Exodus 32 Bible Study Questions

What caused the people to ask Aaron to make gods for them and how did Aaron respond?
Read Exodus 19:8, and 24:3. What had the people sworn to do prior to asking for gods to be made? What caused the people to act differently in the face of God’s great deliverance from Egypt and what they had sworn to do?
In verse 7, who did the Lord say the people belonged to and what was the Lord’s plan to deal with the people?
How did Moses respond to the Lord’s wrath?
What promise did Moses recall and ask God to remember? (See Genesis 12).
Did God need Moses to remind him of His promises? Why or why not?
Define the word anthropomorphism. How might this apply to verse 14 “So the Lord relented concerning the disaster he said he would bring on his people”?
Read Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Psalm 102:25-27, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 1:10, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17. What can be learned about God’s character from these verses and how does the truth of these verses impact your understanding of God in Exodus 32?
What does it mean to hold truths in tension and how might this phrase apply to this chapter?
How did God sovereignly work in Moses’s life in this situation to make him more like the greater mediator to come, Jesus?
How did Moses deal with the people when he descended the mountain?
How did Aaron blame others for his poor decisions and lack of wisdom?
How do you see the gospel in the interactions between God, Moses and the people?

Application:

When have I become impatient with or forgetful about God despite the faithfulness and deliverance He has shown me?
What does God want me to learn about the importance of prayer from Exodus 32?
How has God used and continues to use prayer to purify me?
Would others say I am more concerned with the Lord’s reputation and glory rather than my own personal comfort or future? If yes, why? If no, what needs to change?
Charles Spurgeon said “God never permits his people to sin successfully”. How have I seen God work like this in my own life?