Exodus 17-32

• Israel still lacked trust after all God has done for them, they still think they are going to die in dessert (17:3)

• Jethro rejoices (18:8) for the things the Lord has done followed by giving thanks by burning offering (v12)
• Delegation (v14-27)

You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;

-- Exodus 19:4-5

• God preparing to deliver the commandments (v6-25)

10 Commandments (Exodus 20)

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
3. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
4. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

22 And the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.
23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.
24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

-- Exodus 20:22-24

• He's revealed himself already. So be with him and remember what he says and he'll bring his blessings.

If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him,
3 but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

-- Exodus 22:2-3

• Who wants to purchase a thief as a slave? All the other punishment tend to be monetary compensations in nature, but sorcery is death.
• See how much God gates sorcery? (v18)
• "Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction. (v20)

• Many of these laws form the basis of our laws in society today (23:1-9)

• Their technology must not be bad as they could melt gold and make different things (30:2, 4)
• Was the census tax a symbol for paying for your redemption? It shows God will record you down as his people through the census to ensure his people are protected (v11-16)

• The people remembers what God has done in taking them out of Egypt but they don't have faith (32:1). After losing connection with God through Moses, they have drifted away to anchor their faith on something else. They start making things up (idolatry) to replace God's blessings (v4b). Likewise, if our we do not maintain a healthy relationship with God, we will likewise go astray and lose track of where our faith should be placed.
• Moses pleads for God's people so God's wrath will not come on them. (v11-14) A bit like Jesus as our mediator.
• Aaron finds excuses for making gods for them, blaming their evil nature (v21-24)
• Moses pleads for them, but still submits to God's will (v32).
• God is serious about punishment for sin. He is not some airy-fairy loving figure that just forgets what he says about punishment. "Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made." (v35)