Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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humbly earnest with God, though it is but a peradventure that God will give them repentance, 2Ti 2:25.
31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have
sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
How pathetic his address was. Moses returned unto the Lord, not to receive further instructions about the tabernacle: there were no more conferences now about that matter. Thus men's sins and follies make work for their friends and ministers, unpleasant work, many times, and give great interruptions to that work which they delight in. Moses in this address expresses,
His great detestation of the people's sin, Ex 32:31. He speaks as one overwhelmed with the horror of it: Oh! This people have sinned a great sin. God had first told him of it (Ex 32:7), and now he tells God of it, by way of lamentation. He does not call them God's people, he knew they were unworthy to be called so; but this people, this treacherous ungrateful people, they have made for themselves gods of gold. It is a great sin indeed to make gold our god, as those do that make it their hope, and set their heart on it. He does not go about to excuse or extenuate the sin; but what he had said to them by way of conviction he says to God by way of confession: They have sinned a great sin; he came not to make apologies, but to make atonement. "Lord, pardon the sin, for it is great," Ps 25:11.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin —; and if not, blot me, I pray
thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
His great desire of the people's welfare (Ex 32:32): Yet now it is not too great a sin for infinite mercy to pardon, and therefore if thou wilt forgive their sin. What then Moses? It is an abrupt expression, "If thou wilt, I desire no more; if thou wilt, thou wilt be praised, I shall be pleased, and abundantly recompensed for my intercession." It is an expression like that of the dresser of the vineyard (Lu 13:9), If it bear fruit; or, If thou wilt forgive, is as much as, "O that thou wouldest forgive!" as Lu 19:42, If thou hadst known is,