There’s not much to say about Exodus 31-32 except that The Lord has very specific taste in perfume, and is very jealous. But that’s how he describes himself anyway. Anyone caught using his perfume is to be cast out of the tribe. That’s harsh, but not as harsh as killing someone for doing any work on the Sabbath.

Again though, I don’t understand why no one follows these rules any more. These have not been inferred from some more vague laws, but quotes from YHWH himself. Chose your favorite translation, but they are all quite clear: “whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death” (Ex 31:15).

But today’s reading is not about personalized perfumes or hypocrisy about the goy Camp Hatikvah hired to turn out the lights on Friday nights. It’s about how Moses handles dissension. In Ex 32:10, the Lord is ready to destroy his entire nation (again), but in 11-14, Moses convinces him not to. When Moses comes down the hill and sees the singing for himself, he worries that people are laughing at him, so he gathers the Levites, and does the slaughtering himself. About three thousand people, in one night.

But Aaron, who started it all, and lied his way out of it, is spared. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. “…and there came out this calf.” (Ex 32:24). My eight year old wouldn’t try that on me, but this Aaron gets away with it.

The next day, Moses tells the Levites who did the slaughtering that they’ve down the work of God, and will be rewarded. He then goes up the mountain to plead for the remaining peoples’ lives. The Lord decides revenge is a dish best served cold, and holds the real punishment. But as an afterthought, gives them each a case of boils (or some other unspecified plague).

Tomorrow: Exodus 33-35