Exo 32:7-10 | TNotes | STEP | 32:7 Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt: God here attributes his own work to Moses, which suggests that he was testing Moses, giving him an opportunity to make the same mistake the people had made (32:1 ). God was not “tempting” Moses in the sense of “seducing him to do evil” (see Jas 1:13-14 ), but he was putting Moses into a situation where he was faced with a clear choice that could take him in opposing directions (cp. 1 Kgs 22:19-23 ).

cJas 1:13-14►

d1 Kgs 22:19-23►

e32:9-10►

‏ Exodus 32:7-10

32:7 ^a Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt: God here attributes his own work to Moses, which suggests that he was testing Moses, giving him an opportunity to make the same mistake the people had made (32:1 ^b). God was not “tempting” Moses in the sense of “seducing him to do evil” (see Jas 1:13-14 ^c), but he was putting Moses into a situation where he was faced with a clear choice that could take him in opposing directions (cp. 1 Kgs 22:19-23 ^d).
Summary for Exod 32:9-10: 32:9-10 ^e God was apparently prepared to disown his people, since they had broken their covenant with him.
32:10 ^f Now leave me alone: This apparent command was in fact an invitation to Moses to intercede for his people. Although the people deserved destruction, God was willing not to destroy them if Moses continued to stand before him as an intercessor.

• I will make you, Moses, into a great nation: If Moses were willing, God would start over again, abandoning the rest of the children of Abraham and beginning now with the children of Moses. This was apparently a test of Moses’ understanding of God.