Moses calls out "all those who are with the Lord," but only the Levites answer the call. Three thousand Israelites are slain by the sword at their hands, a consequence of idolatry with the golden calf. However, we also see another side of the heart of Moses. He pleads with the Lord to have mercy on the people, even to the point of even asking God to “blot him out of His book," forfeiting his own salvation if God will not spare them. This is the same kind of love we later see in Jesus and Paul, as well as the foundation for our own personal evangelism.
Teaching Notes
The Book of Life and the Foundation of Evangelism (Exodus 32:21-25) - Lesson Outline (PDF)