And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. Exodus 32:19
Why did Moses smash those tables of stone? God had just written the law on them with His own finger. They were an amazing gift and their value was beyond human calculation. Moses had been thrilled to receive them, and he carried them joyfully down the mountainside. But his joy ended and his anger flared when he saw the golden calf and the dancing Israelites. In an instant, those precious tables with the law written on them by God were just a a scattering of rubble at the base of the mountain. Why did Moses do that?
A few short weeks earlier, those same dancing Israelites were swearing a solemn oath to love and serve the God Who had delivered them from Egypt and was promising them a land flowing with milk and honey. They had heard the Lord speak from the smoking Mount Sinai and had agreed to be His people. The could not have even imagined a golden calf at that time. But that time was past, and now they are reveling in their worship of that lump of gold that had nothing to do with their salvation. Moses dare not bring the very law of a holy God into the midst of such rebellion and idolatry, lest they be destroyed. Today, can we bring the Gospel of a holy God into the midst of a people just as rebellious and idolatrous?
Apathy and animosity toward the Word of God is at an all time high. Some of us are old enough to remember when society as a whole had a respect for God and His Word. Almost everyone acknowledged the goodness and the holiness of God. But now, almost everyone is worshiping the golden calves of self gratification. And God will judge them for that. But we have the Word of God in our hands, and the Holy Spirit living within. And the world needs the Gospel. Can we give it to them? -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/tvjDMZGZCUU