Temptation No. 5.

Read Exodus chapter 32

This entire chapter reveals the extreme wimpiness and rebellion of the people of God as they refused to wait for Moses to come down from the mountain of God. Even Aaron, Moses’ brother was carried away with their rebellion.

They decided to make a golden calf to take them on to the promised land and they said, “These be your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the and of Egypt.” They corrupted themselves and worshipped the molten calf. What an incredible insult to their true God of mercy, love, deliverance, provision and grace. How arrogant, unjust, insolent, spoilt, mindless and straight out wimpy can you get?

God tells Moses to “let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them.” God calls His people “stiff-necked” at least 13 times in the Scriptures.  You will always get a stiff neck if you turn your face toward God but your back against Him. Try this exercise for a few minutes and you will understand how God said they were stiff-necked. Jeremiah 2:27 says, “For they have turned their back to me, and not their face.”

If it had not been for Moses’ deep intercession in prayer for them they would have all been destroyed. But three thousand men lost their lives that day. It is plain to see how murmuring and rebellion are such hideous and disgusting sins. Oh how we need to pray that God would give us victory over these devilish sins. Murmuring is still one of the greatest sins of the church today.

Next week we will cover the final five temptations of the church in the wilderness.

COLIN CAMPBELL

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