Slay every man his brother.
Idolatry punished
I. the actors in this idolatrous scene.
1. Their historical character.
2. The recent experiences through which they had passed.
3. In view of these facts what a revelation of human nature we have here!
(1) Of its fickleness.
(2) Of the difficulty of making deep religious impressions.
(3) Of the imperiousness of the religious nature (Exodus 32:1).
(4) Of the depraved tendency of man’s natural religious instincts (Exodus 32:6).
(5) Of the ingratitude of human nature.
(6) Of the weakness of their present leader, Aaron.
II. The punishment.
1. The opportunity to repent before the punishment was meted out (Exodus 32:26).
2. The fidelity of the sons of Levi.
3. The terrible slaughter (Exodus 32:27-28).
4. The condition of forgiveness (Exodus 32:29-30).
5. The tender-hearted intercessor (Exodus 32:31-32).
6. The result of the intercession (Exodus 32:33-35).
Lessons:
1. The plausible grounds on which men justify themselves in following their inclinations.
(1) Doubtless the leaders in this idolatry were those who had been corrupted in Egypt, and were longing to have a taste of Egyptian religion.
(2) Their excuse was the delay of Moses in coming down from the mount.
2. The ease with which some leaders will fall in with a popular cry.
3. False leaders will lie to justify themselves.
4. What a power for good or evil is a great popular enthusiasm!
5. The contrast between the religion of man and the religion of God.
6. Sin is no less odious in God’s sight because it is committed in the name of religion. God is ever ready to forgive the truly penitent. (D. C. Hughes, M. A.)
Penalty a veiled blessing
When a thunderstorm is in progress, and torrents of rain are falling, one might wonder why God allowed such a seemingly evil thing to happen. But the farmer, who has been watching for weeks for some sign of rain, knows that this sudden storm and downpour is a blessing in disguise. So the penalties by which God preserved the Israelites from complete self-destruction were veiled blessings. Frowning fortresses, heavy artillery, and iron-clad ships are sometimes God’s best instruments in His sharp surgery of the nations. It is hard to see how the visitation of a penalty is often an act of mercy; but when Moses for his sin was denied an entrance into the Holy Land, was it, after all, a great hardship that he was taken into God’s Paradise instead? (S. S. Times.)