Why We Ought to Hate Our Sin (Exodus 32:1-35)
What ought to we study from the golden calf incident in Exodus 32?
“The story of the golden calf is present in Exodus 32:1–6. The youngsters of Israel had been in bondage in Egypt for over 2 hundred years. God referred to as Moses, the deliverer, and advised him that He had heard their cries and was about to ship them (Exodus 3:6–8). Throughout their time in Egypt, the Israelites had apparently begun to doubt the existence of the God their fathers worshiped (Exodus 3:13). To assist Moses show the existence and energy of God, he was given quite a lot of miraculous indicators to assist the Israelites consider. In spite of everything of those miracles have been achieved, together with the ten plagues on the Egyptians, the Israelites got here out of Egypt with a renewed perception within the God of their fathers. They handed by means of the Crimson Sea on dry land, whereas the Egyptian military was drowned, and so they have been dropped at the mountain of God to obtain His legal guidelines.
The individuals of the Center East have been very spiritual, however in addition they worshiped many gods. The ten plagues God introduced on the Egyptians have been judgments towards particular gods they worshiped and confirmed that the Lord was higher than all of them. Even Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, who was the priest of Midian and a worshiper of the true God, was impacted by the spiritual pluralism of the individuals round him. When Moses and the individuals arrived at Mount Sinai, and Jethro heard of all God’s works, he replied, “Now I do know that the LORD is bigger than all gods, as a result of on this affair they dealt arrogantly with the individuals” (Exodus 18:11). When God gave His legal guidelines to the Israelites, He started by addressing this spiritual pluralism. “I’m the LORD your God, who introduced you out of the land of Egypt, out of the home of slavery. You shall haven’t any different gods earlier than me. You shall not make for your self a carved picture, or any likeness of something that’s in heaven above, or that’s within the earth beneath, or that’s within the water underneath the earth. You shall not bow right down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the kids to the third and the fourth era of those that hate me” (Exodus 20:2–5).
Whereas Moses was up on the mountain receiving God’s legal guidelines, the individuals have been getting anxious down on the plain. Moses spent forty days (Exodus 24:18) up on the mountain with God, and by the tip of that point, the individuals have been starting to suppose Moses had died or left them. The individuals urged Aaron, their non permanent chief, to make gods for them to observe. Since they have been accustomed to having visible representations of gods, this was the pure (however sinful) results of their considering. Aaron took their gold earrings, which that they had introduced from Egypt, and melted them right down to make a golden idol. The idol he crafted for them was a calf, however Aaron maintained the identify of the Lord in reference to it (Exodus 32:5). He was merging the pagan practices they have been acquainted with and the worship of the God they have been simply starting to be re-acquainted with. Aaron referred to as the individuals collectively and advised them that the golden calf was the god who delivered them from Egypt. The individuals provided sacrifices after which engaged in pagan rituals, together with orgies (Exodus 32:25) to worship this new god.
Why did Aaron do that? Scripture doesn’t give us the complete reply, however we will put sure clues collectively and get a reasonably good image. First, the individuals’s lengthy familiarity with idol worship would incline them to observe that technique within the absence of clear course in any other case. Second, they have been already within the behavior of merging their beliefs with these of the individuals round them, a apply that will proceed to plague them all through the dominion years. Third, Aaron was confronted with an unruly crowd that positioned a requirement on him. The answer of constructing an idol and calling it by God’s identify appeared pretty affordable.
Why did he select a calf/bull? His lame excuse to Moses—“It simply got here out of the hearth like this!” Exodus 32:24)—was only a feeble try and dodge blame. He common it with a graving instrument (Exodus 32:4) and took nice care to type it that manner. Some have tried to indicate that the bull represented one of many gods of Egypt, however that doesn’t match the textual content, as a result of Aaron referred to as a feast to the Lord (Yahweh) and stated that it was the god(s) which introduced them out of the land of Egypt. The bull was an emblem of energy and fertility, and the individuals have been already acquainted with bull gods from Egypt. Bulls have been additionally typical animals of sacrifice, so to make use of their picture as an emblem of the god being worshiped was a pure connection. Aaron’s bull was a mix of the highly effective God who delivered the individuals by means of mighty works and the pagan strategies of worship that have been borrowed from the individuals round them.
Though there are affordable explanations for why Aaron and the individuals started to worship the golden calf, these explanations don’t excuse the sin. God definitely held the individuals accountable for his or her corruption (Exodus 32:7–10) and was able to destroy them for his or her sin. Moses’ private intercession on behalf of his individuals saved them. Moses indicated that Aaron no less than ought to have recognized that his actions have been sinful (Exodus 32:21) and didn’t let him off the hook. As with every different sin, the punishment is demise, and the one correct response is repentance. Moses referred to as for many who have been on the Lord’s aspect to return stand with him (Exodus 32:26). The Levites stood with him and have been commanded to undergo the camp and kill anybody who endured within the idolatry. Three thousand males have been killed that day. The following day, Moses went up and confessed the individuals’s sins earlier than God, asking for His forgiveness. God declared that the responsible ones would but pay with their very own deaths and be blotted out of His e book. These have been the identical ones who, on the verge of getting into the Promised Land, would deny God’s guarantees and be despatched into the wilderness to die for his or her sins. Their kids can be those to obtain God’s promised blessings.
Their experiences are a lesson to us at this time. Though we’d justify our actions by means of purpose or logic, if we’re violating God’s clear instructions, we’re sinning towards Him, and He’ll maintain us accountable for these sins. God is to not be worshiped with photographs, as a result of any picture we make will draw extra consideration to the work of our palms than the God who made all issues. Additionally, there isn’t any manner we will ever absolutely signify the holiness and awesomeness of God by means of a picture. To try to take action will all the time fall quick. On prime of this, God is a spirit (John 4:24), and we can’t type a picture of a spirit. We worship God by believing His Phrase, obeying it, and declaring His greatness to others.” from the article: What should we learn from the golden calf incident in Exodus 32?
