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This post is about a story that never ceases to amaze me… and then am convicted about my own lack of faith when God’s timing and ways are different than my preferred schedule. We are quick to fall away from God – and then blame someone else for it.

In Exodus 32 we have one of the most astonishingly stupid events in the Bible! Moses has been on the mountain, in the presence of God, receiving the law and the precise instructions on building the Tabernacle. The people have just ratified a very solemn 2-sided covenant with I Am, Yahweh, the God of the Universe. He has been powerfully introducing Himself throughout the book, starting back with Moses in the wilderness, then in Egypt with the plagues and His provision for them, and throughout their journey thus far. God Himself has entered a covenant relationship with them and is moving into their midst!

But… Moses took too long to come down. Doesn’t that nullify what they just agreed to?!?

Exodus 32:1-4
Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” “So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

What?!?!? Excuse me, who is your God who brought you out of Egypt??? The One who has been emphasizing HIS NAME and HIS CHARACTER and HIS FAITHFULNESS throughout the last months of their lives? The One who demolished the gods and the army of Egypt?? Oh, that’s right. It’s that golden calf you just made out of your earrings.

Needless to say, God and Moses are both pretty ticked at the events unfolding below them. God is actually ready to just wipe them out and Moses intercedes on their behalf. When Moses finally gets down there and deals with the situation, he has a fascinating conversation with the “good priest” Aaron.

Exodus 32:21-24
And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?” So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. “For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ “And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

It’s amazing to me how Aaron admits to absolutely no culpability in this situation. It’s the people’s fault: You know the people, that they are set on evil. And in fact, He didn’t even make the calf – it just magically formed on its own. “And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.” Does Aaron really believe that his brother is this dense? Does he think God didn’t know??

The consequences of this are severe -

Exodus 32:25-28 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

Some get hung up on events like this and start questioning the goodness of God. However, that’s not the point. God IS good. God IS just. God IS merciful. But the big deal here is that GOD IS HOLY. This wasn’t about those people: it was about God. What God had been proclaiming to all the world during the book of Exodus was His name and character. In one swift plunge into sin, the people stripped God of His glory and fame as their redeemer, deliverer, and Sovereign One… and they glorified a homemade statue of a cow instead. On top of that, the people had just finished ratifying that covenant, covered with the blood that Moses had sprinkled on them. They knew what that meant: may this be my blood if I break this covenant. Sin brings death. It must, for our God is holy.

Leviticus 22:32
“You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.”

We have established that Deuteronomy is an important book. But, you may still be wondering why Deuteronomy was necessary – most of it seems to be a repeat of the law!

If you think about a timeline of what has happened, when Deuteronomy is given it has been 40 years (at least) since the Exodus. 40 years since they formed this unique covenant relationship with God. 40 years of wandering in a desert, eating manna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sacrifices, coming to God at the tabernacle, and waiting for the unbelieving generation to die off. It’s been a long 40 years.

On top of that, this is a different generation! They did not see the Red Sea part or the miracles in Egypt (or they were very young), understanding first hand the uniqueness, sovereignty, and supremacy of Yahweh – the One who remembered them and kept His promises. They are not the ones who had that blood sprinkled on them at the base of the mountain and understood the solemnity of the covenant they were forming with a holy God.

So, Moses gathers them together – they must understand their contract with God. They must understand their history, God’s faithfulness to them, and the requirements associated with being a nation set apart unto Him. Deuteronomy is their “complete constitution” – the most concise statement of who they were and what made their nation unique.

This book follows the format of a “Suzerain/Vassal treaty.” (Pull that out at your next Bible study – you’ll sound so smart.) This was the kind of treaty that two nations in the ancient world would make when one (the suzerain) conquered the other (the vassal).

They would write down:
the history of what got them to that point [Deuteronomy 1:1-4:43],
general and specific rules for the conquered nation [4:44-26:19],
consequences (both good and bad) which would come from keeping or breaking the conditions of the treaty [27:1-29:68],
record the witnesses present [29:1-30:20],
and provide a way of safekeeping for the treaty document [31:9].

