Exodus 32:19  When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.

Moses brought the people out of Egypt.  They encountered hunger and enemies, trials and tribulations, of which God delivered the people from them all.  Then Moses went up Mount Sinai to talk to God.  There he received the Ten Commandments that the Bible says God wrote with His own finger.  While Moses was gone, the people convinced Moses’ brother Aaron to make a calf out of gold so they could worship it.

When Moses came down the mountain, he saw the people whooping it up, worshiping a statue that they created.  Moses got so mad that he smashed the Ten Commandments.  (In one fell swoop, Moses broke all the commandments… literally).  He smashed the golden calf, melted it down. Mixed the remains with water and made the people drink it. Then he armed some guys and had about 3000 people killed. Talk about anger issues!

OK, I know it was a very serious thing and had Moses not acted severely, God might have chosen some other people.  But I can’t help but think: can you imagine Moses telling God,  “I smashed the Commandments that you wrote with your own hand.  Ah, would you mind making me another set?”

Actually the Bible doesn’t say Moses asked God to do it. God did it without Moses asking.  (Moses had to provide the rock, chisel out tablets and carry them up the mountain, unlike the first time).

How often in a moment of passion we break God’s commandments.  However, God is always there to help us get back on the right track again… though it might be more difficult than if we got it right the first time.