by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
Nine (9) months into the war as a result of the Hamas October 7, 2023 attack and massacre in Israeli neighborhoods in the south, some 116 hostages (alive and dead) are still held somewhere in Rafah or elsewhere in Gaza. There are renewed negotiations for a hostage release deal in exchange for a 6-week temporary ceasefire and the release of Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails. This comes after Hamas seemed to adopt a less hardline stance on their earlier demand for a full cessation of the war.
Meanwhile, the escalating aerial war of Israel with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon seems to continue to approach the point of no return. However, Hezbollah says that a ceasefire in Gaza will bring a ceasefire in northern Israel as well. Let us continue to pray for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Let us continue to stand with Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).
Last time, we saw that Moses had successfully interceded for the Israelites and God relented from destroying them because of their sin in the golden calf episode at Mount Sinai. But as it turned out, Moses himself got so incensed by what Aaron and the Israelites had done; their sin against God, that he threw down and shattered the tablets that God had prepared for them! The breaking of the tablets symbolized the breaking of the Sinai Covenant.
Still, Moses went back up Mount Sinai and again interceded for his people with God in Exodus 32:31. In the next verse, he even asked God to take his name out of the book of life if God does not forgive the Israelites. But the LORD answered Moses in verse 33 that the one who sins is the one whose name is blotted out of God’s book. This is a fundamental Biblical teaching that later prophets would elucidate. The one who sins is the one who is punished. And sin has its consequences. In the next verse the LORD then directed him to lead his people out and proceed to the place they were supposed to go.
The Hebrew verse of Exodus 32:34 is given below (read right to left, top down) with the very bare mention of the land grant highlighted:
וְעַתָּ֞ה לֵ֣ךְ ׀ נְחֵ֣ה אֶת־הָעָ֗ם אֶ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ לָ֔ךְ הִנֵּ֥ה מַלְאָכִ֖י יֵלֵ֣ךְ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וּבְיֹ֣ום פָּקְדִ֔י וּפָקַדְתִּ֥י עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם חַטָּאתָֽם׃
The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) Tanakh translation for this verse is given below:
34Go now, lead the people where I told you. See, My angel shall go before you. But when I make an accounting, I will bring them to account for their sins.
The terse highlighted statement in Exodus 32:34 shows the anger of God as no formal mention of the land of Canaan and its inhabitants and God’s gracious promises (as reminded by Moses in Exodus 32:13) are made. No mention of a good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey at all. It is like a contemporary “just get them out of my sight” command to the Moses. Even so, God does say that his angel/messenger would lead them (but see Exodus 23:20-22) while threatening to punish the people for their sin.
The last part of the verse in the other colored highlight shows that while the LORD will still honor the Abrahamic Covenant, God will also punish the people for breaking the Sinai Covenant. My literal translation of this part of the verse with God speaking would run like this: …but in a day of my visiting, I also visit upon them their sin. Looking at the NETS electronic edition of the Septuagint (http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/02-exod-nets.pdf), we find this part translated as: But on whichever day I concern myself, I will bring upon them their sin.
Furthermore, https://biblehub.com/exodus/32-34.htm shows all the various English Bible versions translate his last part of the verse as an unequivocal declaration of coming punishment at the time of God’s own choosing. Thus, in verse 35, God apparently goes ahead to strike/smite (from the Hebrew verb נָגַף “nagaph” which can also mean plague) the people for their sin. Note that this was after some 3,000 of the guilty people were slain by the Levites earlier (see Exodus 32:28). Now, it may not have been limited only to the guilty as before, but more like a general punishment for the people’s collective responsibility as The Jewish Study Bible – Tanakh Translation comments. The Israelites’ sin was the worship of the golden calf: violating the commandment of not having other gods beside the LORD (Exodus 20:3); then making a graven/sculptured image or idol and worshipping it (Exodus 20:4-5). Their sin had its consequences.
Do we think we can ever escape the consequences of sin (even if God forgives us)? Verses 34-35 seem to negate that possibility.
We will continue next time.
God bless us all.