In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared how the Levites said Jehovah God cared for the people of Israel by delivering them from Egypt, however they, “refused to obey, neither were mindful of your wonders that you did among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsook them not”, and in chapter nine and verse eighteen of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said the Levites shared what happened, “when they had made them a molten calf” where we read,
Yes, when they had made them a molten calf, and said,
This is your God that brought you up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;
The verse reads, “Yes, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, ...” Nehemiah began with the words, “yes, when they had made them a molten calf” which means “even so and indeed, at the time and moment they, the people of Israel, had fashioned, produced and prepared a melted and liquified metal bull offspring or calf”, “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed” the following words. Nehemiah shared how the Levites referred to the time the people of Israel formed a “bull-calf” out of liquified metal and uttered the following words.
The verse goes on to say, “.... This is your God that brought you up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;” Nehemiah continued with the words, “this is your God” or “this bull-calf exists as your, the people of Israel's Supreme Deity” “that brought you up” which means “who carried and withdrew you, the people of Israel” “out of Egypt” or “separate and apart from Egypt whose name means land of the copts and is a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows”, “and had wrought great provocations” which means “and fashioned, accomplished and produced exceedingly mighty and loud acts of contempt and blasphemy”. Nehemiah shared how the people of Israel were told that the “molten bull-calf” was their Supreme Deity who withdrew them from the land of “Egypt” and this caused them to have mighty acts of contempt toward God. (See Exodus 32:4-8)
When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Nehemiah how the Levites recalled when the people of Israel asked Aaron the priest to make them a god because they did not know what happened with Moses. Aaron collected gold from the people, melted it and fashioned a “bull-calf” out of the gold. Afterward, Aaron showed them the “bull-calf” and told them this was their Supreme Deity who delivered them from the country of “Egypt”. That was not the truth, and even so God continued to seek a personal relationship with them. God does the same with anyone who has made objects other than Him as their “god”, and because this is sin that results in death (See Romans 3:23; 6:23), He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the entire world. He was raised to life again after three days so all who put their faith and trust in Him will be forgiven of their sins, granted everlasting life and made to know that Jehovah God is God alone and no one or nothing else delivers like Him.
Next time Nehemiah shares how the Levites said of Jehovah God, “in your manifold mercies forsook them not”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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