This study was taught at our Sunday evening service by Sim Forder, one of our pastors, on the 12th July 2020. You can listen to the audio on this web page or save it for later listening.

In this study we considered Israel’s actions in Exodus 32, and how we must learn from this and not treat God’s grace lightly (see Romans 15:4-6).

At the same time as Moses is at the top of Mt Sinai receiving instructions to do with the worship of God, things have taken a turn for the worse at the bottom of the mountain, and that’s what chapter 32 records; specifically, the incident with the golden calf. In many ways, this is a lesson of what not to do.

But as we look though this chapter, we must not look at this account and only think of how shocking Israel’s actions were in light of what God had done for them, but rather make sure we consider our own actions in light of what Jesus has done for us.

I cannot trifle with the evil that killed my best Friend. I must be holy for his sake. How can I live in sin when He has died to save me from it?

Charles Spurgeon

During the study, we also briefly looked at some of the evidence of the altar on which the golden calf was placed – found here in modern day Saudi Arabia, while the study concluded with this passage from Romans;

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:1-14