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Exodus 32:1-4, Creating a god of Your liking, you stiff necked fools
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Feb 19, 2025
Today, we delve into Exodus 32:1-4 to examine how the Israelites hastily fashioned a deity of their own convenience, contradicting the very essence of their call. It's a study of how they reshaped their understanding of God to suit their preferences. However, let's tread with caution before we judge them harshly, as we too have been culpable of similar transgressions
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hello and this is taribatives.com and
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today we're going to be talking about
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Exodus 32 verses 1 through 4. this is a
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passage that I um read several times
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over the past a couple of weeks and I've
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gone back to it like almost
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every day going back to really trying to
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understand what the scriptures the
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scripture is uh trying to teach us
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so I'm gonna be talking about it today
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I'm just going to be looking at verses
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one through four and I guess throughout
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the course of next month I'm gonna try
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now look at the entire scripture but
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we're gonna start with verses for verses
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1 through 4 today so first before I even
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start let me give you the background so
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you all know that Moses
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and the great leader that led the Exodus
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he took the people of Israel out of
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Egypt under the hand of the uh the Lord
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and He took him through on the Red Sea
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they went on dry Lane so he's been
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leading these people and on several
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occasions they've proven to be a little
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bit of a stiff-necked people God calls
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them a stiff neck so now here we are the
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Moses goes on a mountain to meet with
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the Lord
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and here tells Aaron and her to take out
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the people while he is away for 40 days
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and 40 nights now prior to going on the
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mountain and the people had seen the
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manifestation of the Lord he told them
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to to gather around and he told him to
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consecrate themselves and they were
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supposed to be at the base of the
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mountain this is Mount uh Sinai if I'm
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not mistaken Mount Sinai and Moses and
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somebody else went on the mountain and
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even then us some of the elders had to
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be at a safe distance so Moses was the
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only one allowed to go into the presence
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of the Lord so the people saw their
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flashes of lightning they heard it
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thunder so they saw the manifestation of
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God and God actually spoke to them and
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in Exodus 24 and he gives them
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instructions and if people say to Moses
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all that the Lord say we will do we will
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listen and we will obey his words so now
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so this is the last thing that has
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happened and Moses now goes on the
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mountain to meet with God to actually
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receive the actual law on those uh on
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those stones so as he goes there for 40
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days and 40 nights because he's going to
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receive all the law he puts the people
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he puts Aaron his brother and her in
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charge of the people tells the people
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hey if you have any matter if you have
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any problem come speak to Aaron and her
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I'm actually going to read you the verse
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where that happens so let me let me get
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I'm going to read that to you so let me
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uh I'm gonna try to minimize this real
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quick and then we'll see if you can get
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that let me let me get that all right so
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Moses tells are the people here he says
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um
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uh let's see this is Exodus 24 and the
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scripture says
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um
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the Lord said to Moses this is on verse
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12. the Lord said to Moses come up to me
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on the mountain and wait there that I
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may give you the tablet of stone with
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the law and the Commandment which I have
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written for the instruction for the
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instruction of the people so Moses rose
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with his assistant Joshua and Moses were
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knocked into the Mountain of God and he
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said to the elders there were 70 elders
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so Moses tell them wait here for us
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until we return to you and behold Aaron
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and her are with you whoever has a
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dispute let him go to them I mean let
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him go to Ellen at her
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so these are the the last words I must
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speak because before he goes on the
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mountain for 40 days and for the night
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all right so let's see what happens so
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we take it from Exodus 32 I'm just gonna
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be reading verses one through four the
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scripture says when the when the people
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saw that Moses delayed to come down from
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the mountain the people gathered
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themselves together to Aaron and say it
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to him up
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make us God we shall go before us
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as for this Moses
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the man who brought us up out of the
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line of Egypt we do not know what has
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become of him so Aaron said to them take
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off the rings of gold that are in the
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ears of your wives your sons and your
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daughters and bring them to me so all
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the people took off the rings of gold
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that were in their ears and brought them
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to Eric and he received the gold from
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their hand and fashioned it with a
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grieving tool and made a golden calf and
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they said these are your Gods o Israel
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who brought you up out of the land of
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Egypt
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so you hear the the word of the Lord
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here this is for our instructions so
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basically the people see that Moses is
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delaying according to them
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from coming back from the mountain so
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they go to Aaron and they tell Aaron hey
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make us gods that shall go before us as
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for this Moses
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we don't know what is going on with him
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so basically our first focus is the
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reaction of the people
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more the scripture says that Moses
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delayed now before I even get into it
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even if Moses delayed right let's say
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Moses delayed Moses said he was going to
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be gone for 40 days and 40 nights
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correct so even if he delayed who wants
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to leave the presence of God Moses was
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in the presence of God so even if he
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delayed honestly I cannot blame Moses
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because once you're in the presence of
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the Holy One the Holy One you don't want
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to live right now that's not what
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happened the people were just impatient
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okay they were just impatient and they
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might have gotten into some kind of
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panic because Moses was the one that led
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him out of the land of Egypt because
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they they certainly say say that in
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verse um in verse 1 ask for this Moses
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the man who brought us up out of the
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land of Egypt we do not know what has
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become of him so even the way they refer
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to Moses is a little bit condescending
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as for this fellow Moses ask for this
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Moses so you can see that this is
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respect in their tone okay so I was not
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there but I'm sure that's what the
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scripture meant to convey to us as for
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this Moses these Moses you can see the
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way they are talking about him okay so
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they understand that he's the one that
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took him up out of the line of Egypt and
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he's not back yet and Aaron is they tell
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Aaron take they tell Aaron make us guard
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that shall go before us now the question
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is
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let's talk about the people a little bit
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before we get into Aaron okay so what
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have they seen we need to know what do
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they know because we're not gonna let
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them off the hook okay so if you go to
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Exodus 20. listen to what happens
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in Exodus 20 if you read from just I'm
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just going to read verses uh one through
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four and I'm also gonna read
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um verses 18 to 21 so first let's and
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then actually I'm also going to read
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verses 22 to 26. so verses 1 through 3.
