Fickleness vs. Faithfulness

Bottom Line Up Front: Fickleness of Man vs. Faithfulness of God

Introduction: Again, I was studying Exodus 32. It is one of the most referenced pieces of Scripture and world literature. And it’s for good reasons. Here are just (6) themes we discover therein: 1) the fickleness of man; 2) empty promises vs. steadfastness; 3) the patience of God; 4) the forgiveness of God; 5) the judgment of God; and 6) the necessity of a mediator between holy God and sinful people. I just want to focus on one right now—the fickleness of man.

I’m assuming readers have some familiarity with the historical context of what’s going on at this point in the history of Old Testament Israel and their exodus from bondage in pagan Egypt. When we pick up the narrative history in Exodus 32, Old Testament Israel has again and again witnessed God deliver them. Their duty was to trust the Lord rather than the schemes of man.

And their human mediator has been the great man of God, Moses. You’d think they would be faithful to trust Moses, the one who was with them through it all. Moses was the one who petitioned the Lord on their behalf. Moses was the one who went before Pharaoh. Moses was the one who was the true shepherd. Moses was the one who labored for the people and endured the long days and nights on behalf of those he represented. And arguably the most important role Moses served was as the human mediator, the nexus, the go-between Old Testament Israel and holy God.

So, Moses was on the mountain in verse 1 of Exodus 32, and what do we see when Moses is gone from the people’s sight? They go to someone else and say, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. 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” (Ex 32:1b, ESV). Folks, that should break our hearts. It does mine. The very people Moses served betrayed him. They went to Moses’ brother and demanded he provide for their idolatrous hearts. Fickleness. No steadfastness from the crowds. Just hiding in numbers. No courage, just mob cowardice.

Encouragement/takeaway: And yet God … When you get to verse 11 of Exodus 32, we’ll see one of the other great themes in this chapter: the patience of God. But for now, I just want to leave you with this: Many people do a lot of talking, a lot of ‘professing’ faithfulness, but few are consistently faithful. Scripture puts it this way: “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” (Pr 20:6, ESV). There is One who was and is faithful through and through, folks. God has demonstrated who that is. He was faithful unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8, ESV).