Question 1

What was happening when Moses spoke these words to Israel?

Accepted Answer

Moses spoke these words near the end of the wilderness journey, when the people were close to entering the land God had promised their fathers. He wanted them to understand that they were not getting the land because they were good, but because of God’s promise and mercy. To make this clear, he reminded them of their long record of disobedience, from leaving Egypt up to that very moment. By going back over their history, Moses called them to humility, repentance, and a sober view of their own hearts.

Question 2

Why does Moses tell Israel to remember and not forget their rebellion?

Accepted Answer

Moses tells them to “remember, and forget not” how they provoked God so they will not become proud or think they deserve God’s gifts. Their story showed constant rebellion, from Egypt through the wilderness. By remembering their sins, they would see that everything they had came from God’s grace, not their own goodness. This memory was meant to keep them humble, to warn them against repeating the same sins, and to help them cling to God’s mercy instead of trusting in themselves.

Question 3

What is the significance of the golden calf and the broken tablets?

Accepted Answer

The golden calf shows how quickly the people turned from God to an idol, even while Moses was receiving the covenant tablets on the mountain. When Moses came down and broke the tablets in front of them, it pictured how they had already broken the covenant by their sin. His burning, grinding, and scattering of the calf’s dust showed that their idol was powerless and deserved total destruction. This whole scene underlines how serious idolatry is and how deeply it offends the God who had just rescued them.

Question 4

Why was God ready to destroy Israel and make a nation from Moses?

Accepted Answer

God told Moses that the people were stiff-necked and that He could destroy them and start again with Moses. This shows that God’s anger against sin is real and deserved. The people had quickly turned aside from His commands and made a molten image, after all the grace they had already received. At the same time, this moment opened the way for Moses to stand in the gap and pray for them. God’s threat highlights both the justice He could have carried out and the mercy He chose to show in response to Moses’ pleading.

Question 5

What does Moses’ forty days and nights of fasting and prayer show?

Accepted Answer

Moses fasting and praying for forty days and nights, twice, shows how serious the people’s sin was and how earnest he was in asking God to spare them. He did not eat or drink, but fell down before the Lord, afraid of God’s anger that could have destroyed the nation. This long, intense prayer shows the weight of sin, the patience of a true leader, and how God listens when His servants plead for others. It reminds readers that real prayer may be costly and persistent, especially when asking for mercy.

Question 6

Why does Moses mention Aaron and the places Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah?

Accepted Answer

Moses brings up Aaron and these different places to show that Israel’s rebellion was not a single mistake but a pattern. Aaron himself had a major role in the golden calf, and God was very angry with him until Moses prayed. Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah were all scenes of complaining, unbelief, and judgment. By naming them, Moses gives concrete reminders of how often they had pushed God’s patience. This list was meant to humble them and keep them from thinking they were righteous on their own.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s character of mercy and judgment?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God is deeply offended by sin and has every right to judge it. He is angry at idolatry, unbelief, and stubborn hearts, and is able to destroy those who turn from Him. At the same time, it shows that God is patient and merciful. He listened when Moses prayed, He spared the people, and He remembered His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So we see both sides together: God’s holy anger against sin and His gracious willingness to forgive and keep His covenant.

Question 8

Why does Moses appeal to God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in his prayer?

Accepted Answer

In his prayer, Moses asks God to remember His servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and not to look at the people’s stubbornness and sin. By doing this, Moses is not claiming that Israel deserves mercy, but pointing back to God’s own promises and faithfulness. He also mentions how it would look to the nations if God brought Israel out of Egypt only to destroy them in the wilderness. Moses’ prayer is grounded in God’s character, God’s word, and God’s reputation, not in any goodness in the people themselves.

Question 9

How can this passage about Israel’s rebellion and Moses’ prayer apply today?

Accepted Answer

This passage speaks to anyone who is tempted to forget their own failures and think they stand by their own goodness. It reminds us to be honest about our sin, to remember how often we have turned aside, and to see that any blessing we have is by God’s mercy, not our merit. It also encourages us to pray for others, even when they have badly gone wrong, trusting that God hears intercession. Finally, it calls us to stay away from idols of any kind and to listen to God’s voice with humble hearts.

Deuteronomy 9:7

¶ Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.

The Golden Calf

metadata.crossReferences

Deuteronomy 9:7

¶ Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.

share.title

share.allVerses

share.verseWithContext

share.currentVerse

The Golden Calf

metadata.crossReferences