Tag: Exodus 32

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 30:11–34:35: Weighed in the balance of faith and found wanting

How much does your righteousness weigh? (Photo via Creative Commons License by Benjamin Earwicker/Freeimages.com)

Have you ever felt like you were lost in the sea of faces? Or that if you disappeared from the Earth no one would notice? It’s not phenomenon of modern life. The Torah reading כי תשא Ki Tisa (“when you take [a census],” Exodus 30:11–34:35) kicks off with a numbering of the redeemed people of Israel and includes the infamous golden calf incident. Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ) touched on the reasons for such numbering of the people of the Kingdom of Heaven when he said the Heavenly Father knows the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:28–33).

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 30:11–34:35: You are not ‘just a number’ to God

How are we made holy or “set apart”? Our good deeds or the good deeds of an illustrious ancestor? It isn’t by genealogy — Yokhanan (John the Baptist) made that clear. He counts us among His people when we answer God’s call upon our heart and actions through Mashiakh Yeshua (Christ Jesus). The foundation for that holiness through the Messiah is put down in Torah reading כי תשא Ki Tisa (“when you take,” Exodus 30:11–34:35).

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 30:11–34:35: Learning the Creator’s heart at the golden calf

"The Golden Calf" in the 1890 Holman Bible
"The Golden Calf." The Holy Bible. Illustration. Public domain (U.S.). Philadelphia, Penn.: A.J. Holman & Company, 1890.

Many ask how we can know God. A great picture of the heart of Heaven and the work of Messiah Yeshua is the centerpiece of the Torah reading Ki Tisa (“when you take,” Exodus 30:11-34:35). The reason men count a population is for their own reasons: taxation, war, social engineering, redistribution of wealth, etc. The reason God calls for a count of the people is to build up His tabernacle. Man’s census and man’s laws created bondage and slavery while God’s census and God’s laws give us an outlet for holy service and freedom. This is also why Messiah Yeshua went out of His way to heal people on Shabbat. When Messiah healed people on Shabbat, he gave people freedom. They were now free to fully follow God.

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Discussions Torah

Why Understanding Moses Is Essential to Understanding the New Testament

Illustration depicting the biblical scene of the golden calf from Exodus 32–33: the Israelites gathered in celebration around a golden calf idol, with Aaron nearby. Moses stands in the foreground holding the stone tablets, with Joshua at his side, appearing angry as he confronts the people’s idolatry. In the lower left corner, the title reads "Understanding Moses is Essential to Understanding the New Testament."

Led by Richard Agee, the discussion examines Exodus 32–33 and Israel’s idolatry with the golden calf. Under pressure, Aaron fashions the idol from gold earrings. Moses returns, breaks the tablets in anger, and 3,000 die. God relents after Moses’ intercession, emphasizing humility and obedience.

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Discussions Torah

When God Seems Delayed: Lessons from Moses, the Golden Calf, and a Stiff-Necked People

Horizontal oil painting of Moses and Joshua standing on a rocky hillside overlooking the Israelite camp. Moses, an elderly man with white hair and beard, grips two stone tablets inscribed on both sides, his face tense with anger. A bright, cool light illuminates the tablets and his figure. Below, a golden calf stands atop an altar, glowing in fiery orange light as people dance and celebrate around it, creating a stark contrast between sacred covenant and chaotic idolatry. In the lower right corner, is the title "When God Seems Delayed: Lessons from Moses, the Golden Calf and a Stiff Necked People (Ex. 32-33)" and in the lower left corner, the Hallel Fellowship logo

This is a very heavy section of scripture. God tells Moses about the people’s rebellion and calls on Moses to check on the people. God tells Moses that he is willing to take very drastic measures to punish the people and promote Moses to an even higher level.