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Daily Devotions

Exodus

Exodus 
Day 
Day 295

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you..." Galatians 1:6

Text: Exodus 32 : 1

UP ON MOUNT SINAI

The children of Israel knew Moses had gone up Mount Sinai to meet with God to receive further instructions. In fact, the people had asked Moses to meet with God on their behalf, for they were terrified of hearing His voice directly. Just how long was Moses away from Israel? According to a text from the Book of Deuteronomy, we have this note.

“When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone,
the tablets of the covenant which the LORD made with you,
then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
I neither ate bread nor drank water.”
DEUTERONOMY 9:9

1. “I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone”

Moses’ purpose was very clear! His sole purpose was to ascend Mount Sinai to receive the tablets of stone that God would personally write.

2. “The tablets of the covenant”

How precious these stone tablets would be! What a national treasure they would be!

a) They contained the words of God’s covenant with His people
b) They would be written by God Himself!

3. “Then I stayed on the mountain forty day and forty nights”

The children of Israel had not fully appreciated all that Moses would have to endure, all alone in the mountain.

a) “I neither ate bread nor drank water”
This was the privation that Moses had to endure. He was on a fast!
b) Sustained by God’s special grace
It was through God’s special grace that he was so wonderfully sustained!

AN IRRATIONAL REACTION

The first few days may have been all right. But the prolonged absence of Moses caused a stir. Their decision can only be described as irrational- and that is being kind.

“Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down
from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron,
and said to him, ‘Come, make us gods that shall go before us;
for 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.”
EXODUS 32:1