Been going through the Bible again for the 15th time now. I’m in Exodus 32 and I meditated on this chapter. It’s one of the major sins of the first inducted nation of Israel. I realized that it might as well be us when we get bored in life and toe the line of God’s laws and commandments while telling ourselves it’s ok because its for the Lord.
“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us godsa] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” – Exodus 32:1
Aaron, the high priest, Moses’ brother, did not know any better because he was relatively new as a high priest to the Lord during this time. So what did he do?
“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. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” – Exodus 32:2-4
And Aaron honestly thought he was doing God a favor.
“When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” – Exodus 32:5-6
Notice how Aaron says ‘There will be a festival to the Lord’ – the word Lord there is יְהֹוָה Yəhōwā or in latin: Jehovah – the name of God!
But he missed out on what God really wanted because just a few chapters earlier, in Exodus 20, God gave orders against creating an image of Him. It is explicit as a commandment:
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” – Exodus 20:4-6
It was also repeated later in the same chapter:
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.” – Exodus 20:22-23
And yet that’s exactly what Aaron did and the people of Israel thought they were celebrating a good thing.
All of this came out of their boredom. They were tired of waiting for ‘this fellow, Moses’.
Sometimes in our lives we are in a season of waiting. There is no active crisis, trial or challenge. And yet God wants to see if we will continue to walk in His ways and follow Him daily.
Sometimes it’s during our era of plenty that we are approached by temptations and are led astray. God does not take sin lightly. He will surely bring His justice down.
“I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” – Exodus 32:9-10
So then let us be careful with our walk – observing God’s ways so that we are not ignorant of what we must do and what we must not do. We have to read God’s Word daily and pray so that we would be able to resist temptation and succeed in the Christian life.