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this is the Commandments that God gives
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them in Exodus 20. God says and God
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spoke all his words saying I am the Lord
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your God who brought you out of the land
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of Egypt out of the house of slavery so
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God is telling them who he he is he's
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telling them I am the Lord your God I
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brought you out of the land of Egypt by
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the hand of Moses out of the house of
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slavery so God tells them who he who he
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is right God tells them that and then he
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says this the second thing that he says
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is this you shall have no other gods
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before me you shall have no other gods
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before me so they understand that God is
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Holy there's none like him so there's no
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one next to him there's no one there's
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none like him he is Holy he isn't
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category category of himself there's
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none like him he's the only one he's
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done there's only one God so he tells
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them you shall have no other gods before
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me I am the Lord your God
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and listen to what he says in verse 4
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You shall not make for yourself a carved
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image or any likeness of anything that
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is in heaven above or that is in the
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earth beneath or that is in the water
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under the Earth okay you shall not bow
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down to to them or serve them for I the
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Lord your God I'm a jealous God
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visiting the iniquity of the fathers on
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the children to the third and the fourth
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generation of those who hate me by
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showing steadfast love to thousands of
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those who love me and keep my commands
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met right God tells them that
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and listen to what happens in verse 18.
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through 21 okay this is key to
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understanding
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Exodus 32 listen to what happened now
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when all the people saw that the Thunder
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and the flashes of lightning and the
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sound of the trumpet and the mountain
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smoking the people were afraid and
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trembled understood far off and said to
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Moses you speak to us and we will listen
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but do not let God speak to us lest we
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die and Moses say to the people do not
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fear for God has come to test you that
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the fear of him may be before you that
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you may not sin if people stood far off
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while Moses run near to the thick
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Darkness where God was so this is key
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again they saw the manifestation of God
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they saw the Thunder and the flashes of
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lightning and they heard the sound of
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the trumpet and they said to Moses man
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this is too too fearful they were
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trembling and they were afraid and
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rightfully so because oftentimes in our
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day and age we've made God into this
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Santa Claus or
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um
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Cosmic Mr Rogers as if God is like so
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nice in the sense that oh he he likes
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he's okay with everything that we do but
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that's not what happens in description
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in Exodus 20. they saw God manifestation
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and the people who are afraid and
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trembling this is what should happen
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when we enter in the presence of God is
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we we have to have the sense of
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reference and often times in our day and
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age this is lost we have no reference
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for God and we actually give God some
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attributes I I mean it just blows my
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mind what we say about God God is my
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homie God is my homeboy how dare you
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okay the people didn't do that here they
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were afraid they trembled and rightfully
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so
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and they said they tell Moses you go
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speak to God and we will listen because
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we don't want to listen to him because
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we want to we're going to die they are
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afraid okay see that's the key they were
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fearful of God they were afraid and they
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didn't want to approach God and Moses
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tell them
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this is why Moses tells them his egos do
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not fear for God has come to test you
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that his fear may be before you that you
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may not sin so God show them who he is
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so that they will not sin against God
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he showed him his Holiness he showed
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them who he was to some extent so that
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they would not sin against God that's
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the whole purpose of him showing himself
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like that so that he might keep them
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from sinning against him
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they stood far off
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and didn't want they wanted no part of
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God they told Moses you go speak with
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God and you tell us what he says and we
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will listen as far as us being close to
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God we don't want that so they knew of
