Moses on the Mount

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11: 1

Things were great,

It’d really worked out

he had worked, he had struggled

and all with no doubt

 

He built an empire

strong and true

He loved his God

and his people too

He worked with faith

and spent his time

fully dedicated

to life sublime

 

The people admired

the loving dad

his beautiful family

shared all they had

success must be

a thing to give

not to hoard

a sad life to live.

 

He loved by example

and thus, was blessed

Life was easy

not much stress.

 

He grew in wealth

his business too

Many people

lives brand new

In spite of others

that jeered n’ sneered

He loved the Lord

without any fear

He spoke His name

in public places

and loved to see

the shocked, awed faces

His outward faith

was no match

for others that scoffed

became unlatched

His unwavering faith

and bravery

a great example

for all to see.

 

 

Then came the day

a trip to make

His Number 1

the company take

“I trust you with

the people here.

I’ll be back

in about a year.”

You’ve watch me guide

the people through

ups and downs.

Do as I do.”

 

Off he went

and things went smooth

until some folks

lost their groove

started mumbling

It’s not the same

we need more

fingers pointing blame.

“why did he go?

and leave us here?”

“We need more.”

started breeding fear.

 

Prayer was lost

chaos erupted

rules were bent

Minds so corrupted.

 

Number 1

intimidated

by the masses

self-litigated

Money was spewing

left and right

God was lost

like a thief in the night.

The company was drowning

in sin and fear

Newspapers wrote

of the toxic smear.

 

Word spread quickly

Mr. Moses’ way

he packed his bags

and began to pray.

 

He couldn’t believe

eyes full of rage

“How!?” he screamed

and tore the page

from his rule book

established with God!

How is it possible

you’d act so flawed?”

I was gone for a bit

to give you more,

and now you act

like a spoiled score?!

A bunch of animals

left stricken with fear

how dare you take God

from a place so dear

I worked for this

I put in time!

and now you repay me

with unbearable crime?

“You ungrateful sheep

all left covered in mud

how dare you Aaron?

you are my blood!

my number 1

Left to guide with grace

and now you stand there

Shame on your face

Only God can hold tight

an empire like this

you left Him behind?”

teeth clenched, so dismissed.

 

He walked away slowly

“Forgive them?” he asked

The sins of his people,

eyes sad and downcast.

 

Scolded some

fired more

Hung his head

sinful score

 

He spoke to his God

heartbroken and sad

He spoke like a child

advice from his dad.

 

How feeble they were

when I was away.

Yet, they knew I was working

advancement – new way!

Consumed by doubt,

the second I left?

Do they really have faith?

or their words, just bereft.

 

He turned back to his people

and arms lifted above

he spoke with these words

Still ringing, true love!

Faith lies in trusting

not believing with sight

Power in knowing

faith loves with all might.

It comes from your soul

from down-deep inside

It’s not a person,

or object, he lovingly cried!

 

Tears poured down his face

His truth spread far

changes made instantly

like a permanent scar

 

Keep your eyes upon GOD

the creator of life

Or this is your future,

full of trouble n’ strife.

 

He brought back faith

guided sheep back to God

Remembered his mission

and the road he had trod.

 

He cleaned up the mess

of those who had lost

Faith is a gift

not something that’s tossed

Weakness is forgetting

and strength can’t forget

constantly working

we can never let

fear overcome us,

remain strong against sin

lest devilish temptation

overcome deep within.

 

With all he could muster

Mr. Moses lived strong

and his legacy still lives

in parable and song

---

Exodus 32

The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods^[e] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”

² Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,^[f] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” ⁶ So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. ⁸ They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’

⁹ “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-neckedpeople. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

¹⁵ Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. ¹⁶ The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

¹⁷ When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”

¹⁸ Moses replied:

¹⁹ When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

²¹ He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”

²² “Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. ²³ They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ ²⁴ So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

²⁵ Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. ²⁶ So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.

²⁷ Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” ²⁸ The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.²⁹ Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”

³⁰ The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

³¹ So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. ³² But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”

³³ The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. ³⁴ Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”

³⁵ And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.