Seder 70: Exodus 32:32---The Book of Life

 After Moses, with the assistance of his Levite brethren, succeeded in bringing order to the camp of Israel after the sin of the golden calf, he still had to deal with the rift that this sin had created in Israel's relationship with God. The problem is reflected in the language of Exodus 32:7 and Exodus 33:1, where God refers to "your people" and "the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt.'   

Although he is angry with the Israelites, Moses expresses his solidarity with them.  In Exodus 32:32, Moses says that if God is not willing to forgive the nation, then he should blot Moses' name out of his book as well.  As commentator Douglas Stuart points out, Moses is not offering here to die in place of the Israelites; instead, he is offering to die along with them. 

God answers that it is those who have sinned whose names will be removed from the book (verse 33).  

In verses 32-33, it is assumed that God has a listing of everyone who has life, and that it is possible for God to remove names from that listing.  This concept of a "book of life" appears a number of times in the Bible (Ps 69:28; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27).  The book of Revelation says that in the judgment, it is those whose names are in the book of life who will receive eternal salvation, while those removed from the book will suffer the "second death" (Rev 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8). 

Stuart notes some theological consequences of the Bible's discussion of the book of life.  For one thing, Exodus 32:33 implies that since all of us have sinned, all of us need to be forgiven in order to have a place in the book of life.  Moreover, we all start out in the book of life; all have the potential to be saved (1 Tim 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9).  And our names will remain there if we continue in faith and obedience throughout our lives.

Seder 70 Sermon: Spiritual Rollercoaster

 In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on May 31, 2025, Kyle Kettering observed that all of us experience  highs and lows in life.  There is a graphic illustration in the life of Moses during the Exodus, with his altitude reflecting his circumstances.  Ascending Mount Sinai and receiving revelation from God marked a high point for Moses.  Descending the mountain and facing the chaos in the Israelite camp (Ex 32) was a low point.  

Another example comes from the life of David.  His time of fleeing for his life from King Saul was a low point, and his rescue from danger was a high point.  He praised God for that rescue in 2 Samuel 22(= Psalm 18). 

The lows we experience, Kyle noted, can be brought about by 

• our own sin.
• circumstances of life.
• God. 

  In a low point caused by our own sin, our proper response is repentance, with restoration being the goal. Lows resulting from life circumstances or a test from God are opportunities to grow in faith and in our relationship with God.  When we recognize the nature of our ups and downs and respond appropriately, we can turn the undulations of life into a positive.

Seder 70: Psalm 48---A Zion Psalm

 Biblical theology joins the universal and the particular.  The Great King of the Universe and Creator of the Cosmos is also the God of Israel, choosing to work with the nations of the world by means of a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. 

We see this juxtaposition of universal and particular in Zion Psalms like Psalm 48, in which Jerusalem is the "city of the great King," where God is present and from which he rules the world.  Citizens of that city have special reason to praise him for his presence,  protection (verse 3). love, and righteousness (verses 9-11).  

God's presence produces terror in the hearts of those who oppose him (verses 4-7), and joy in the hearts of his followers (verses 9-11).  

This psalm was traditionally sung at the Temple on Mondays and may have been written for use during a pilgrim festival.  It is one of the psalms of the sons of Korah.  These psalms sometimes contain hints of resurrection, reflecting the fact that the sons of Korah were resecued from death when their father was swallowed up by the ground.   

Psalm 48 is one of those that hints at the reality of resurrection.  It concludes by asserting "He will guide us forever" (verse 14).  Another possible translation, as an ESV footnote explains, is, "He will guide us beyond death."  The midrash on Psalm 48 explains the verse by saying that God guides us in two worlds---that is, this world and the world to come.

Seder 70: Descending the Mountain---Exodus 32-33 and Luke 9

 After God prepared Moses for what was happening in the Israelite camp, it was time for Moses to descend Mount Sinai and face the situation there.  

Even though he had heard what was coming, seeing what was happening in the Israelite camp angered him.  He dashed the two stone tablets to the ground, an action that symbolized Israel's breaking of the covenant.  

He then had the golden calf burned up and ground to powder, and he had the Israelites drink the water containing the powder (Ex 32:19-20).  An interesting midrash suggests this action was a sort of test of spiritual adultery analogous to the ceremony of Numbers 5.  According to this midrash, when the instigators of the golden calf sin drank the water, there was a physical manifestation that identified them. 

In any case, when Moses asked for those on God's side to identify themselves, his fellow Levites stepped forward, and they killed those most responsible for the idolatrous actions (vv 25-29).  The zeal of the tribe of Levi has both positive and negative aspects in the Torah, depending on the object at which that zeal is directed.  We see the negative side of Levi's zeal in the massacre at Shechem (Gen 34; cf Gen 49:5-7).  We see the positive side here and in the decisive actions of Phinehas later (Num 25).        

Order was restored in the camp, but there was still a major rift in Israel's relationship with God.  Knowing this, Moses continued to intercede on behalf of the people.  

God made the problem clear when he announced that although he would be sending an angel to guide them, he himself would not be accompanying them (Ex 33:1-3).  The angel described in Exodus 33 is therefore a lesser one than the one described in Ex 23:20-22, since the presence of the angel in Exodus 23 would constitute God's presence.  The angel in Exodus 23 is in some sense Yahweh in visual form, perhaps a Christophany.     

At this point Moses met with God at a tent outside the Israelite camp, again showing the broken relationship.  Israel's removing of ornaments (Ex 33:4-6) represented a humbling before God, a first step toward repentance.  

As Moses continued to intercede, the relationship between God and Moses was deepening, leaving Moses with a longing to understand and experience even more.  God agreed to show Moses more, making clear that there were limitations to what Moses would be able to handle (vv 12-23).  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on August 28, 2021, Kyle Kettering drew analogies between Moses' Sinai experience and the experience of the disciples of Jesus at the Transfiguration (Luke 9).  On the mount of transfiguration Jesus met with Moses and Elijah, both of whom had had important encounters with God on a mountain.  

Kyle shared a fascinating midrash, recorded in Numbers Rabbah, that comments on Psalm 24:10, which refers to God as the "king of glory".  The midrash notes that God shares his glory with those who fear him.  For example, Moses is called a god before Pharaoh (Ex 7:1), and Elijah is enabled to raise the dead, a prerogative of God (I Kings 17:23).  The midrash goes on to say that God would dress the Messiah in his own robes, using Ps 21:5 as a proof text.  The transfiguration, where the Messiah is glorified and spends time with Moses and Elijah, was a striking example of this.

After Peter, James, and John experienced the transfiguration, they had to descend the mountain and work with the problems of those waiting at the foot of the mountain, as Moses had.  Kyle made the point that we do not live on a mountain, but in a world that needs us.  After sharing in God's glory at times of worship, we should in turn share that glory with others.