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God but they did not know God on an
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intimate level they knew of God they saw
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off his attribute they saw of some of
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the things that some of his
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manifestations but they wanted no part
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of God so they did not make their
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relationship with God something personal
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they were too they were not interested
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in that and that's going to come and
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bite them later this is what's happening
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in Exodus 32. the story manifestations
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it caused fear and trembling and they
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said we don't want any part of that and
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Moses reassures them goals listen guys
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God has come to test you so that his
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fear may be in use and you may not sin
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so instead of them saying we get it we
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want to know God better please we don't
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want to sin against God because the
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scripture tells us that to hide God's
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word in our heart that we might not sin
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against him
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but they want to know part of that they
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did not want to have a personal
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relationship with God
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now listen to what happened in verses 22
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so God gives them again an instruction
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and the Lord said to Moses we are still
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in chapter 20. thus you shall say to the
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people of Israel you have seen for
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yourselves that I have talked with you
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from Heaven which he did you shall not
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you shall not make gods of silver to be
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with me nor shall we make for yourselves
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gods of gold an altar of Earth you shall
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make for me and sacrifice only your
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parent offerings and your peace
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offerings you shall use your sheep and
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your accent in every place where I cause
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my name to be remembered I will come to
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you and bless you okay so this is what
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God told them I don't want you to make
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any God of gold or silver to be with me
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don't do any of that you shall build an
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altar of Earth you shall make for me and
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sacrifice on it burn your burn offerings
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on your peace office this is what the
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instruction was he told them clearly
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what he wanted right
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and if you go so when when God tells the
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people all of that they go all the words
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that the Lord has spoken we will do so
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they say that they were gonna do it so
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they agreed and they said yes we will do
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what God said to us right because I'm
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going to read it to you in verse 3 of
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Exodus 24. listen after God uh he that's
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where the Covenant is confirmed listen
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to what happened Moses came and told the
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people all the words of the Lord and all
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the rules he told them he told them
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everything and all the people answered
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with one voice and said all the words of
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the all the words that the Lord has
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spoken we will do
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all the words that the Lord has spoken
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we will do this is verse 3 of Exodus 24.
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so they heard it and they say we will do
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everything that God said we will be
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obedient all the Lord has spoken we will
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do and we will be obedient so this is
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verse 7 that he took the book of the
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Covenant and read it in the hearing of
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the people so he read the book of the
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Covenant and they said all that the Lord
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has spoken we will do and we will be
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obedient
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so they said they were going to be
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obedient right so fast forward to Exodus
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32 what happened Moses is delaying
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coming back and they tell Aaron you go
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make for us God of gold that shall go
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before us now here's the thing a lot of
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times you read the scripture you think
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that they are rejecting God
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yes they are rejecting but we need to
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understand what they are rejecting they
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violated his instructions okay
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because if you look at verse one
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at the end of verse 1 listen to what he
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said ask for this Moses the man who
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brought us who brought us up out of the
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land of Egypt we do not know what has
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become of him so they understand that
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Moses under the guidance of God is the
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one that took him out of the line of
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Egypt so when Aaron carves this Idol for
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them the golden calf they said
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Israel here are the gods who took you
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out of the land of Egypt they are not
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saying that God didn't do it they are
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saying this is the representation of God
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who took us the God who took us out of
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the land of Egypt so basically they are
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creating a narrow and that's in
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violation of verse 3 of of Exodus 20 20.
