Aaron's response - "everyone bring me their gold and we'll make a golden calf. Tomorrow we're having a feast for the Lord."
What?! What just happened? Things I see:
At this time, we can assume the manna is still falling every morning and there is this giant, mysterious cloud over Mount Sinai. The Israelites know that God is still watching them, but it is true that they don't know what happened with Moses. So, from their perspective, they need Moses. Perhaps they have come to come to think that Moses is equal as God, which is analogous to the Egyptian belief in their god-king Pharaoh.
Aaron's response seems to suggest that he wants to build a idol of God (Yahweh/Lord/God). If this is true, then I think this is the only occurrence in the entire Bible where someone wants to build an idol to God. All the other idols are built of other gods.
Lastly, the gold that they are using to make the calf is probably the same gold that God intended to be used for the construction of the tabernacle and the sacred objects, the blue prints of which Moses is concurrently getting from God. As if the calf idol is not enough, this would be another slap in the face for God.
Back on the mountain, God interrupts Moses and relays this news, but God omits the part about Aaron leading them in this. God now plans to kill them all and start over with Moses. Moses talks God down off the cliff (budabump) and to hold back his wrath. When Moses goes back down and sees for himself what is going on, he gets filled with wrath.
Moses heads down the mountain carrying the two tablets with the "commandments of God". He is met partway by Joshua who thinks there is a battle noise from the camp, which suggests that Joshua thinks the Israelite camp has been invaded. At the very least, Joshua is not implicated in this rebellion. He's been a good boy, waiting patiently for Moses' return.
Moses heads to camp and sees the calf with people dancing. He smashes the stone tablets on the ground (foot of the mountain), throws the calf into the fire, and the leftover bits of gold go into the main Israelite water supply. He confronts Aaron who confesses everything.
Although God is not going to kill them all, there still is a punishment coming.
Moses heads to the camp entrance and says, "whoever is for God, come to me.". The text only says that all the Levites came to him, but based on the instruction, I think others from other tribes did. However, it was the entire tribe of Levi that came to him. Moses instructs them to kill their fellow Israelites, which they do and are then consecrated as a group for their loyalty. In fact, they kill 3,000 die.
The next day, Moses begs God for forgiveness. God seems to agree to this, but Got will blot out those who sinned against God. Then the people are hit with a plague as punishment. We don't know what the disease was, but use of the word "plague" suggests that it was fatal and contagious.
God also plans to continue as before and let them take possession of Canaan. God says that an angel will go before them and then adds that "I will go not go with you.". This seems to suggest that God will send an angel to escort, but God will not be with the people. The people don't like this and mourn and the text states they took off their ornaments at Mount Horab. (33:6)
I don't understand. I thought they were at Mount Sinai. Mount Horab was where the water flow happened right before Joshua led the battle against the Amalekites.
These chapters end with God promising Moses that God will let Moses see God in all God's glory, but only God's backside as God passes.
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