe that had not conſented to this wicked fact of the people (though even they alſo had ſinned, becauſe for fear they did not oppoſe themſelves) but did ſincerely and ſeriouſly deteſt what was done, and grieve for it, and would now therefore take Gods part againſt the offenders, to do in this cauſe what God ſhould require, ſhould aſſemble themſelves together and come unto him.
And all the ſonnes of Levi gathered themſelves together unto him.]
The Levites onelyonly came, or at leaſt they together with the reſt that were innocent came, and that by ſpeciall inſtinct of Gods ſpirit, who had appointed them to the prieſthood. And they came all, that is, in a manner all; for ſome of them were puniſhed with the reſt, Deut. 33. 9. Who ſaid unto his father and his mother, I have not ſeen him: neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children.
Verſ. 27. And ſlay every man his brother, &c.]
That is, Moſes commanded the Levites that as they went through the camp, from one gate to the other, they ſhould ſlay all they met with, or rather all the ring-leaders and principall offenders in this great tranſgreſſion (who were well known, and would be buſie abroad whileſt the penitent for ſhame kept within) not ſparing for favour either brother, companion or neighbour, or any other that were deareſt unto them. Now whereas it may be objected▪ that if they were appointed to ſlay all they met with, there would be danger of killing ſome that were guiltleſſe: To this is anſwered, 1. that happely when Moſes proclaimed, Who is on the Lords ſide? let him come unto me, all that were clean of this ſinne gathered themſelves unto Moſes though the coming of the Levites unto him be onelyonly expreſſed in the text, becauſe they were the men that were afterward imployed in puniſhing the offenders; and if this were ſo there could be no danger in ſlaying the innocent: 2. that God, who injoyned this, did by his providence ſo order it that none but the guilty ſhould come in their way to be ſlain by them.
Verſ. 29. For Moſes had ſaid, Conſecrate your ſelves to the Lord, &c.]
One reaſon is here given why the Levites did ſo readily undertake this dangerous ſervice, and ſo impartially execute Gods command upon thoſe that were tied to them by the neareſt bonds, to wit, becauſe Moſes had told them that hereby they ſhould ſo …onſecrate themſelves to the Lord, and offer a ſacrifice as it were ſo pleaſing to him, that the Lord would immediately ſet them apart as his peculiar portion to be his Miniſters, in the ſacred ſervice of the tabernacle.
Verſ. 30. Ye have ſinned a great ſinne, and now I will go up to the Lord.]
Though Moſes had already before ſo farre prevailed with the Lord by his prayers, that he would not preſently deſtroy all the people, as at firſt he threatned; and therefore it is ſaid v. 14. That the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people; yet conſidering that the Lords anger might ſtill be great againſt thē, and that he might ſtill proceed further in puniſhing thoſe that had ſinned againſt him, he reſolves yet further to intercede for them, with which he firſt acquaints the people, remembring them withall of the greatneſſe of their ſin, that ſo they might repent ſeriouſly of their ſinne, and thereby be made more capable of Gods favou….
Peradventure I ſhall make an atonement for your ſinne.]
Words that imply a difficulty though good hopes to obtain: Amos 5. 15. It may be the Lord of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joſeph. See alſo Joſh. 14. 12. and 1. Sam. 14. 16. And indeed he knew not whether God would proceed any further in puniſhing them, or whether he would be ſatisfied with what was done.
Verſ. 31. And Moſes returned unto the Lord, &c.]
It ſeems that this was another going up unto God, then when he ſtayed there fourty dayes and fourty nights the ſecond time: for this was the morrow after the Levites had ſlain three thouſand of the people, and many things came between his ſecond ſolemn going up unto God, which is rehearſed in the next chapter.
Verſ. 32. And if not, blot me I pray thee, out of … book which thou hast written.]
When Gods decree of election unto life everlaſ…n… is call… the book of life, as Phil. 4. 3. and in many other places, it is a metaphoricall expreſſion, wherein the Scripture ſpeaks of God after the manner of men. Now when Moſes here ſaith that if God would not forgive the ſinnes of this people, he deſired that himſelf might be rather blotted out of the book of life, we cannot hence inferre that Gods decree can be changed, or that thoſe that are elected unto life may notwithſtanding periſh everlaſtingly, or that Gods juſtice will admit of the puniſhing of a righteous perſon together with the wicked: for in this ſpeech Moſes ſeeks onelyonly to expreſſe, not what he thought might be, but what he could wiſh might be, if thereby the ſaving of Gods people might be procured: to wit, that out of his ſorrow for the rejection of this people, his zeal for Gods glory, and his great affection to his brethren, he could wiſh himſelf deprived of heavenly glory, that they might be again received into favour. This is all that Moſes intended in theſe words; onelyonly being carried away with the ſtrength of his affections and vehemency of his deſires, he expreſſeth this by a way of requeſt, If not, blot me, I pray thee, out of the book which thou hast written. And thus generally is this ſpeech of Moſes underſtood. But yet it may alſo be underſtood of the catalogue and regiſter that is kept as it were in the divine omniſcience of all the living here in this world, out of which Moſes deſires to be blotted, that is, to be cut off by the hand of God rather then the people ſhould be caſt off, which he had ſo miraculouſly delivered out of their bondage in Egypt. And herein Moſes then dealt as a figure of our Mediatour who laid down his life for his ſheep, John 10. 15. And redeemed us from the curſe of the law, being made a curſe for us, Gal. 3. 13.
Verſ. 33. Whoſoever hath ſinned againſt me, him will I blot out of my book.]
This alſo is ſpoken of God after the manner of men: the meaning is onelyonly that ſuch and onelyonly ſuch ſhould not be numbred among the elect, Pſal. 69. 28. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous: Or that ſuch onelyonly ſhould be cut off by Gods revenging hand.
Verſ. 34. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have ſpoken unto thee; behold mine angel ſhall go before thee, &c.]
Here God yields not to deſtroy for the preſent thoſe that had ſinned, having before onelyonly yielded not to deſtroy all the people; yet withall h… addes that he will not yield to go amongſt them as formerly he had promiſed, but he would onelyonly ſend his angel to go before them, concerning which angel ſee before the notes upon Exod. 23. 20.
Nevertheleſſe in the day when I viſit, I will viſit their ſinne upon them.]
I will ſpare them at this time, but when I begin to puniſh I ſhall reckon with them for this ſinne alſo.
Verſ. 35. And the Lord plagued the people, &c,]
That is, as he threatned in the former verſe, in future times he puniſhed them for this ſinne alſo, or elſe it may be meant of the puniſhment the Levites inflicted on them.