Now, you are probably asking, “Kristi, why do I care about a Suzerain/Vassal Treaty?” Honestly, you probably don’t! But, this was a format that was very familiar to the people at the time – this was how international foreign policy was handled! And because they were familiar with the format, God was giving them a very clear picture of their relationship: I am your Supreme commander. You owe me your life. You have conditions in this relationship that you must keep. If you do, I will bless you abundantly. If you do not, I will bring negative consequences in order to bring you back into submission.

Obviously we have a different relationship with God than ancient Israel did – we are not in a theocracy, we aren’t under the law. However, we know that there are many things that we are commanded to do or not to do. [review "Be Holy for I am Holy" if you're rusty on how the OT law ties in with us...]

In our human nature, we tend to chafe at God’s authority. We feel restricted, resentful, rebellious. Why must I bow the knee?

Guess what, friends? God is our Supreme commander.
He created us. Period.
He, not our feelings or experiences, sets the standard for what is right and what is wrong.
We violated His character, earned death and separation from Him, and yet He redeemed us out of our sin and formed a relationship with us.

I owe Him my all. What I have earned, what I deserve, is hell. In his grace, I was given life in Him. If that doesn’t resonate deep in our souls and compel us to obey, I think we must examine the authenticity of our relationship with Him.

I believe that many, many people in our churches today are somewhat like the Israelites at the end of the 40 year desert experience. Back the line in their families, there were people who had an authentic relationship with God – they believed Him, they saw Him work firsthand. Everything sounds familiar to them – it’s been part of their family culture. Going through the motions of church, following rules, being “good.”

It’s all well and good until someone starts to step on their toes with the Bible. “Now wait a minute. If God is love…” “If God is good…” and then they start questioning why God, in His goodness, would want to restrict them or make them unhappy in some way.

He is the creator, the holy one, the sovereign God of the universe. Even if you do not fully understand Him and His ways, not bowing the knee is not an option. And one day, all will be set right – whether people want to admit it or not, He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Just like the Israelites reviewing their history and their covenant relationship with God, we all need to take a serious look at our lives and make sure our faith is genuine and personal, rather than cultural. Do I really believe, or am I riding on the coattails of those before me? Have I personally bowed the knee to my Creator and Lord?

…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10-11

When I was a student in Dr. Miller’s Old Testament Survey class back in 1999, we covered the entire Old Testament in one quarter. Our class met five days a week, and usually covered a book per day! We were required to read each book as we covered it (which was a lot on top of the rest of our college course load), but were given a couple of “skips” that we could take if we didn’t have time to read a particular book. I chose to use a skip on Deuteronomy, because I was so buried with other classes. (and come on, how much of the law can you read in one week?)

I got to class the next day and Dr. Miller opened with, “I hope that you read Deuteronomy last night, because this book really encompasses God’s heartbeat.” Rats. Needless to say, I went back and read it. :)

I think many people probably look at Deuteronomy the way that I did – yet another rehashing of weird laws that don’t apply to us. Let’s skip over to Joshua – at least we’re back to an exciting story line! This is a huge symptom of not really understanding the Old Testament. Deuteronomy is a cornerstone book in the Old Testament. It is the most concise recording of the law, their complete “constitution.” Almost anytime the phrase “Book of the Law” is used anywhere in the Scriptures it’s referring to Deuteronomy.

Another factor which should motivate us to read and understand this book is the great importance Jesus himself placed upon it. Most people who have been in the church for a while know that when Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, He responded to each temptation with Scripture. What you may not realize, however, is that each and every Scripture He quoted was from the book of Deuteronomy!

Deuteronomy 8:3
“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 6:16 (NLT)
“Do not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah.”

Deuteronomy 6:13
“You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.”

Later on, Jesus is approached by his enemies and put to a different kind of test – a trick question crafted by the Jewish leadership seeking to find a weakness. He was asked, “Master, what is the greatest commandment?” And yet again, Jesus replied straight out of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Every book is in the Bible for a reason. There are no “mistakes” or unnecessary repeats. I’m going to keep this post short today, but do want to challenge you: if we truly believe that our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; if we truly want to think the way Jesus thinks and act the way He acts (still have one of those “WWJD” bracelets around somewhere?); if we want to understand the whole counsel of God, we must, MUST take a serious look at the Old Testament. If the gospels were all we needed, why didn’t God start there? Deuteronomy is an incredible book… open up your Bible and ask the Lord to show Himself to you!

