Rejection of the Father
Discussion Questions

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Big Idea

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Exodus 32:1

The lid of the Ark, which was kept in the Tabernacle, was called the mercy seat–this is where the High Priest went to meet God and receive mercy for himself and the nation.

God’s holiness is serious but His mercy is greater. Grace overwhelms our rebellion.


Ice Breaker

  1. Talk about a time that you were furious, 0r talk about a time when someone was furious in your presence. What was the object of the fury? It could be an injustice, a relational violation, etc.

    What did you feel in the presence of this anger? If anything, what was the anger trying to accomplish?

  2. Compare your fury with God’s fury in Exodus 32, and consider reading some of these verses together. What was the object of God’s fury? What is God’s fury desiring?

    Don’t just look for a “right answer” here, but rather look to encourage the group to reflect on God’s passion and holiness.


Next Step

Discuss :: Take time to contemplate God’s holiness, our specific sins, repent, and rest in His goodness.


Additional Discussion Questions

  1. An author has written about relaxing in the love and mercy of God. Are you able to relax in the presence of God, or do you lean more toward feeling pressure or other negative things when you’re in the presence of God? Explain your answer.

  2. In Exodus 31:13, God says to Moses:

    You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.

    The essence of Sabbath is to know that God is holy and present.
    Evaluate your current observance of the Sabbath: does your observance enable you to center on God in His holiness and His presence?

    What helps you the most on the Sabbath? Let’s try to learn from one another about ways that can help us “reset” our souls in His presence each Sabbath.

  3. We worship our version of the golden calf when we raise up things as more important than God, and we always end up drinking its poison.

    Share with the group a time in your life when the Holy Spirit showed you your “golden calf” and how you drank that poison. Share how you tasted God coming for you in the process. Consider spending some time together in prayer asking God in His faithfulness to reveal any golden calves that we have in our lives.