When Moses delayed on the mountain, the people said to Aaron, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us.” Aaron took their gold earrings and made a calf, and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Only weeks after hearing “You shall have no other gods before Me,” they bowed to an idol. When Moses came down and saw it, he broke the tablets of stone at the foot of the mountain.
Aaron made excuses: “I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.” Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Whoever is on the LORD's side—come to me!” The sons of Levi gathered to him. Then Moses went back to the LORD and pleaded for the people: “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” Moses was willing to stand in the gap, a picture of Christ who gave Himself for us.
God spoke with Moses “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Moses prayed, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here,” and God answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Moses asked, “Please, show me Your glory.” God hid him in the cleft of the rock, passed by and proclaimed His name: “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” God gave new tablets and renewed the covenant.
The people gave so willingly for the tabernacle that Moses had to tell them to stop bringing gifts. When everything was built as the LORD commanded, “the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Exodus ends with the cloud by day and fire by night over the tabernacle “in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.” The book that began with slaves crying out ends with God's glory living among a forgiven people.