Oh, that they had such a heart in them
that they would fear Me
and always keep all My commandments,
that it might be well with them
and with their children forever!
Deuteronomy 5:29

In Numbers 22:3-6, we meet two more interesting characters.

And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! “Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

That last part should sound familiar… where have we seen that before? Oh, yes. Genesis 12:3, in the promise God gave to Abraham. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you… It’s a safe conjecture to guess that God doesn’t like having His promises outright denied and His words twisted and used against His people. And oh, it’s gonna be good…

So, Balak (“K” for “king”) hires Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam sets out on his donkey, but he encounters some unexpected transportation issues. I will just quote it here rather than rehashing the whole thing. (22:21-35)

So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.
Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.
Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

[I love this part...]

And Balaam said to the donkey, [did this not seem a bit strange to him?...] “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

[Seriously. Read that again! Balaam not only answers his donkey like this is no big deal, but... who won the argument??]

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.
“The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.” And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.” Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

I love this story! I remember being taught this in Sunday school, but once again, I never remember actually getting to the point. We talked about the talking donkey, but if the teacher told us why this random story is in the Bible, I surely do not remember it. For those of you who, like me, either were not taught why this is there (or don’t remember), or those of you who are right now saying to yourself, “There’s a story about a talking donkey in the Bible?,” let’s discuss!

Balaam was hired for this job because his words were supposed to be powerful. Indeed, Balak even used God’s own promise of blessings and cursings, but turned it around to say that whomever Balaam blessed was blessed and whomever Balaam cursed was cursed. Clearly, this is not so.

So on his way, God uses his donkey to rebuke him. Of all animals, donkeys are one species not known to be reasonable and wise. Yet, God opens her mouth, enables her to speak with Balaam, and actually is the more reasonable one in the discussion! If Balaam thinks his words are so mighty and powerful, God can make the words of even a donkey more reasonable than his own!

Now, I do want to say that Numbers 22:7-21 is confusing. It sounds like Balaam is not that that bad of a guy, perhaps that he even was genuinely obeying God, which is confusing for the rest of the story. At those times you let Scripture explain itself.

Joshua 24:9-10
Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. ‘But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.

Nehemiah 13:2
…because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

2 Peter 2:15
They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness…

These Scriptures clearly indicate that Balaam was not a good guy. We don’t know all the details – perhaps he was outwardly obedient but inwardly planning to curse them still… we just don’t know. Back to the story.

Four different times Balaam and Balak attempt to curse Israel. And four different times, God puts different words into his mouth (again, see those passages listed above for clarification). Let’s look at parts of these “curses” and see if anything rings a bell.

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“Curse” #1- Numbers 23:8-10

“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! A people dwelling alone,
Not reckoning itself among the nations.

[Remember Exodus 19:5- "...you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine."]

“Who can count the dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”

[Genesis 28:14 (during Jacob's dream) - "Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed."]

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“Curse” #2- Numbers 23:19-20

God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Behold, I have received a command to bless;
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

“Curse” #3 – Numbers 24:9
“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”

[Genesis 12:3 - I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you... ]

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“Curse” #4- Numbers 24:17

“I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of tumult.”

[The LEADER promise! A particular person will come out of this nation who will have ultimate authority and crush the heads of their enemies...]

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There are many other details within these “curses,” but just notice this: God is reaffirming His promises and blessing – through the mouths of a donkey and a sorcerer hired to curse them! Keep the context of this in mind.

They refused to enter the land the first time.
Thousands of people have died in plagues because of rebellion against God.
They have been wandering in the wilderness for years and will continue to do so until the entire unbelieving generation has died.
They have outright broken their side of the covenant with God many times.

…and yet, God is faithful. He remembers His promises. He WILL keep them. In the midst of their disobedience He blesses them, reaffirms His promises, and shows His sovereignty over and protection of His people.

Our God is a faithful God.

If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
2 Timothy 2:13