Golden Calf                                           Exodus 32:1-4

Again this week I want to look at the Old Testament. Last week we looked to the Book of Numbers and saw an account of how God foretold his plan of Jesus on the cross. Admittedly the Book of Numbers is probably not one people read very often. Today’s reading comes from Exodus and it’s about something just about everyone has heard of; the Golden Calf. In fact so many people over time know the story of the Golden Calf that it has become a symbol for decadence and materialism.

Verse 1, “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain…” At this time in history Moses is the people’s arbitrator with God. It’s Moses God talks directly with. It’s Moses who confronted Pharoah and walked them out of Egypt. Now Moses went up the mountain to be with God and the people think he’s gone too long. They probably thought he forgot about them, or perhaps they thought, “Moses, you taught us the rule’s, you led us out of Egypt, you are the one we depend on; and now you go away and leave us to suffer, you leave us to our own devices.”

What about now in 2023? “Jesus, you came to teach us, to lead us out of sin; you died on the cross and rose again, but then you went away. We need you here to remind us of what you taught.” Thousands of years and much of mankind today thinks exactly as men did with Moses out in the desert.

What did the people do? Did they turn to and remind each other what God did for them? Did they go to their priests and ask them to teach them, to encourage them? Verse 1, “…they gathered Aaron and said ‘Come, make us gods who will go before us.” And what did Aaron do? He took their gold and melted it down; verse 4, “He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast into the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool.”

The people wanted something here, something physical, something visible and touchable to look at. They didn’t want someone who was absent. They didn’t want to have to remember what God told them they should do. They didn’t want it to be their responsibility. They didn’t want to rely on faith.

Again, what about in 2023? “You can’t prove anything, Jesus isn’t here. With all the problems in the world God doesn’t care. I want to believe but how can I with nothing solid to see.” We have all the same insecurities and fears they did.

And what did they do about it? They created something to replace God. Now? We create other belief systems fashioned to take the responsibility off ourselves. Beliefs that say you just have to try occasionally. Beliefs that God will save everybody regardless of their faith. Even the belief that God is a myth. All these belief systems take the onus off us. We don’t have to remember what we’re told, We don’t have to make a conscience decision to act a certain way.

And like the nation in the desert, we replaced faith in God with something solid and touchable now. We’ve created our own Golden Calf.

One of the most disturbing parts of our story is that it was Aaron who led the way, “Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings…bring them to me.’” (Ex 32:1) Back in Exodus 4 when Moses tries to get God to pick someone else to lead Israel God tells him, “What about your brother Aaron…I will help both of you speak and I will teach you what to do.” (Ex 4:14-15) Aaron who was groomed and taught by God to share him with the people most certainly should have known better.

So why did Aaron give in to the people instead of holding fast to God’s teaching? It doesn’t say but human nature is a constant so we can surmise a few things. Moses was gone a long time leaving Aaron in charge. Perhaps he thought if he didn’t give in he would be replaced and lose his place of authority. Perhaps it was just easier to give in to the new demands instead of trying to keep people focused on God’s way.

Like I said, human nature doesn’t change much. Many times political and cult leaders will try to maintain the power and influence they’ve achieved. Some church leaders will try too, They may change their message and instead of teaching God’s Word, they start expressing the newest social desires in an effort to keep their congregations behind them. There are a whole host of ministers, some pretty famous, who deliver a “feel good” or prosperity message with little scripture and little talk of salvation through the cross.

Verse 6, “Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge revelry.” Aaron led the people in a “feel good” party but nowhere does it say they turned to God in this. This reminds me of prosperity ministries of today. God’s your buddy, he wants you to have the best, bigger house, better car, etc. We need to be wary of those who give a pep talk or motivational messages with little to no mention of Jesus and salvation. Know that God does want the best for you but it comes with a condition; accept Christ, then salvation is yours. Accept Christ, then the best that is in heaven is yours.

So now there’s something I want you to see. Even in the midst of this episode with the Golden calf, God loves the people so profoundly he gives us another shadow of what he will ultimately do for all mankind. Exodus 32:10-11, “Now leave me alone so my anger may burn…that I may destroy them, but Moses sought the favor of the Lord…”

God wanted to destroy the people for their sin but Moses intervened for them. We deserve punishment for our sin but Jesus intervened at the cross and took our punishment. We are shown this truth almost countless times by God and still people don’t accept it.

One last point I want to make today. Exodus 32:21-24, “(Moses) said to Aaron ‘What did these people do to you that led you into such great sin?’ ‘Do not be angry,’ Aaron answered. ‘You know how prone these people are to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us…’ So I told them…’Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Two things are here. “You know how prone these people are to evil.” Aaron told them to give up their jewelry. Aaron put it in the fire and melted it down. Aaron fashioned the calf. And Aaron is blaming everyone else for his sin. “God, I know I shouldn’t have yelled at mt neighbor, but he blew all his leaves into my yard.” We all make excuses and some of mine have been just plain silly even to me, I imagine what God must have thought of them.

There’s one more thing here and I wonder if you caught it. Going back to verse 4, “He took what they handed him and…made it into the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool.” But now in verse 24, “They gave me the gold and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Aaron made the calf with a tool and his own effort and now he’s saying he didn’t do it; in fact he submits the melted gold miraculously took the shape of the calf. Not only did Aaron go against God, he’s saying it’s God’s fault. “God, I wouldn’t have had that affair if you didn’t let her work at my company.

Today again we see that we are not so very different from those who wandered the desert thousands of years ago. We can want something touchable rather than have faith in Jesus at the throne of God. And because of this we can place money and influence for ourselves above working for God.

We can be led away from the truth of salvation through faith in Jesus and the cross by the idea of a “good buddy” God.

We can blame others for our mistakes. We can even try to blame God for the sins we commit.

But I want you to remember that even in the midst of Aaron’s sin God used it to demonstrate his love and Jesus sacrifice, Jesus mediation on our behalf with God.

God shows us over and over that he loves us more than we can know. And that we should trust in Jesus. That we should follow Jesus. And that we should live for Jesus.

May you always know God’s blessings

And the love of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus

Amen.