Israel In The Wilderness- Part 12

So much is going on with Israel in the wilderness. They keep complaining, they keep sinning, and they keep fighting. There was even a time when Aaron and Miriam were at odds with Moses!

Numbers 12:1- And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

Aaron and Miriam were upset that Moses hadn't married an Israelite. They thought that they were more righteous than Moses, and that meant God would use them more.

Numbers 12:2-3- And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 

Now, Moses was meek. That means he was humble and he wasn't going to argue without a good reason. And the Lord knew this. The Lord also heard what Aaron and Miriam had said.

Numbers 12:4-8- And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

God had some things to say to Aaron and Miriam. He said that Moses was His friend, and He told Moses what to do. He said Moses was faithful to the Lord, and they shouldn't be talking bad about him.

Numbers 12:9-10- And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 

God was so angry that he placed a terrible disease on Miriam. She would die a terrible death and Aaron could do nothing.

Numbers 12:11-12- And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. 

Aaron begged Moses to forgive him. He was hoping Moses' forgiveness would cure Miriam of this wretched disease.

Moses didn't want to see Miriam die this way. So, he prayed to God for mercy.

Numbers 12:13-14- And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. 

God and Moses were such close friends that God changed Miriam's punishment for Moses' sake. Instead of dying from this terrible disease, she had to live outside the camp in shame for a week.

Numbers 12:15-And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

Israel In The Wilderness series coloring pages

Israel In The Wilderness- Part 11

Moses had been leading the Israelites through the wilderness. He had been trying to teach them God's ways, but all he heard was complaining!

Numbers 11:10-11, 14- Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 

Moses was getting tired. He needed help. He told God that he needed some help. And God was going to take care of Moses.

Numbers 11:16-17- And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. 

God told Moses to choose 70 men. Men who were wise and kind and honest. Then God was going to work a miracle in their lives so that they could help Moses.

Numbers 11:24-25- And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. 

Moses chose the men. And 68 of them gathered around the Tabernacle. God took the spirit of Moses and put it on the 70 elders. And they prophesied.

But only 68 had gathered. What about the other 2?

Numbers 11:26-30- But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

God took care of them, too. He put the spirit on them as well.

One of the men that saw it ran and told Moses. And this made Moses happy to know that God would do as he said.

But, what spirit was it? God said it was Moses' spirit, and Moses said it was God's spirit. Do you know?

Nehemiah 9:19,20,30a- Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: 

God put His spirit into Moses and the elders. His spirit went into them and became part of their lives. It gave them wisdom and understanding. It helped them do right, and lead with Moses.

We get God's spirit in us when we ask God to save us. The Holy Spirit comes into our lives and helps us have wisdom and understanding. It shows us right from wrong. And if we listen, the Holy Spirit will guide us in God's will for our lives!

Israel In The Wilderness series coloring pages

Israel In The Wilderness- Part 10

God had shown the people His ways. He led them through the wilderness as a cloudy pillar that stayed above the Tabernacle. As they journeyed towards the promised land, God taught them His ways. His way to dress. His way to eat, His way to live. and His way to worship.

Just like people today, the Israelites sinned. They grumbled, and complained, and desired. And God didn't like it!

Numbers 11:1-3- And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

Once, when the people complained, the Lord killed some of them with fire.

Numbers 11:4--6- And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. 

There was also a time where they complained about the food that God had provided for them. God sent angel's food down to them almost every morning. But, they weren't happy!

You see, some of the people that came out of Egypt were part Egyptian. They didn't have it as bad as the Israelite slaves did. They only remembered the good things about Egypt. They weren't thankful! 

So God answered them.

Numbers 11:18-20- And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? 

God told them He would give them so much meat that they would be sick of it.

James 4:2-3- Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Sometimes, God doesn't give us what we want because it wouldn't be good for us. And He was going to teach the Israelites this!

Numbers 11:31-34- And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted. 

These people had been given what they wanted by God, and yet they couldn't even say thank you! He had performed a miracle so they could have what they desired. So, God punished them and more died by a plague.

I wonder how long it is going to take them to learn to obey?!?!

Israel In The Wilderness series coloring pages

Israel In The Wilderness- Part 9

Moses had set up a temporary Tabernacle for the people to seek God. But, God had shown him on the Mount exactly how He wanted the Tabernacle set up. He had shown him what furniture He wanted in it. And He had shown him how He wanted the priests to dress.

