The God Whisperer

So, I've been chugging along in the ol' King James for a little while now, and just the other night, I finally finished the book of Exodus. Before sinking my teeth into the statistic-driven Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, I figured I'd talk a little bit about my favorite moment in the good book so far.

It occurs in Exodus 32.7, and it is one of the most surprising moments I've experienced in the bible so far. To paraphrase: God is pissed, because the stupid Israelites cast a golden calf and are worshiping it. He says this line:


"Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation." (Ex 32.10)

This isn't the most remarkable part of the story, but if we can ignore the fact that God is behaving like an angsty 12-year-old, and that somehow God is going to make a great nation out of Moses (I guess he can divide asexually or something).

But here is where this becomes the most awesome moment so far:

"But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, 'O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?'" (Ex 32.11)

And what does God do? Well. The God who wiped out the entire earth with a flood, the God who smites arbitrarily, the God of Sodom and Gomorrah--he changes his mind. Quote once again:


"And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people."

This is the most important story I've seen so far in the book, the most important parable. God, the mighty, the incredible, the creator, is wrong. He sees that what he plans to do might be a little much. He is fallible, and through others, he has seen the right (whatever that is). This is the essence of the mythology: the lesson.

Incredibly compelling stuff.

Forget the part where Moses goes down and orders his people to kill each other.

P.S. I will try to have the notes for today up later tonight.