Moses had been on the Mountain (Sinai), communing with God, receiving His Word. What we now call the “Ten Commandments.”

Rather suddenly … “The LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.” Deuteronomy 9:12

The people of Israel had “corrupted themselves!”

Not … “Satan has corrupted them.”

Not … “Some foreign nation has wrongly influenced them!

But … “Thy people” have fallen into sin, deliberately!

“The LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.”

The verb “to corrupt” is spelled “shachath” in Hebrew, where it means “to mar.” Or “to waste.” At times even “to spoil!” But 96 times the verb means “to destroy!” (Oh yes, it is also translated “corrupt” nearly two dozen times in the King James Version.)

The Jews had wilfully made an idol, a golden calf!

Note in the Text for today God is not calling Israel “My people,” not in their current state rebellion, anarchy! Moses, they are “thy people!” Point being: sin separates from God, breaks fellowship!

They have nearly destroyed themselves, polluted themselves!

Sin does pay “wages.”

It does have “consequences.”

HOW did they corrupt themselves?

The Text (again) is clear. Two clauses of apposition (explanation) are located right by the main accusation. “They have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.”

One … they have “turned” from God’s Word!

Two … they have “made” a golden image, a calf like the Egyptians worshipped.

The central thought, I’ve hammered it again and again today … “They corrupted themselves!”

Now to those of us living today …

Paul writes in 1st Timothy 5:22 … “Keep thyself pure!”

Then in Matthew 5:8, Jesus talking … “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

I’m figuring that a “pure” heart is the opposite of a “corrupt” heart.

Let’s consider ourselves sufficiently “warned” today … lest we (through sin) “corrupt ourselves.”

One last verse this morning, Leviticus 20:7, God speaking: “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and BE YE HOLY: for I am the LORD your God.”

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell