Exodus 32:32

Hebrew Bible

31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written. 33 The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me—that person I will wipe out of my book. 34 So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.”

Luke 10:20

New Testament

19 Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven. 21 On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.

 Notes and References

"... Exodus 32:32 has Moses saying to God after the golden calf debacle “please forgive their sin, but if not blot me out of the book you have written.” This should ring a bell with students of the New Testament familiar with Paul’s passionate words in Romans 9:3: “for I could wish myself cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel.” Paul is willing to make the same sort of sacrifice as Moses to save his people. The image and idea of “the book you have written” is further developed in the Old Testament in reference to God’s book of life, where life refers to mundane existence, not everlasting life. A similar idea of God having a ledger in heaven shows up in Luke 10:20 where Jesus tells his disciples they should rejoice that their names are written in heaven. More telling still is the reference in Revelation 3:5 where there is a warning about being blotted out of the book of life by Christ himself, and there the reference is surely to the book of everlasting life, not merely ordinary physical existence ..."

Witherington, Ben Torah Old and New: Exegesis, Intertextuality, and Hermeneutics (p. 224) Fortress Press, 2018

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