Exodus 35:4-5a, 10, 20, 21- And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

Moses gave the people a chance to donate things to build the Tabernacle. No one was made to give anything. It was all voluntary. God wants willing people to give because they love Him. God never changes. He still wants the same thing today.

II Corinthians 9:7- Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

The Hebrew children gave willingly and cheerfully.

Exodus 35:30-31- And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 

Then, God gave wisdom to a specific man so that he could build the furniture that was needed for the Tabernacle. It was going to be something wonderful!

Exodus 36:1, 4-7- Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

God had given the people the opportunity to give, and they gave so much that it was more than enough. We would find that God will supply not only our needs, but our wants if we just trust Him with what we have. We would come out saying, "I have more than enough!"

Exodus 39:1- And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.

The men that God chose made, not only the tabernacle, but also the clothes for the priests. 

God had chosen Aaron and his sons to be the priests, but they had to do things God's way. They had to wear what God told them to wear. 

Exodus 39:42-43- According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

God told Moses exactly how He wanted things. He even showed him how He wanted it to look. Then Moses told the people, and the people obeyed. This was the first time that the people worked together to build something for God. And it was exactly how God wanted it!

Exodus 40:17-19- And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up. And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars. And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Exodus 40:34-38- Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Leviticus 9:1-2- And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. 

Leviticus 9:7-8- And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded. Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.

Leviticus 9:23-24- And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

God was pleased with all that the priests had done, and He showed it by fire! But, something was about to happen that wasn't going to be so pleasant.

Leviticus 10:1-2- And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

God had been very specific about how He was to be worshipped. He was specific with Cain and Able. He was specific with Abraham. And He was specific with Moses.

Aaron's sons had heard how God commanded them to worship Him, but they decided to do things the way they wanted to. We can't do things our way and expect God to bless them. Nadab and Abihu paid the consequences of their sin with their lives.

Leviticus 10:3-7- Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

When God tells us how He wants things, it is best for us to listen and obey. Whether we understand or not! Whether we agree or not! Whether we like it or not! God knows best.

Israel In The Wilderness series coloring pages

Israel In The Wilderness- Part 8

Moses had put up the Tabernacle for the people to worship God. He had talked with God and God had promised to go with them to Canaan. 

Exodus 34:1-2- And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

God knows how forgetful people are. He wanted the 10 Commandments written where everyone could read them. He told Moses to make two more stone tables and to bring them into the Mount Sinai so that He could write them down again.

Exodus 34:4-5- And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

God proclaimed the name of the Lord to Moses. What do you think the name of Lord contains?

Exodus 34:6-8- And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. 

The name of the Lord is mercy, grace, justice, and judgement. Just the mention of God proclaiming His name made Moses drop to the earth and worship.

Exodus 34:11-14- Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: 

God promised to go with them into the Land of Canaan. He said that they would have to destroy the wicked people that lived there. But He wanted Moses to make sure that they destroyed their places of worship. God even told them that they couldn't marry any of those people because it would cause the Hebrew children to sin if they did.

Exodus 34:27-28- And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. 

Moses was up with God for another 40 days. He didn't eat the entire time he was up on the Mount. 

Remember, Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Moses didn't have to eat because God was talking with him.

Exodus 34:29-35- And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Moses had gotten so close to God that it changed him. The skin of his face glowed like the sun. This scared the Israelites, and Moses had to cover his face so that he could talk with them.

When we get close to God, it will change us. Our faces might not start to glow like the sun, but people will notice a difference. Some people might even become scared when they see the change that God has made in our lives.

Moses had to hide his face from the Hebrew children. But, unlike Adam and Eve, Moses never had to hide his face from God!

Israel In The Wilderness- Part 7

The Israelites had sinned. They had Aaron build a a golden statue for them to worship instead of God.

Moses had come out the Mount and got so angry that he broke the stone tables that God had written the 10 commandments on. Now, Moses was going back up onto Mount Sinai to talk to God.

Exodus 33:1-4- And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. 

God had already promised Moses that He wouldn't kill the Hebrew children for this sin. But, God was so upset that He told Moses He wouldn't go with the children of Israel to the promised land because he would end up killing them.

This made the people very sad when they heard this.

