God spared Israel after the golden calf on the basis of His own sovereign mercy, not because Israel deserved it.
Les Feldick shows that Israel's idolatry and immorality made them worthy of destruction, yet God did not wipe them out. Instead, God exercised His sovereign right to say, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy," and He spared the nation while still plaguing the people who sinned.
Exodus 32:33-35 — God's response to Moses reveals that He would not blot out the whole nation, but He still visited their sin upon them.
After Israel made the golden calf, Moses pleaded with God for the people. God answered, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book" (Exodus 32:33). He then told Moses to go and lead the people, but added, "Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them" (Exodus 32:34). The record immediately adds, "And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made" (Exodus 32:35). Paul later quotes God's words to Moses in Romans: "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy" (Romans 9:15-16). The Scripture presents God's sparing of Israel as an act of His own sovereign mercy, not as a reward for Israel's behavior.
Les emphasizes that the golden calf incident was blatant pagan idolatry and gross immorality. When Moses came down the mountain, the people were dancing in all their lewdness. Les says, "What could and should God have done with them? One thought and they would have been gone." Yet God did not destroy them. Les connects this to God's sovereignty. God is righteous and never unfair, but He is sovereign and can do whatever He wants. He said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." The basis for Israel's preservation was therefore mercy alone. Les also notes that God forgave the vile sin of the golden calf. When Israel later failed at Kadesh-Barnea, God did not remind them of their immorality; He pointed to their unbelief. Still, God did not simply ignore the calf: He plagued the people while sparing the nation.
Israel demanded a god to worship while Moses was on Mount Sinai, and Aaron made a golden calf from their gold. When Moses came down, Les describes them as dancing in all their lewdness with seductive, immoral behavior taking place. It was open, pagan idolatry of the worst kind.
God is absolutely sovereign, but He is also righteous and will never do anything unfair. In the golden calf incident, God had every right to destroy Israel on the spot, but He chose compassion. As Paul explains, God said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." The mercy came from God's own sovereign choice, not from Israel's worthiness.
No. God did not blot out the nation, but He told Moses, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." He also said that when He visits, He will visit their sin upon them, and He plagued the people because they had made the calf. God's mercy preserved the nation, but the sin of those who made the calf was not simply overlooked.
A few months later, at Kadesh-Barnea, Israel refused to enter the Promised Land. Les points out that God did not remind them of the golden calf or their immorality. Instead, God's charge was unbelief: "To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?" The golden calf sin could be forgiven; unbelief was the issue that kept that generation from entering God's rest.
God's Sovereign Right to Mercy
Les explains that God is sovereign and righteous, and His mercy is His own choice — "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy" — which is the principle behind God sparing Israel after their sin.
Mercy Instead of Wiping Out Israel
Les recalls the golden calf scene of lewd dancing and immorality and says God could have wiped them out with one thought; instead He showed compassion and mercy because He is sovereign.
Recent Context of the Golden Calf
Les notes that the golden calf incident was only a few months before Israel's unbelief at Kadesh-Barnea, showing how quickly the nation slipped back into sin.
God Didn't Mention the Immorality
At Kadesh-Barnea, Les says God did not remind Israel of their golden calf immorality; the issue was their unbelief, even though the idolatrous scene had been gross.
Israel’s Title Deed: Understanding God's Covenant in Genesis 15
But ere they crossed the River Jordan, God gave explicit instructions to the nation of Israel, don't leave a single Canaanite alive. Unfair? Unjust? No. Because they've had 400 years to clean up their act. But instead of cleaning up their act, they degenerated down, down, down, until finally God, in justice, could tell Israel, don't spare a one.
The Golden Calf Could Be Forgiven
Les teaches that God could forgive the vile sin of the golden calf; what He later held against Israel was unbelief when they refused to enter the land.
Spared the Nation but Plagued the People
Les shows that God answered Moses by not blotting out the nation, but He did say He would visit their sin upon them, and the Lord plagued the people.
Mercy That Does Not Depart
Les applies God's promise to David and Solomon to the nation of Israel: even when Israel is chastened, God's mercy does not depart from them.
Exodus 32:33: And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Shows that the nation was spared, but individual sinners were still accountable.
Exodus 32:34: Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
God tells Moses to continue leading Israel, while warning that their sin would still be visited.
Exodus 32:35: And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
God's mercy spared the nation, but He immediately sent a plague for the calf.
Romans 9:15-16: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Paul quotes God's words to Moses to show that mercy is God's sovereign choice, not human effort.
Hebrews 3:18: And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Shows that the wilderness generation was excluded because of unbelief, not because of the golden calf immorality.
2 Samuel 7:15: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
Les applies this promise to the nation of Israel: even when chastised, God's mercy does not depart.
According to Les Feldick, God could forgive the vile sin of the golden calf. He did not blot out the nation, although He did say He would visit their sin upon them, and He plagued the people who made the calf.
Les says God had every right to destroy them and could have done so with one thought. But because God is sovereign, He chose to show compassion and mercy, saying He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy.
No, not at Kadesh-Barnea. Les points out that God did not remind them of the golden calf or the immorality; instead He confronted their unbelief. The golden calf could be forgiven, but unbelief kept that generation from entering His rest.
Watch the Teaching: Why Did God Hate Esau? Romans 9:13 and Sovereignty Explained