Daily Devotional-Exodus 32:15–35 Thursday, December 25, 2025

Daily Devotional (Transcript)
Exodus 32:15–35
Thursday, December 25, 2025

Speaker: Pastor John Chen
Transcribed & Edited by: Joseph Wang(Yufan)

Peace to you, dear brothers and sisters.

By the grace of God, we come to a new day to study our daily devotional. Today’s passage is Exodus 32:15–35.

Opening Prayer

O God, we thank You for setting this account before us, that we may learn how we ought to live with reverent fear before You. We are weak sinners, yet we thank You for forgiving our sins and preserving us—those who deserved destruction—before Your throne. Be with us today.

In the name of Christ, Amen.

The Broken Tablets and the Reality of Sin

After witnessing the unbelief of the people and Moses’ intercession before God, we now turn to what follows.

Moses comes down from the mountain holding the two tablets of the testimony. These tablets were written on both sides; they were the work of God Himself, with the writing engraved by God on stone. Theologians have offered different interpretations of these two tablets—some suggest a division of commandments, others that they were duplicate copies, like a covenant written in two originals. Whatever the case, the essential point is clear: these tablets were written by God Himself.

This is a profoundly supernatural act. Apart from this moment, Scripture rarely records God directly writing in this way. A somewhat similar event appears later in Daniel, when God’s hand writes on the wall—but here, the permanence and covenantal nature are unique.

False Celebration and True Judgment

As Moses descends, Joshua hears noise from the camp and assumes it is the sound of war. Joshua, as a warrior, is alert to danger. But Moses knows better. This is not the sound of victory or defeat—it is the sound of singing.

What is happening is a festival of idolatry: eating, drinking, singing, and dancing. Scripture describes it as “the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” This is not innocent joy; it is the pattern of pagan worship—unrestrained, sensual, and lawless. Idolatry is frequently accompanied by such revelry, and history shows that this pattern continues even in modern “festivals” and celebrations that glorify human desire rather than God.

For this reason, believers must be discerning. What the world calls celebration is often nothing more than organized rebellion against God.

The Destruction of the Idol

When Moses sees the golden calf and the dancing, his anger burns hot. He throws the tablets from his hands and shatters them at the foot of the mountain. This action signifies that the covenant has already been broken by the people.

Moses then burns the calf, grinds it to powder, scatters it on the water, and makes the Israelites drink it. This act forces them to consume the consequence of their sin. They must taste what they have made. Sin always comes back upon the sinner.

Aaron’s Failure and the Nature of Human Excuses

Moses confronts Aaron. Aaron begins by telling a partial truth: the people were bent on evil. But then he lies. He claims that he merely threw the gold into the fire and that the calf “came out.”

This is a blatant evasion of responsibility. Scripture had already told us that Aaron fashioned the calf with a graving tool. His response mirrors the pattern seen since Genesis—when sin is exposed, fallen humanity deflects blame.

This is not merely Aaron’s failure; it is the universal instinct of the sinful heart.

Judgment and the Cost of God’s Holiness

Moses then calls out, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” The sons of Levi respond. They are commanded to go through the camp and strike down those who were leading the rebellion—the instigators and promoters of the idolatry. About three thousand men fall that day.

This raises serious questions:
Does this contradict the sixth commandment?
How can God bless those who kill—even their own relatives?

The answer lies in understanding the commandment properly. The sixth commandment forbids murder, not lawful execution under divine authority. Individuals are forbidden to take vengeance, but God, who is holy and just, grants governing authority the right to punish evil—especially in a theocratic context.

Throughout redemptive history, we see that at pivotal moments, God deals with sin with exceptional severity:

• At the golden calf

• At the dedication of the tabernacle (Nadab and Abihu)

• At the beginning of the conquest (Achan)

• At the birth of the New Testament church (Ananias and Sapphira)

These moments teach God’s people that holiness is not negotiable.

Love, Loyalty, and True Covenant Faithfulness

The command to act even against family members demonstrates that allegiance to God must surpass all earthly ties. This principle does not contradict love; rather, it defines true love. Love flows from holiness, not sentimentality.

Jesus Himself teaches that anyone who loves father or mother more than Him is not worthy of Him. When someone openly and defiantly rebels against God, covenant loyalty demands separation—not complicity.

Moses’ Final Intercession and the Shadow of the Cross

Moses returns to the LORD and offers himself: “Blot me out of Your book.” This is one of the clearest anticipations of Christ in the Old Testament. Moses refuses honor, refuses advancement, and offers himself in the place of sinners.

God responds that each sinner will bear his own guilt—but He also declares that there will be a day of reckoning.

That reckoning ultimately falls upon Jesus Christ.

What Moses offered, Christ fulfilled.
What Moses could not accomplish, Christ completed.

From Judgment to Redemption: The Great Reversal

The number three thousand is not incidental.

At Sinai, three thousand die because of the law.
At Pentecost, three thousand live because of the gospel (Acts 2:41).

This is the great reversal of redemptive history. The law condemns; Christ saves. The same God who judges sin also provides salvation through substitution.

Reading the Old Testament Through Christ

Some fear the Old Testament because of its severity. But when read through Christ, it does not merely terrify—it comforts. Justice is real, but mercy is greater.

Aaron deserved death. The people deserved death. We deserve death.
Yet Christ was struck instead.

God did not blot out Moses’ name.
He blotted out His Son.

Therefore, we read these passages not only with fear, but with gratitude, love, and deeper devotion to Christ. The purpose of all Scripture is to lead us to Him.

May God grant us true repentance, reverent obedience, and hearts that love Christ more deeply each day.

That is all for today. Thank you.