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When Moses saw Aaron, he asked
him why he had done this great sin. Aaron did not humbly confess his
own wickedness, but tried to excuse himself, and said, "The people
gave me their gold, and told me to make gods for them; and I cast the gold
into the fire, and there came out this calf." But Moses took
the calf, and burnt it, and ground it into powder; then he sprinkled the
powder upon water, and made the wicked idolators drink it. Moses was
sorry to punish these sinful men; but he knew it was right, because God
commanded him: so he cried to all the people, and said, "Who is
on the Lord's side?" Then the tribe of Levites came to Moses,
and said, they were. And what did Moses command them to do? He
gave them a very fearful command, but one which must be obeyed; he said,
"Take your swords, and go through the camp, and kill these wicked
idolators; your brothers, and companions, and neighbors; spare them not,
they must all die." Then the Levites went, and did as Moses
commanded; and 3000 men were killed that day. Then
Moses spoke gently to the rest of the people; for he loved them, and
wished them to be forgiven, that God might bless them again. Moses
said, "You have sinned a great sin; you have made God very angry; but
I will now go up to Him, and ask Him to forgive you; perhaps He will hear
my prayer." Then Moses went up, and prayed, and cried to God,
and said, "O Lord, these people have sinned a great sin; but now, I
pray thee, forgive them, and blot out their sin." And did God
forgive? Yes; God is always willing to hear prayer; always ready to
forgive. He told Moses to go down, and lead the people on their
journey towards Canaan, and He promised to guide them as he had done
before. Then the Lord told Moses to come up again into the mountain,
and to bring with him two tables of stone, like the first tables which he
broke. Moses obeyed, and went up to Mount Sinai very early in the
morning; and God came down in a cloud, and stood near him, and talked to
him. Moses could not see the bright glory of the Lord; no living man
can see that; but in Heaven we shall see Him face to face, and behold His
glory for ever. God passed
by Moses, as he stood on the mountain, and spoke with a loud voice.
What did he say? He told Moses, what a good, and kind, and gracious
God He is; a God who loves to forgive, and who saves all who come to Him
in faith; but a very holy God too; a God that cannot look on sin, and who
punishes all those who will not repent and turn to Him. When Moses
heard God speak, he fell down, and worshiped; and asked that great and
holy God to forgive his sins, and the sins of the Israelites, and to make
them His own people, and to keep and save them for ever. And did God
hear the prayer? Yes, He promised to keep the Israelites still; and
to give them the good land of Canaan, if they would obey and serve Him,
and no more make and worship the idols which the people around them served
and worshiped.
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