The Diary of a Whimpy Co- Leader July 20, 2011
First thoughts when I read this story...... leaders play vital roles in all walks of life….
Aaron is Moses brother & Moses Mouthpiece (effective communicator)
Exodus 32:1-28-
1 When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”2 So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”3 All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”5 Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!”6 The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry (Stop) .7 The Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”9 Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. 10 Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” (Stop) 11 But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God. “O Lord!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? 12 Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.t You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’” ( (Stop) 14 So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.15 Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.t They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16 These tablets were God’s work; the words on them were written by God himself.17 When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, “It sounds like war in the camp!”18 But Moses replied, “No, it’s not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration.”19 When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it. (Stop) 21 Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”22 “Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!”25 Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies.t 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, “All of you who are on the Lord’s side, come here and join me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.27 Moses told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone—even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.” 28 The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day.29 Then Moses told the Levites, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing.”
1. Aaron took his focus off of God and put it on other people.
Verse 5- “Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!”
Verse 1- people got real impatient, forgot about what God had done for them......short term memory.......he was up there 40 days and 40 nights.....we would get impatient also
Aaron caved in to people pleasing....peer pressure
People WILL let us down…
Many times God calls us to stand up for him and not care about what other people think.......
I mean..Moses is up there on top of Mount Sinai with God as He is writing the 10 commandments!!
vs 8- “How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it.
vs 9- “Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. 10 Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them.”
He was Mad!!
Stubborn....Pride Rebellious.....against God.....
Sin Defined= Willful transgression against the known will of God!!
How?? Practice his Presence!!! Word, Prayer, Fellowship, Worship!!
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2. God wants us to intercede in prayer for others
Vs. 11-”But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God. “O Lord!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand?
Vs 14- “So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.”
Ex: When God brings someone to your mind, heart, thoughts...pray for them, call them, take them to lunch!!
vs 19- When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain.
He’s now taking on God’s Anger....
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vs 21- “Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”
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3. Aaron blamed others for his bad decision and took God out of the equation.
Vs. 22- “Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are.
Point in the other direction, take no responsibility
Vs 25- Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies
Our bad decisions always effect others around us.....
God had annointed Aaron and his sons and trusted them to do right.
God expects us to do the same.
When He gives us an assignment, He wants us to carry it out right for His glory.
Aaron was like us in many ways….had to learn from his mistakes
Remember!!!!
** Keep our focus on God, not on people
** Remember to intercede in prayer for others
** Accept responsibility for your own actions
