The Gold Calf

Oh, how quickly we tend to forget about prayers God answers for us during the course of our lives. I am willing to bet that many parents have prayed to God to rescue a prodigal son or daughter from the evil clutches of the world and are so grateful when they return safely home. Service men send up barrages of prayers during the heat of battle and breathe a sigh of relief as they miraculously pull through.  But what is it that makes us forget so quickly our answered prayers?  I know age has something to do with memory loss. I have trouble remembering small things like if I locked the front door to my house or turned off the burner on the stove. Even just remembering a simple password to a bank ATM card can get tricky. But in the case of the fledgling nation of Israel, how could they forget miracles like the Red Sea crossing, water from the rock or bread falling from heaven within the course of three months?  

As God prepares Moses to receive the law and the blueprints for the tabernacle, He speaks these words found in Exodus 19:4-6 “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle’s wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” What incredible promises God gives to the nation of Israel!  They would be the apple of His eye and set apart from all other nations of the world if they would just obey Him; the only problem is they failed miserably.   

 Moses, while in the presence of God, on top of Mount Sinai, receives two stone tablets. God etches on both sides of these two tablets of stone the Ten Commandments with His own finger. Immediately God reiterates the very first two commandments to Moses: “You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make anything to be with me; gods of silver or gold you shall not make for yourselves.” Moses was on the mountain for a very long length of time and the people were getting restless down in the valley. If we had the fortune of watching this scene in a theater, the lights would now dim and the curtains close while Moses is on the mountain talking with God. After a brief intermission, the curtains would open again as Moses returns to camp where he had left his brother Aaron in charge. 

While a cloud covered the top of the mountain and it burned with smoke and fire, Aaron and the Israelites were busy turning to idol worship down in the valley. Caving in to the pressure of their request, Aaron asks the people to break off their gold earrings in order to cast a golden calf. The calf was a residual religious image brought with them from their 430 years of captivity in Egypt. Before Moses takes one step off the mountain, God already knows what the Israelites are doing back at the camp. He appears to burn with anger and threatens to wipe them all out as Moses intercedes for the people. This is the role of the high priest. Jesus Christ, as our High Priest, now stands between God and all humanity interceding on our behalf.  Moses did not really change God’s mind, but rather God was giving Moses the opportunity to intercede on behalf of the people.  

As the smoke clears Moses descends the mountain with two tablets of stone in his hands. Upon seeing people drunk, dancing and worshipping the molten image of a calf, he casts down the slabs of stone, breaking them into pieces. He confronts his brother Aaron and asks him to explain what he has done in his absence. In Exodus 32:24, Aaron responds to his brother “And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”  

What a hilarious line and bit as Aaron fails to take responsibility for his actions. I half expected Moses to laugh at his response.  God has always used imperfect men to accomplish His purpose and we will watch as Aaron will one day become Israel’s first High Priest. The fact that God uses Aaron despite his great character flaw is a beautiful picture of God’s grace.  In our weakness He is made strong. Remembering what God has accomplished in our past, will strengthen us as we walk with Him to the future.