Our Scripture today brings us to a very dark day for the people of Israel, a day where the people fell into grave sin and idolatry, one which seemed to foreshadow their penchant for sin and idolatry for centuries to come. Let’s look into these verses from the Book of Exodus.
Several weeks prior to the time of this passage, the Lord God had miraculously and powerfully delivered the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt, including the dramatic parting of the waters of the Red Sea for them to cross. Now they were at the base of Mt. Sinai, and Moses had gone up the mountain to meet with God, and receive the Law at His hand. Moses would be with God on the summit of Mt. Sinai for forty days.
This should have been a joyous time for the people. They had just been miraculously delivered from slavery. They had seen first-hand this miracle, and had seen the Lord’s miraculous providing of food and water for them. They had His love and provisions each day. Now they were to receive His Words and covenant, showing that they were His people. That should have been a cause for great joy and praise to the Lord. Instead, the people became restless and impatient. Where was Moses? Why is he taking so long? We’re bored just sitting here! The people gathered together and came to Aaron, Moses’ brother, and demanded that he make them some idols for them to worship, so they could forget about the absent Moses and Yahweh who spoke to and through him (vs. 1).
Aaron gave in to the people’s sinful demands and made a golden calf for them to worship and follow (vs. 2-4). That was a grave sin that Aaron committed. As their temporary leader while Moses was gone, he should have forbidden such wicked acts. Instead, probably in fear of the people, he gave in to their demands. We need good, strong, spiritual leaders who remain close to God. Aaron gave in to the demands of the people. That is done too often today, when we see otherwise godly pastors giving in to their congregation when they want to follow the ways of the world, rather than standing true to the Bible. Aaron gave them what they wanted, not what they needed, just like the “seeker-sensitive” churches of today.
The people did not want to wait for Moses to return, and they persuaded Aaron to make an idol, breaking the second commandment. Aaron produced a replica of the familiar Egyptian god Apis. The people wanted a religion of their own choosing, that would appeal to their own natural heart. By choosing a foreign, pagan god to worship, they were seeing the “good in all religions”. Again, this is a common sin that many fall into. They believe that every religion has some good in it, and that there is nothing wrong with picking bits and pieces of these false religions, and incorporating them into their own beliefs. This is something that is an abomination to the Lord God, and is expressly forbidden in Scripture.
The Israelites wanted to shape God into their own liking. We see that frequently today. People try to make God convenient to obey or ignore. They want to shape Him into what they want Him to be like, not as what the Bible states Him to be. They want all love and acceptance, no matter what, and no judgment of sin and ungodly behavior. They want an “anything goes” God. However, just because that is what so many people’s perception of God might be, that doesn’t change Him to be like that.
God’s wrath will come when people try to change Him to be what He isn’t, or when they elevate anyone or anything above Him. God saw what the people were doing, and was going to destroy the people in an instant if Moses hadn’t interceded for them (vs. 7-14). Their sins were so grave that God actually disowned them for a while, calling them Moses’ people, not His own people (vs. 7). Moses prayed for the people, basing his prayers on God’s Word, on what He had pledged to do, not on his own feelings, and God spared them (vs. 13-14). Even though God spared them here, that entire generation would not come into the Promised Land. They all died in the wilderness because of their sins and unbelief.
Have you succumbed to sin similar to this? You probably have not made yourself a golden calf to worship, but have you tried to mold God into the way that you want Him to be? Do you ignore parts of His character, parts of His Word, that you don’t care for, and try to shape Him into just what you, society, and the world view prefers? Let’s worship God as He is, not as what we want Him to be.
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