A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

While Moses and Joshua ascended the mountain to get the stone tablets of the Law and
the pattern of the tabernacle, the camp was left in the control of Aaron and Hur. But forty days
seemed a long time to the Hebrews at the base of the mountain and they began to wonder if
Moses had left them or had been harmed in some way. Their reaction to the delay of Moses was
to return to the ways of Egypt. They convinced Aaron to make them a golden calf and developed
a new religion around their new idol (Ex. 32:1-6).
That the Israelites could apostatize just over a month from having heard the audible voice
of God stirred up the wrath of God. The Lord told Moses to return to the camp adding, “Now
therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And
I will make of you a great nation” (v. 10). This was not an idle threat, as the Scripture later
affirms: “Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood
before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them” (Ps. 106:23). But Moses
interceded for the people and God preserved Israel from destruction.
But the sin of Israel was not without its consequences. In his anger, Moses smashed the
stone tablets of the Law written by the finger of God (Ex. 32:19). About 3,000 men who refused
to identify the Lord as their God after worshiping the golden calf were killed by the Levites (vv.
27-28). Moses had to call the nation to repentance and return up the mountain himself to get a
second copy of the Law before the tabernacle could be built.
The people demonstrated that their repentance was genuine by their response when called
on to give gifts for the building of the tabernacle. Moses asked them to give some of the spoils
they had taken from Egypt that a suitable worship center could be built for the nation. After the
appeal, “then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing,
and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service,
and for the holy garments” (35:21). So great was the voluntary response of the people that Moses
had to eventually ask them to stop giving (36:6). They had more than enough raw material to
complete the construction of the tabernacle under the skillful leadership of Bezalel and Oholiab,
two individuals called of God to specifically accomplish this task. Bezalel was the grandson of
Hur and is the first man in Scripture said to be filled with the Spirit of God demonstrating the
necessity of the fullness of the Holy Spirit for any work for God regardless of its nature (35:31).
Oholiab was of the tribe of Dan and like his counterpart from Judah, noted for his wise heart and
skill of craftsmanship (v. 35).