1. Scheme of Redemption

2. Goals of Our Study
To learn how God moved from man's problem of sin to His solution of Jesus on the cross
To understand how everything in the scriptures relates to, and points to, Jesus and the cross
To understand how everything in the Bible reveals God to mankind who He is and what He is like
Get a better understanding of how we got here tonight on the orange carpet

3. Main concepts of our study
"Scheme of Redemption" The plan of God, established before creation, to redeem mankind from sin
View the Bible as a novel, with 66 different chapters
The real division taking place at Genesis 3:6 rather than between Malachi and Matthew
This division covers two drastically different worlds: The world prior to sin and the world after sin

4. Main concepts of our study
Genesis 1-2: God and perfection, man and innocence
Genesis 3-12 – The Background of Redemption
Genesis – Redemption through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph
Exodus 1-12 – Slavery In and Judgement On Egypt
Exodus – Two Month Journey to Sinai
Exodus 19-Numbers 10 – One Year at Sinai

5. Recap Moses up on Mt. Sinai for 40 days, getting the law from God
We discussed the various laws, in addition to the 10 Commandments, that were given including the sundry/misc. laws on handling interpersonal (legal) problems
God affirmed a covenant with Israel, that if they would keep His laws, then He would provide them with victory in Canaan, safety, good health, and more

6. Recap
Israel agreed to keep these laws: “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”
God also gives the design of the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant. This would be where God dwelt among, His people, Israel and where He would meet with them
After Moses had been up on the mountain for 40 days, Israel demanded a “god” and the golden calf came into being

7. The golden calf
Exodus 32:1-2 – Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”

8. The golden calf
Exodus 32:3-6 – Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

9. The golden calf What was their reasoning?
We need a god to go before us
Moses has been gone for 40 days, we can’t go up on the mountain to see where he is
We have to take matters into our own hands
Can we sometimes be guilty of such things?
Isaiah 40:31 – Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary

10. Calf a representation of God??
Points to consider
The worship of an idol, representing a god, was common to the Israelites. Having one that wasn’t “seen” was not so common
Aaron referred to the calf as “the god who brought you out of Egypt” and said “tomorrow we’ll have a feast to the Lord”

11. Calf a representation of God??
Do you think the Israelites wanted a new God, or that they were using this golden calf as a representation of God Himself (similar to pillar of cloud/fire – they asked Aaron for a “god to go before them”)?
If that be the case, how did God feel about an idol, maybe even one that represented Himself?
What are some things that could serve as such idols to us today?

12. God responds to golden calf
Exodus 32:7-10 – Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.”

13. God responds to golden calf
Exodus 32:7-10 – Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.”
Where have we heard
this before??

14. Moses’s entreaty
Exodus 32: Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.

15. Moses’s entreaty What was Moses’s concern here?
Exodus 32: Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.
What was Moses’s
concern here?

16. Moses’s entreaty What was Moses’s concern here?
Exodus 32: Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.
What was Moses’s
concern here?

17. Moses’s entreaty
Exodus 32: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

18. Discussion thoughts What are your thoughts on Moses’s entreaty?
Notice how Moses takes it back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Who else does it remind you of?
Abraham in Genesis 18:16-33 where Abraham tries to entreat the Lord on the doom of Sodom and Gomorrah
Moses had a very similar relationship with God that Abraham had

19. Discussion thoughts What are your thoughts on God “changing His mind”?
Can our prayers be effective in changing the mind of God?
Does the idea of God “changing His mind” minimize the idea of God’s omniscience?

20. Moses’s actions
Exodus 32:15-17 – Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other. The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets. Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.” But he said, “It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear.”

21. Moses’s actions
Exodus 32:19-20 – It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.
* The water was a brook that came down the side of the mountain (Deut 9:21)

22. Moses’s actions Do you see an symbolism in Moses breaking the tablets?
The broken covenant
Just a month earlier, they all together committed to obeying God
Yet here they are making a direct violation of the 1st commandment of “you shall have no other gods before me”

23. Aaron’s response
Exodus 32:21-24 – Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

24. “Out came this calf!” What is Aaron doing here?
Making excuses to justify his sin
Perhaps a little con-artistry? Aaron seems to be using a “miracle of God” to support his lie!
Do we ever make up excuses for our sins? What is the lesson for us here?
Healing can begin once we own our sin – not an easy thing to do!!!
Best to not put yourself in such a position in the first place!

25. Moses punishes
Moses gathered the Levites to his side, commanded them to strap on swords, and to go throughout the camp slaying various individuals. 3,000 died
32:29 – Then Moses said, “Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”
Moses saying that their sins are destroying their brethren. What truth!

26. Moses intercedes
Exodus 32:30-32 – On the next day Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the Lord, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!”

27. Moses intercedes
Exodus 32:33-35 – The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” Then the Lord smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.

28. Coming up
Interesting conversation between Moses and the Lord
A new set of tablets
Moses returns to Mt. Sinai for another 40 days
The covenant is renewed
Work on the tabernacle begin