Saturday 06 July 2013

Background

Carrying on from yesterday Moses continues to tell thestory of the sin of the golden calf (see Exodus32), reminding the people of this horrendous turn away fromtheir obedience to God's love. Moses himself had not been involvedin this lapse, which took place when he was still on the mountain,receiving God's commandments. He describes his horror at theiractions, and the very dramatic ways he responded. First, he smashedthe tablets of the law, symbolising the way in which Israel haddisobeyed right at the beginning of their special relationship withGod. Then he lay prostrate in prayer and fasted, for the greatlength of time represented by the phrase "forty days and fortynights" (v. 18). It was only after this long period of prayer thathe actually destroyed the idol which they had made. The accountemphasises its absolute destruction (verse 21) and the way in whichall the gold was lost forever, washed away down the mountain.Though Moses interceded for his people and protected them throughhis prayer, he absolutely refused to accept their sin, and thedestruction of the golden calf makes this vividly clear.

This story takes very seriously the anger of God at those whoare disobedient. The language suggests more than dispassionatejudgement - there is a real sense of God's appalled horror and hurtat what the people have done. However, even such intense, anguishedwrath can be averted by Moses' commitment to pray for his peopleand for Aaron his brother . The whole people is saved through theprayer of one individual who is in a right relationship with God(see Genesis 18:22-32, the story of Abraham's prayerfor Sodom and Gomorrah). Jewish mysticism develops this idea withfolk tales of the '36 righteous people' whose righteousness andhumility prevents the world coming to its end.

Deuteronomy emerged at the end of a long period when Judah hadbeen caught up in idolatry, partly through the rule of a series of'bad kings' (2 Kings 21). When the book was first read, itshearers were horrified to realise how far they had gone wrong (2Kings 22:11). This story reassures its hearers that however badthings have become, there is always the possibility of a renewedrelationship through the prayer of those who trust God.

To Ponder

• Do you think the Church is happier talking about God's lovethan God's anger? Why?

• 'Disaster fails to happen' is not a common headline! So manycan claim that prayer makes no difference. If this passage is rightto suggest that the prayer of God's people can save people from theimpact of their sin, what are the implications for our worship lifeboth as individuals and as Christian communities?