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what did God say of actually verse 4 of
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Exodus 20. listen you shall not make for
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yourself a carved image or any likeness
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of anything that is in heaven above or
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that's in the earth beneath and God says
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also in 22
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you shall not make God of silver to be
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with me nor shall you make for yourself
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gods of gold so they knew that and God
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told them I do not want you to create an
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idol of me because I am not what you
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think I am
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and that's what they did they violated
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the command by asking Aaron to make for
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them gods of gold
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a golden calf
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because they were pretty much saying
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Yahweh is like this
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and God was not going to have it because
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he told them not to do that
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so it wasn't like they didn't know that
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God or the exchange basically they
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exchanged the glory of God
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for an image made by me
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this is what Romans chapter 1 tells us
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even though the new God
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they did not honor him as God
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but they became futile in their thinking
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and their fully shots were darkened and
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they exchange the glory of God for an
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image the golden calf now Aaron
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was wrong for doing it
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I don't know why Aaron did that
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the scripture doesn't tell us why Aaron
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did that
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they came to him and he was the leader
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Moses told them when the people come to
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you this is what you shall do you shall
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be the one to actually help them and
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Aaron did not do that
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okay but if you go to
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um Exodus 4 Listen to I want to reason I
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want to read you something in Exodus 4
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okay
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now listen to what the scripture says in
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uh
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in Exodus 4 verse 27 through 31 the Lord
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said to Aaron go into the Wilderness to
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meet Moses so he went and met him at the
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Mountain of God and kissed him and Moses
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told Aaron all the words of the Lord
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with which he had sent him to speak and
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all the signs that he had commanded him
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to do then Moses and Aaron went and
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gathered together all the Elders of the
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people of Israel era spoke all the words
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that the Lord had spoken to Moses indeed
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the signs in the sight of the people
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and if people believed and when they
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heard that the Lord had visited the
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people of Israel and that he had seen
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the Affliction they bowed their heads
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and worshiped so Aaron is the one that's
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doing the signs in front of the people
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so they must have collected that Aaron
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has some kind of mystical power so
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that's why they go to Aaron and say the
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Aaron make follows gods that shall go
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before us because we've seen you do some
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work
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they understand that Aaron
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is the one that God used but they sent
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to Aaron we want something tangible
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because listen Moses was their
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spokesperson before God Moses was the
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one that they told Mo they told Moses
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you go speak to God and tell us what he
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says and we will listen and Moses was no
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longer there so they might have panicked
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and why this is why I say the other
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verse that I read was so important they
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did not want to have a personal
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relationship with God they say you go
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talk to God and tell us so there was no
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Affinity there was no intimate
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relationship with God and in the process
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when Moses was not there they did not
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know what to do and they reverted back
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to his old ways they say make us an idol
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and and Aaron did that
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and error should have been should have
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known better he should have led the
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people and told them listen Moses is
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coming back in the meantime I'm here I'm
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gonna tell you he's going to speak to
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God he's going to come back so be
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patient I don't know why he didn't do
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that maybe he was afraid maybe he was
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intimidated it was a lot of people maybe
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they trained they threatened to kill him
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I have no idea but the bottom line is
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under pressure he caved in
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and this is this fixed me this speaks to
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you
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two things you have to learn first of
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all we have to be careful because half
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the time we say to ourselves I would
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never do this I will never make God
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another an idol I would never do the
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same thing that people of Israel did yes
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we do
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because we paint a picture of God that
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scripture does not paint sometimes okay
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we make God into something that is
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appropriate to us we want God to be
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convenient to us we want a God that
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suits our needs when we do that we are
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doing the same thing we are making the
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God we're creating a God to suit our own
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needs and that's what the people of
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Israel did we know God
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we know of God maybe and sometimes we
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create a God that satisfy our own little
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idiosyncrasies some people say well my
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God is a god of love
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and the the the misrepresent God and
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that's why the people of Israel leave
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they misrepresented God by making gold
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the golden calf
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so we have to be careful not to judge so
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quickly because we are in danger of
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doing the same thing when we don't know
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the nature of God correctly and when we
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don't obey his instructions especially
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when she pertains to idolatry we have to
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be careful because in our day and age
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our idolatryism is is even more worse
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than he was back then now this back then
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he was kind of like they made this thing
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said they saw it in our day and age
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idolately takes some different forms
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okay it could be whatever you do you you
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surround yourself with with things that
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you think
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are Godly and you say well this is why
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my God my God says this to me my God is
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this way my God no there's only one God
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and he has revealed himself his secret
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scripture so do not trying to create a
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god of your own
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they're not trying to create a God and
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appropriate him so that way he fits your
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Paradigm or you fit your own little
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understanding
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I've seen movies I've seen stuff that
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people have done to create a God that
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suits their own agenda
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even though they know God they exchange
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the glory of God
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and that's the danger here now as far as
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Aaron is concerned what can we learn
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from heaven we have to be careful not to
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succumb to pressure because the
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dangerous sometimes you can do that
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Okay so
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we're gonna continue on next week we're
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going to talk about the next verses but
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today the main thing is the exchange the
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glory of God for for any an image so the
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scene was it wasn't like they did not
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know that God was the one that took them
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out they knew it but they wanted to
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appropriate they wanted to represent him
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in the way that fitted their own
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paradigm
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and I was wrong they wanted the point of
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contact between them and God and to them
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the idol the golden calf was that and
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they got into all kind of crazy Madness
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and it's funny because they were
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worshiping they were dancing it was
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probably the greatest worship that ever
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happened
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but it was idolatry and we have the same
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thing that's going on today in our
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churches many churches and we think we
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are worshiping Jesus but we are not
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so let's let's be careful not to quickly
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cast these Stones because you have to
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you got to look at yourself I gotta look
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at myself
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all right so we're going to continue our
22:50
next time have a wonderful evening
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and please uh sub to this channel if you
22:57
like uh these instructions from the Lord
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thank you