Moses was in the presence of God, receiving the Ten Commandments, hearing the Law of God outlined for the nation of Israel. Sadly, while this was going on, the people grew restless and assumed the worst had befallen Moses. They reverted back to a familiar religious mindset, worshipping an object.-------------The irony was, of course, that as God commanded not to have other gods before Him and not to make a graven image, that was exactly what they were doing.-------------Moses played an active role in interceding for the nation while at the same time, he was addressing their sin and calling out for any who truly wanted to be on the Lord's side. The story stands as a sobering reminder of how quickly we can wander from true worship and commitment, but fortunately, it also is a blessed reminder of opportunity to come back to His side.
