The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-26
1.-THE Amor of NIoses.


After the FIRST burst Of establishment, shame
and sorrow had flooded his heart, there burst
up a very volcano Of anger for it is recorded
that Moses anger waved hot" Some have
been disposed to censure Moses for this out
burst OF anger supposing that il was the result
Of his naturally nasty temper (for that was
Characteristic Of Moses, as witness the Staying
OF the Egyptians in jIis carly days. and his fatal
shifting Of the rock in his later years., q temper
which lie had SO far under government that
he had the title of 1.-THE meekest man" We
do not take this view of the case. His anger
was legitimate and proper. He was not angry
OH his own account, but on Gods account. He
was angry because of their sin. In his hands
he had a testimony from God the first words
OF which solemnly forbade them to make any
craven image, or to worship any other God
beside jehovah; and right here, before his
eyes, they were shatterDg that commandment
to pieces and trampling it under their feet.
Now he understood why God wanted to destroy
them. Now he saw as God had seen in tho
mountain. He had but interceded for them,
and thus he sees them wallowing In sin. lie
was meek man, o loving man, man who
had been ready to die for them; a man who
had won their lives by his intercession. 1t was
not personal proyocation, but burning and
righteous indignation and wrath. 1t Just tip
ifes little that wrath OF the Lamb" which
will barn against the persistent rejeeters of
grace and mercy at the last day Qtey. vi, 16,
II; xvi, 49,.
2.--TuE OCCASION or IT'S ANGER.
We have just stated in a general way what
this was the sin Of the people in worshiping
calf, the work Of their own hands. This was
their outward transgression. 1t will be worth
our while to analyze little the sin Of their
hearts, lying back OF their actions. (a) 1t ex-
posed IAN evil heart of unbelief in departing
from tho Living God" which was, in fact at
the bottom of all the ten great transgressons
laid against them during their wilderness wan
behring's (Nun xiv, 22). In "theif hearts they
had turned back to Egypt" from which tho
Lord had delivered them (Acts vii, 80; they
their old sins, and had returned, "like dog
to his yomit and sow to her wallowing in the
mire." % They had yielded to their senses,
and allowed them to assert their supremacy
over their faith. Losing sight OF Noses they
lost sight of God. Their old carnal tendencies
were reaSsorting themselves, and they were
practicing the denominations of Egypt from
which they had been delivered. The ingrained
evil habits of their nature were allowed to havo
sway over what they knew to be the better
life. (c) Their sin was aggravated by the fact
that they were shining under an hypocritiCal
pretense of still worshiping tho Lord even as
Jeroboam caused Israel to sin in after times
q. Kings Xiii, 1874. They were worshiping
their own idols, while pretending to serve God.
A sin which Is fearfully common today, though
the golden calf is not visibly set up. Their sin
was further aggravated by the double fact that
they had but recently, and in the most solemn
manner, pledged themselves to the service of
Jehovah, and at the very time Moses was in
the mount on their behalf, and God was doing
wonders for them; the very time when, of all
Others they should have been prayerfully and
patiently waiting on God.
MANIFESTATION OF HIS ANGER.
Moses manifested his anger in two ways:
(a) He cast down the tables of stone out of his
hands them n " q
most m0mentons action. 1t was not an I'M
advised one, as some have thought. True, it
was n most solemn responsibility to have
taken. How sacred and precious those tables
were, given as they were, amid the awful
splendors of that interview with God the work
OF God, aud the writing Of God, as they We're.
But in speaking of the action later, Moses does
not speak as though he had done a rash thing
(Deut, tx, 1920, which ought to be read most
carefully with this lesson), but a well-advised
thing. Why should he have not thus, by tragic
action clearly set before their eyes their dread
full sin? They had first broken that holy law
by. their idolatry, and nov po shows them
what they have DONE all the moro surely
because tho tables wero SO sacred, and had
been so solemny received from Gods hand.
Hepcetorth theywere &c live and be dealt with
under a broken law. This, as has h5tn said,
"hltmgiy SETS forth the Laws entrance into
sinful and SHINING world" (b) "And he took
the calf which they had made, and ground it
10 POWDER anu tnaue INC cAIlOfen OF Israel
drink Of it," Moses had no difficulty in quell-
ing that mob of idoatrers, and bringing them
into sUbiccticn. His tragic action in breaking
the tables Of stone in their sight was followed
by his commanding presence in the midst of
the camp. With his face flushed with anger,
and his eyes blazing with holy wrath, he
quickly cowed their coward and conscience
stricken hearts. Tearing the calf from the
pedestal, he cast it into the furnace in which
II was originally fired, until it was calcined;
then strewing it upon the waters of the brook
flowing Through the camp, compelled them to
drink it with the water. BY This act he at
once Inundated both them and their god,
SLOWING them what contemplate thing it
was. Compelling thom to drink the dust of
lesson that they must cat of the fruit of their
own doings. Verify, the way of the trans
gressor is hard. The pride and naughtiness of
sin shall be brought down, the sinner is huml-
lated, and made TO eat the bitter fruit of his
sin. As man sows so shall he reap. No
small pant of onc's punishment in this life. and
in the life TO come, is in the reaping OF tho
harvest himself hath Sown.