Exodus 32 records a disappointing part of the history of God's people as they fall into the sin of idolatry. What happens when we fail and fall to sin again? What does God do when we do not keep our end of the covenant? God is the idol destroyer because he loves us so much and does not wish to see us head toward destruction. He does not leave us to be deceived by sin and idols to be heading in the way of death. His grace follows us so that we may have an opportunity to turn back.

His grace isn't cheap grace that is all talk. God's grace is a grace that works; a grace that redeems, restores, and helps us to be faithful. A total destruction of the idol is necessary. This is a part of grace. Sometimes, God does spiritual surgery on us and he puts us through some tough situations to rid us of our idols--our own golden calves--because we must annihilate idols or else they will own us and destroy us from the inside out. Grace demands that idols are obliterated because we are not safe under their reign. We cannot flourish under the reign of idols just as Israel could not thrive under the oppression of the cruel Pharaoh. We need an exodus and sometimes we kick against God and don’t want to leave our idols. Then grace enters our lives and rips us out of the grip of the idols that have taken us captive and frees us, but the process may be painful… But this is what real grace looks like. It’s not just a feel-good thing. It’s a real gift that causes us to truly flourish as humans.