Righteous Anger (Exodus 32:15-35)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
4 May 2025
God is love but he can also be angry---righteously so! He was angry with Israel because it made an image of a calf and worshipped it.
Idolatry is a breaking of God’s law. But Israel at the time did not have the Ten Commandments engraved on stone. Was God unjust in punishing Israel? No.
Although Israel did not have the Ten Commandments in tablet form they had the moral law of God in their hearts. The law is written in the conscience of every human being. In Eden the Lord punished Cain for killing his brother Abel. It was because Cain had the moral law in his conscience. Murder is a sin. Cain knew it. God judged it. The moral law is eternal.
How does God manifest his wrath? It is expressed ordinarily or extraordinarily.
Ordinarily, by the use of human institution. God institutes governments to punish evildoers. Also, he uses the church to exercise discipline among its members. The church and the state have authority to deal with evildoers. This is the ordinary way God manifests his righteous anger.
But extraordinarily God may use phenomenon to punish people. Here in Exodus he plagued the people for what they did with the calf.
In the midst of God’s wrath there was hope. Moses interceded for Israel. Intercession is crucial for through it God’s wrath can be appeased.
The great need in our land today is for intercessory prayer to turn away God’s wrath.
Moses prayed a remarkable prayer. He was willing to be blotted out of the book of life if God would forgive Israel. Moses offered himself as a substitute for Israel. Moses points us to Jesus who willingly died as a substitute for the sins of his people.
God’s wrath is meted out and Israel marches on. Moses’ intercession prevails. Jesus’ intercession prevails for us. We progress by Christ’s righteousness not self righteousness.
Jesus is our substitute. He has died in the place of lawbreakers. We are unworthy lawbreakers but Christ is the worthy lawkeeper. God’s wrath has been appeased totally because Jesus gave his life totally.
Have you faced up to your accountability before God? Moses held Aaron accountable for succumbing to the people’s sinful desires. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of our lives.
Have you separated from your sins? Moses called for people to separate from evildoers and join him. Have you separated from sinful things and joined God’s people?
Is Jesus your substitute? He is the only substitute between us and a holy God. Your works will not be your substitute. Your Pastor, parents and pals cannot substitute for you. Jesus the great mediator is the only substitute. He has died for people like you. Repent of your unbelief. Come to him. Rest in him. There is no condemnation if you are in Christ Jesus.