I wanted to offer a quick apology for the slowdown in recent month's posts. Ministry demands have been unusually heavy these past few months, and my writing rhythm slipped more than I intended. Thank you for your patience and grace. Moving forward, I’m planning to return to posting each day of the week, and I’m grateful to have you on the journey with me! - Matthew
“… Let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them” (Ex. 32:10a).
Concerning the sin of the Israelites, the Scriptures tell us that they “corrupted themselves.” Sin is self-corruption, for “every man is tempted when he is drawn aside by his own lust.” And this is exactly what happened to the Israelites, they were drawn aside by the lust of their own hearts, and thereby corrupted themselves. They turned aside, “out of the way” of God. Whenever we do something that God has forbidden, or fail to do something that He has required, we turn out of the way of righteousness—we sin.
This self-corruption was multiplied because Israel had just recently vowed to keep all of the commands of God. The Lord told Moses to go down because the people had turned away “quickly.” Matthew Henry comments, “To fall into sin quickly after we have renewed our covenants with God, or received special mercy from Him, is very provoking.” And provoke is exactly what they did. They provoked Jehovah to wrath and indignation. So angry was God that He did not even call Israel His own. He told Moses to go down, “for your people” have corrupted themselves. Those who were once called God’s own children were now treated like strangers to His covenant.
In light of His own justice, God threatened to cut them off, to make Moses into a great nation instead of Abraham. By God’s reaction we learn how serious it is to sin against the Lord. Justice demands that we be cut off from His blessings. God described Israel as a stiff-necked people, unable to come under the yoke of the divine law. They were prone to evil, obstinate, and filled with all kinds of contradictions. Their just deserts were to have the wrath of God kindled against them and their names blotted out from under heaven (Deut. 9:14). Henry comments, “It would be just for God to let the law have its course against sinners, and to cut them off immediately in the very act of sin; and, if He should do so, it would be neither loss nor dishonor to Him.” Let no condemnation come against Jehovah in this history, for His reaction to the sin of Israel was just and honorable. They had provoked Him by setting up an idol in His place, and God had manifestly declared that He shares His glory with no one. Those who insist on suppressing the truth will be consumed by His wrath if the hand of mercy is withheld.
Most of us don’t usually spend a lot of time thinking about God’s reaction to sin. But that is what this passages teaches us to consider: the evil, the dishonor, the abomination of sin against a holy, good, and just God. Using the passages below spend some time today thinking carefully about God’s hatred of sin.
