They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” (Exodus 32:8-10)

When God Changed His Mind

The Hebrews had not long been delivered from their bondage in Egypt. After 400 years, the descendants of Abraham were on their way to a land of milk and honey, a land promised by the Lord God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses had been chosen by the Lord to deliver His people. The Lord could have taken the multitude on a shorter route, but to test them, He brought them to the Red Sea. After the powerful miracles of the plagues God wrought upon Egypt, the Hebrews should have feared the power of the Lord. Standing before the mighty sea, they did not trust in the Lord, fearfully crying out for deliverance. God opened the sea for them to cross on dry land, and nearly two million souls walked across. Then the Hebrews watched as the Lord destroyed the Egyptian army that followed.

More miracles would come as the Lord provided sweet water to drink, manna from above, and all the water the Hebrews could use. When Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim, God delivered them. Arriving at Mt. Sinai, the people pitched camp as Moses went up into the mountain with his brother Aaron. During Moses’ sojourn on the mountain, the Lord God gave him the law that would bind the people with a covenant with the Lord. Moses spent forty days and nights on the mountain filled with thunder, lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the glory of the Lord like a consuming fire.

The people became restless, unsure what had become of Moses. When Moses delayed returning from the mountain, the people demanded that Aaron make gods to go before them. They did not know what became of Moses. Aaron agreed and told them to break off the golden earrings and bring them to him. He received the gold, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a golden calf. Aaron then told the people the golden calf was the god who brought them out of the land of Israel. He proclaimed a feast on the following day to the Lord. Early the next morning, Aaron offered burnt offerings along with peace offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink, indulging in unrestrained pagan revelry.

As the Lord spoke to Moses, He saw what the people had done. His anger grew against them, and His desire was to consume them. The Hebrew word suggests to make a clean riddance of them. God told Moses He would make a great nation of him. In a remarkable story of grace between sinful man and the Lord God Almighty, Moses pleads with the Lord to change His mind. He argues that by destroying the Hebrews, the Egyptians would boast of how the Lord brought them out but killed them. Moses pleaded with the Lord to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel and the promises He made to them. So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

The actions of the people did not go unpunished. When Moses returned from the mountain, he demanded that the people choose whether they were on the Lord’s side or not. Three thousand Hebrews were killed that day for refusing to honor God. The Lord punished the people for what they did with the calf Aaron made. Sin came with a consequence. Mercy was found when the Lord relented and changed His mind. The people stood condemned. God relented.

God can change His mind. Thank God, through Jesus Christ, the wrath of God is abated by the mercy of God, who forgives those who come to Him with a penitent heart. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the mercy seat where man finds pardon and redemption, and where God relents from the punishment of sin. Those at Sinai were given a choice to serve the Lord, but many refused. Even in the face of mercy and grace, the gift of God is refused. Eternal life and eternal joy come to those who have experienced the mercy of God to relent from His wrath. He instead blesses the penitent heart with His love. Thank God for His eternal mercy.