The Exodus. Day 117, The Golden Calf, Part Two

We know Moses will spend forty days and forty nights total on Mount Sinai with the Lord, but we don't know how long he was absent from the Israelite camp before the people wrongly and hastily concluded he wasn't coming back. It certainly didn't happen during the last day or two of his absence. We know this because before he returns the people will have time to melt down their gold jewelry, have the gold fashioned into an idol, then build an altar, then plan and put together and hold a pagan-style festival. I wouldn't be surprised to learn they gave up on Moses' return at around the halfway point of his time away from them; it's human nature for us to become impatient quickly. I don't know about you, but when unpleasant or unwelcome circumstances come into my life, I'm tired of them on the first day. If nothing has changed twenty or thirty days later I'm very impatient for things to improve. I'm guessing the people needed at least a week to produce the idol and the altar and to plan their sinful festival, but the impatience and doubt and anger they're experiencing probably began to take root far sooner.

In yesterday's passage we were told the people gathered around Aaron and demanded that he make them "gods who will go before us". It is the one true God who has been going before them all along, but they're so demoralized by the absence of Moses that they've given up not only on Moses but on the God who commissioned Moses to lead them out of Egypt. The word "gods" is the Hebrew "elohim" which is plural, but Aaron will only make one idol for them, so it's unclear whether they intended to bow down to multiple idols or whether they are asking for a god other than the God who brought them out of Egypt---a God to replace the One who often is referred to in the Bible by the the plural "Elohim". Scholars are divided about why the one true God is called "Elohim". On the one hand, it could be a reference to the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. On another hand, it could be a reference to God being the "God Most High" or "God of gods", meaning He is the one and only but that His power is unlimited and all encompassing---that this one God can do more than all gods (if they existed) put together.

When the Bible tells us the people gathered around Aaron I think it means they mobbed him and threatened him. In the original language the word rendered "gathered" could be more accurately translated as "confronted" or "came against". I believe Aaron was afraid for his life. He was left in charge of the camp along with his brother-in-law Hur, but two men aren't capable of maintaining order over such a large number of people if the people aren't interested in having order maintained. If the people have so easily given up on Moses' return, and if they've so quickly turned against God, it wouldn't take much for violence to break out if Aaron refuses their request. They are likely to kill him and appoint another priest in his place who will do what they want him to do. If Aaron doesn't acquiesce out of fear, then I have no explanation for why this man of God gives in and fashions a sinful image.

In response to their request, this is what Aaron does: "Aaron answered them, 'Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.' So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool." (Exodus 32:2-4a)

While Moses has been on the mountain the Lord has been providing him with the instructions for the making of the tabernacle and all the items it will contain. Many of these items are to be plated with gold. The people came out of Egypt with far more gold than that which is in their jewelry wardrobe; the Egyptians lavished them with fine gifts before the exodus began, perhaps in an attempt to appease the God who had brought the plagues upon their land. Going by the conversation we've been studying between the Lord and Moses, it's clear that a great deal of gold will be needed for the tabernacle furnishings. In order to obtain this gold for the tabernacle, melting down the jewelry of a crowd that numbers around two million would have been easier and more practical than melting the gold off of plated bowls and platters and pitchers. At least the bowls and platters and pitchers have other uses than just adornment. But here we find the people using their gold jewelry (which serves no purpose other than adornment) for an unholy purpose and this made me think about how many times in life we use our God-given gifts in the wrong ways. Everything He gives us is intended to be used for His glory and in His service to point the unbelieving world to Him for salvation. I'm not saying we can't have hobbies that aren't religious in nature. But while enjoying our hobbies or further developing our talents we can still be about our Father's business. 

If we attend classes to improve on our artistic painting abilities, for example, we'll be in class with other people who have similar interests and those similar interests can provide a basis for forming friendships. Over time, those people will see Christ in us. Our shared hobby puts us on a common ground with them that allows us to demonstrate the love of Christ to them in both word and deed. Another example of using our talents for the Lord would be if we possess a magnificent singing voice. Did God give us that voice so we can sing songs about sitting in honky tonks drinking beer? Or did He give us that voice to sing about Christ? For another example, if we have the gift of beautifully-worded persuasive speaking, did God give us that talent so we can argue with others, have the last word, and always get our way? Or was it so we can put forth a calm, loving, well-thought-out explanation of the gospel message and about man's sinfulness and man's need of a Savior? I'm not saying we can't paint pictures that aren't religious or that we can't ever sing pop songs or show tunes or that we can't use our talents for fun in our daily lives or to do a good job at our workplaces, but I'm saying that the primary reason God gifts us with anything is so we can use our gifts to lead others to salvation. If we begin to look at everything we do as an opportunity to show Christ to others, then we'll find that even while enjoying leisure activities or working with our hobbies there will be opportunities to connect with people in a meaningful way. 

In our current chapter of Exodus we see the people using things the Lord has blessed them with (in this case, jewelry made of a precious metal) for a sinful purpose instead of reserving these fine items for the Lord's use. In Exodus 25 the Lord instructed Moses to take up an offering when he returned to the camp so there would be enough gold to plate the items needed for the tabernacle. But before Moses even returns, we find the people giving up their gold for something that doesn't honor the Lord or point anyone to Him for salvation. On the contrary, forming an idolatrous image with the gold does nothing but point people away from the Lord.

Things are looking bad right now in the camp. They're going to get worse before Moses returns. And God is going to conclude that making a godly nation out of this group is hopeless and He's going to walk away from them, right? No, and I'm so glad He didn't! I'm so glad He didn't walk away from them and I'm glad He didn't walk away from me either. No one could fault Him for it if He had, but He keeps working with Israel and He keeps working with you and me too!