The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 28: Idolatry at Sinai
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Love no less than justice demanded that for this sin judgment
should be inflicted. God is the guardian as well as the
sovereign of His people. He cuts off those who are determined
upon rebellion, that they may not lead others to ruin. In sparing
the life of Cain, God had demonstrated to the universe what
would be the result of permitting sin to go unpunished. The
influence exerted upon his descendants by his life and teaching led
to the state of corruption that demanded the destruction of the
whole world by a flood. The history of the antediluvians testifies
that long life is not a blessing to the sinner; God's great forbearance
did not repress their wickedness. The longer men lived, the
more corrupt they became.
So with the apostasy at Sinai. Unless punishment had been
speedily visited upon transgression, the same results would again
have been seen. The earth would have become as corrupt as in
the days of Noah. Had these transgressors been spared, evils
would have followed, greater than resulted from sparing the life
of Cain. It was the mercy of God that thousands should suffer,
to prevent the necessity of visiting judgments upon millions. In
order to save the many, He must punish the few. Furthermore,
as the people had cast off their allegiance to God, they had
forfeited the divine protection, and, deprived of their defense, the
whole nation was exposed to the power of their enemies. Had
not the evil been promptly put away, they would soon have fallen
a prey to their numerous and powerful foes. It was necessary [p. 326] for the good of Israel, and also as a lesson to all succeeding
generations, that crime should be promptly punished. And it was
no less a mercy to the sinners themselves that they should be cut
short in their evil course. Had their life been spared, the same
spirit that led them to rebel against God would have been
manifested in hatred and strife among themselves, and they would
eventually have destroyed one another. It was in love to the
world, in love to Israel, and even to the transgressors, that crime
was punished with swift and terrible severity.
As the people were roused to see the enormity of their guilt,
terror pervaded the entire encampment. It was feared that every
offender was to be cut off. Pitying their distress, Moses promised
to plead once more with God for them.
"Ye have sinned a great sin," he said, "and now I will go up
unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your
sin." He went, and in his confession before God he said, "Oh,
this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods
of gold. Yet now if Thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not,
blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written."
The answer was, "Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will
I blot out of My book. Therefore now go, lead the people into
the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, Mine Angel
shall go before thee: nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will
visit their sin upon them."
In the prayer of Moses our minds are directed to the heavenly
records in which the names of all men are inscribed, and
their deeds, whether good or evil, are faithfully registered. The
book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the
service of God. If any of these depart from Him, and by stubborn
persistence in sin become finally hardened against the
influences of His Holy Spirit, their names will in the judgment
be blotted from the book of life, and they themselves will be
devoted to destruction. Moses realized how dreadful would be
the fate of the sinner; yet if the people of Israel were to be
rejected by the Lord, he desired his name to be blotted out with
theirs; he could not endure to see the judgments of God fall
upon those who had been so graciously delivered. The intercession
of Moses in behalf of Israel illustrates the mediation of
Christ for sinful men. But the Lord did not permit Moses to
bear, as did Christ, the guilt of the transgressor. "Whosoever [p. 327] hath sinned against Me," He said, "him will I blot out of My
book."
In deep sadness the people had buried their dead. Three
thousand had fallen by the sword; a plague had soon after broken
out in the encampment; and now the message came to them that
the divine Presence would no longer accompany them in their
journeyings. Jehovah had declared, "I will not go up in the
midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume
thee in the way." And the command was given, "Put off thy
ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee."
Now there was mourning throughout the encampment. In
penitence and humiliation "the children of Israel stripped themselves
of their ornaments by the mount Horeb."
By the divine direction the tent that had served as a temporary
place of worship was removed "afar off from the camp."
This was still further evidence that God had withdrawn His
presence from them. He would reveal Himself to Moses, but not
to such a people. The rebuke was keenly felt, and to the
conscience-smitten multitudes it seemed a foreboding of greater
calamity. Had not the Lord separated Moses from the camp
that He might utterly destroy them? But they were not left without
hope. The tent was pitched without the encampment, but
Moses called it "the tabernacle of the congregation." All who
were truly penitent, and desired to return to the Lord, were
directed to repair thither to confess their sins and seek His
mercy. When they returned to their tents Moses entered the
tabernacle. With agonizing interest the people watched for some
token that his intercessions in their behalf were accepted. If
God should condescend to meet with him, they might hope that
they were not to be utterly consumed. When the cloudy pillar
descended, and stood at the entrance of the tabernacle, the people
wept for joy, and they "rose up and worshiped, every man in his
tent door."
Moses knew well the perversity and blindness of those who
were placed under his care; he knew the difficulties with which
he must contend. But he had learned that in order to prevail
with the people, he must have helped from God. He pleaded for a
clearer revelation of God's will and for an assurance of His
presence: "See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and Thou
hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou [p. 328] 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, show 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."
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