Be Angry But Don’t Sin

One of the most powerful moments in Torah is when Moses is on his way down from Mount Sinai with the Tablets he had received from G-D. As he is walking down the mountain, he hears the noise of the people shouting. At first, he thinks it sounds like a war taking place, but as he gets closer to the people, he hears that it wasn't a battle but rather people singing and dancing as they worshipped the Golden Calf. When he gets to the point where he sees the people, as we read in Exodus, his anger burned hot and he threw the tablets out of his hands and smashed them at the foot of the mountain. 

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭32‬:‭15‬-‭19‬ “Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides, on one and on the other. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war within the camp.” But Moses said: “It is not the voice of a shout of victory, nor is it the voice of crying from defeat, but I hear the sound of singing.” Then it happened, as soon as Moses came near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing, and his anger burned hot. So he threw the tablets out of his hands, and smashed them at the foot of the mountain.”

Most Bible believers are familiar with the above passages and have heard Rabbis or Pastors preach messages about the event. Most often, they focus on the sin of the people as they worshipped the Golden Calf or the righteous anger of Moses as he broke the tablets. Very few share about the amazing grace and mercy Moses showed towards the people of Israel when he broke those tablets. The focus is almost always on Moses’ anger and hardly ever focused on Moses’ act of mercy. Yet, it is in Moses’ act of grace and mercy that we were provided an example of how we are supposed to respond when we see people acting sinfully, especially those who proclaim to be Yeshua’s disciples.

To understand the example that Moses demonstrated for us, we must remember what he was doing on the mountain to begin with. By the time Moses goes up the mountain to meet with G-D and receive the Tablets, the events of Exodus 19:5-8 have already happened. The people of Israel had already heard the voice of G-D speaking from the mountain and they had already said, “Everything that Adonai has spoken, we will do.”

Exodus 19:5 Now then, if you listen closely to My voice, and keep My covenant, then you will be My own treasure from among all people, for all the earth is Mine.

6 So as for you, you will be to Me a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you are to speak to Bnei-Yisrael.” 7 So Moses went, called for the elders of the people, and put before them all these words that Adonai had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “Everything that Adonai has spoken, we will do.” Then Moses reported the words of the people to Adonai.

Moses had also read the Scroll of the covenant and had read it to the people to which they once again replied, “All that Adonai has spoken, we will do and obey.”

Exodus 24:7 He took the Scroll of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. Again they said, “All that Adonai has spoken, we will do and obey.”

But that didn’t complete the covenant process with Adonai as we continue reading in Exodus 24. G-D then tells Moses to come up onto the Mountain where he would receive the Tablets with the Torah and the mitzvot.

Exodus 24:12 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the Torah and the mitzvot, which I have written so that you may instruct them.”

It was these tablets that Moses was carrying down the mountain when he heard and then saw the people worshipping the Golden Calf. We know that it was these tablets that Moses broke in his anger. But most of us don’t think deeper into why Moses broke the tablets and it is the “why” that shows us the level of love, grace, and mercy Moses had for his people.

These Tablets were the final contract between G-D and the Israelites. They had earlier agreed to the terms and conditions of the covenant in Exodus 20 and 24. But what Moses was carrying down the mountain was the covenant written on stone by the hand of G-D. When Moses came down the mountain and saw his people worshipping a Golden Calf and violating the terms of the covenant he was carrying to them, he burned with anger. Instead of calling on G-D to pour out from heaven to kill all of them, something that Moses and G-D had previously discussed in Exodus 32:9-10, Moses breaks the Tablets.

Exodus 32:9 Adonai said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore, leave Me alone, so My wrath may burn hot against them, and so I may consume them—and make from you a great nation!”

In essence, Moses tore up the covenant contract before he delivered it to the Israelites and temporarily voided the agreement. Moses even filled with burning anger over the horrendous sin of his people and did the one thing that would keep them from being utterly destroyed for their sin. Even in the midst of his anger, Moses chose to provide grace and mercy towards those he loved and served. If he had delivered the Tablets intact to the people, they would have fallen under the signed and sealed terms of the covenant and judgement would have rained upon them. Instead of letting that happen, Moses purposefully broke the Tablets.

It is my hope that we, the body of Messiah, would learn from Moses’ actions and understand that it is perfectly acceptable to be angry when we see the sinful actions of those who are part of the people of G-D. However, our anger should cause us to respond in such a way that we do everything possible to offer them the grace and mercy they need so they can turn back to G-D in repentance and receive forgiveness. I believe that this is what Paul meant when in Ephesians 4:26-27 he wrote: 26 “ Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 nor give the devil a foothold.”

So, in reality, Moses didn’t break the tablets because he was angry. He was angry because he loved his people. He broke the tablets in a demonstration of his love, providing us with a lesson we all should learn from.