God's displeasure, The intercession of (7–14)
Moses.
Moses breaks the tables of the law, He (15–20)
destroys the golden calf.
Aaron's excuse, The idolaters slain. (21–29)
Moses prays for the people. (30–35)Verses 1–6
While Moses was in the mount, receiving the law from God, the people made a tumultuous
address to Aaron. This giddy multitude were weary of waiting for the return of Moses. Weariness
in waiting betrays to many temptations. The Lord must be waited for till he comes, and waited for
though he tarry. Let their readiness to part with their ear-rings to make an idol, shame our
niggardliness in the service of the true God. They did not draw back on account of the cost of their
idolatry; and shall we grudge the expenses of religion? Aaron produced the shape of an ox or calf,
giving it some finish with a graving tool. They offered sacrifice to this idol. Having set up an image
before them, and so changed the truth of God into a lie, their sacrifices were abomination. Had they
not, only a few days before, in this very place, heard the voice of the Lord God speaking to them
out of the midst of the fire, Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image? Had they not
themselves solemnly entered into covenant with God, that they would do all he had said to them,
and would be obedient? ch. 24:7. Yet before they stirred from the place where this covenant had
been solemnly made, they brake an express command, in defiance of an express threatening. It
plainly shows, that the law was no more able to make holy, than it was to justify; by it is the
knowledge of sin, but not the cure of sin. Aaron was set apart by the Divine appointment to the
office of the priesthood; but he, who had once shamed himself so far as to build an altar to a golden
calf, must own himself unworthy of the honour of attending at the altar of God, and indebted to
free grace alone for it. Thus pride and boasting were silenced.
Verses 7–14
God says to Moses, that the Israelites had corrupted themselves. Sin is the corruption of the
sinner, and it is a self-corruption; every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust.
They had turned aside out of the way. Sin is a departing from the way of duty into a by-path. They
soon forgot God's works. He sees what they cannot discover, nor is any wickedness of the world
hid from him. We could not bear to see the thousandth part of that evil which God sees every day.
God expresses the greatness of his just displeasure, after the manner of men who would have prayer
of Moses could save them from ruin; thus he was a type of Christ, by whose mediation alone, God
would reconcile the world to himself. Moses pleads God's glory. The glorifying God's name, as it
ought to be our first petition, and it is so in the Lord's prayer, so it ought to be our great plea. And
God's promises are to be our pleas in prayer; for what he has promised he is able to perform. See
the power of prayer. In answer to the prayers of Moses, God showed his purpose of sparing the
people, as he had before seemed determined on their destruction; which change of the outward
discovery of his purpose, is called repenting of the evil.