Day 116 of Immerse: The Golden Calf and Moses' Intercession

In Day 116 of the Immerse Bible Reading Experience, we delve into the dramatic events following Moses' prolonged stay on Mount Sinai. The Israelites, impatient for Moses' return, pressure Aaron into creating a golden calf idol from their gold jewelry. Celebrating the idol with feasting and pagan revelry, they invoke God's anger. God informs Moses of the people's corruption and expresses His intent to destroy them. Moses intercedes, reminding God of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which leads God to relent. Moses returns, destroys the calf, and rebukes Aaron. In a severe action, the Levites, following Moses' command, execute 3,000 people for the sin. Moses again intercedes for the people's forgiveness. God promises to lead them to the promised land through an angel but warns of the consequences of their stubbornness. He sends a plague in response to their idolatry. As they continue their journey, Moses sets up the tent of meeting where he converses with God face-to-face, a remarkable testament to his leadership and the intimate connection he shares with God. This episode underscores themes of faith, obedience, leadership, and intercession.

00:00 Introduction to the Daily Bible Reading
00:04 The Golden Calf Incident
01:55 Moses Intercedes for the People
03:34 Moses Confronts Aaron and the People
04:38 The Levites' Loyalty and Consequences
05:29 Moses Seeks Forgiveness for the People
06:32 God's Instructions and the Tent of Meeting
08:48 Conclusion and Farewell

Welcome to Immerse: Beginnings! Buy a copy of Immerse Beginnings at Tyndale.com

• And for the full 16 week plan, visit https://www.immersebible.com/beginnings-16-week/

4 Questions to get your conversations started:
1. What stood out to you this week?
2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?
3. Did anything make you think differently about God?
4. How might this change the way we live?

QUICK START GUIDE
3 ways to get the most out of your experience

1. Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.
2. Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together
   for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open,
   honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.
3. Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 483) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”