Exodus 33:7- And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

Moses put up the Tabernacle so that the people who wanted to talk to God and hear from God could go somewhere to do this.

Exodus 33:8-10- And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. 

Moses followed what God wanted without question. He knew that God wanted people to go to the Tabernacle to commune with Him, so Moses was their example. 

Whenever Moses went to the Tabernacle, the cloudy pillar would go down on the Tabernacle. This let everyone who was watching know that God was talking with Moses. This gave the people hope and they worshipped God.

Exodus 33:11- And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. 

Moses had such a unique relationship with God that he got to speak with God like you would talk to your friend. He talked to God and he heard God answer him.

Joshua wanted a relationship with God. He was just a young man, but he went to the Tabernacle and he stayed there. This got God's attention. God was going to use Joshua in a very special way. But, Joshua didn't know this. He only knew that he wanted to have a relationship with God.

Exodus 33:12-14- And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 

Moses' relationship with God was so good, that Moses could ask God to change His mind and God would listen. Moses asked God to go with them and lead them into the Promised Land. God had already said He wouldn't, but because of Moses request God said "yes".

Exodus 33:17- And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

God told Moses he would answer his request. This made Moses desire a more personal relationship with God.

Exodus 33:18, 20- And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 

I'm sure this was something that broke God's heart. This man Moses was God's friend. God hadn't had a friend like this since Enoch walked the earth. God yearned to give Moses what he asked.

Exodus 33:21-23- And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

God put Moses into solid rock and then he covered Moses with His hand. Once he had turned around, He let Moses see Him from behind through solid rock. That was the most anyone had ever seen of God.

When someone gets that close to God, it changes them forever.

Israel In The Wilderness series coloring pages

Israel In The Wilderness- Part 6

God had come down onto the top of Mount Sinai. He had shown himself to the 70 elders, and had called Moses up into the mount to give him a copy of the law.

Do you think the children of Israel walked around in awe of what was going on? Maybe they did at first, but then something happened.

Exodus 32:1- And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 

It has only been 40 days! Just over a month and the Hebrew children had gotten use to the thundercloud on the Mount. They decided they needed a different god, and they asked Aaron to make them one.

Exodus 32:2-4- And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 

Aaron took the gold and built a golden calf. And he told the people to fall down and worship the statue of the baby cow!

Exodus 32:5-6- And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Aaron made an altar and told the people to have a feast to the Lord. So, they people started sacrificing on the altar to the false god. Then they ate and drank. And then they rose up to play. Do you know what that means?

They started to have a large party!

Exodus 32:7-8- And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

God was up on the Mount with Moses, but that didn't mean that God couldn't see what the Hebrew children were doing. He knew what was going on and it made Him angry!

Exodus 32:9-10- And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. 

God told Moses that He was just going to kill them all and start over. He told Moses that his family would become the chosen people. What do you think Moses would do?

Exodus 32:11-14- And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. 

Moses reminded God of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He asked God to spare the people so the Egyptians wouldn't say terrible things about God. Moses pleaded with God for the people that didn't deserve it.

And God listened to him.

Exodus 32:15-17- And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. 

Joshua had been on the boundary line of Sinai. He was waiting for Moses for 40 days! When Moses came down, Joshua told him that he thought there was a war going on.

Exodus 32:18- And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. 

Moses had been raised in the palace of Pharaoh. Moses had heard these sounds before. It wasn't a war, it was a rock concert!

Exodus 32:19-20- 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. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. 

Moses got so mad that he broke the tables of stone that the Lord had written the 10 commandments on. Then he took the golden statue and started beating it until it was a pile of gold dust. Then, he threw the dust into the water and made the people drink it. Wow!

But, Moses wasn't done yet!

Exodus 32:21-22- And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 

Moses asked Aaron why he did it. And Aaron committed the same sin that Adam and Eve committed. He blamed someone else for his sin. He said that it was the people's fault.

Exodus 32:26-28- Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 

Moses told the people who wanted to serve the Lord to come to him. Then he told them to go through and kill the people that did the sinning. Three thousand men died that day.

Exodus 32:30- And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

Moses told the people how he had to go back up onto the Mount and ask God to forgive their sins. Somehow, he had to find a way to get God to forgive their sins.

Israel In The Wilderness series coloring pages