Why worship an object when the living God offers a relationship? There is no good reason. It was so misguided for the Israelites to form the golden calf image and worship it. So tragic for this to happen. What we hope to gain from this passage is that we will seek the true God Almighty with all our heart soul and mind.
Yes, it is amazing how quickly Israel sinned and how far they had fallen in worshipping the golden calf. Yes, there is something more amazing. The grace of God. That we are as sinful as the Israelites who worshipped the golden calf. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
How did Israel get so misguided? How could it happen? God just rescued them from slavery. He just performed miraculous signs. The plagues, the Passover the crossing of the Red sea, already miracles in the desert.
Just forty days earlier God revealed himself on the mountain with thunder and lightning. The whole mountain shook at the voice of God! The fear of God was in the Israelites. They heard the voice of God, they heard the ten commandments. They said, everything the Lord said we will do. (Exodus 19:8)
After this dramatic experience with the whole community hearing God speak, then Moses goes to the mountain for forty days. He received more of the law. He received the ten commandments that were previously given orally now will be on stone tablets. He received detailed plans for the tabernacle where God will dwell with his people.
The very first thing the people do is make an image and worship the image. It is tragic. What could be more tragic? The people did not think Moses was coming back from the mountain. Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1).
Since Moses was seemingly not coming back the people asked Aaron to make a god for them. Aaron so willingly agreed. I have before commented on what great parents Aaron had. His mother Jochebed and father Amran are included in Hebrews chapter 11 hall of faith. Aaron showed such a pathetic display of spiritual leadership. Aaron had such great parents of faith. How could he have so little faith?
Aaron went immediately into action, but in all the wrong way. He had everyone put in their costly gold to make the golden calf. This gold came to them by a miracle of God on the Passover day. Now it is being fashioned into an image of a calf to worship as the god that brought them out of Egypt.
Aaron told them, This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. (Exodus 32:4) This calf you just formed with your earrings is the god that brought you out of Egypt. No! No! No! How could Aaron possibly do this and say this?
It was so bad. There was idol worship and horrific lewd behavior. So the next day they got up early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and got up to engage in lewd behavior. (Exodus 32:6)
God is going to destroy them and make Moses into a great nation. So now leave Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” (Exodus 32:10) They have reached such a low and God is ready to blot them out of the face of the earth.
What a contrast in the spiritual leadership of Moses and his brother Aaron. Moses is a spiritual leader with a burden for his people and he is an extraordinary intercessor for his people. Moses appeals to God on the basis of God’s character to spare them. Ultimately Moses says, Take me Lord, not them (Exodus 32:32).
Moses had his low moments, but his heights here is unsurpassed except for Christ. Jesus died the just for the unjust to bring us back to God. The apostle Paul had a time he wanted to be accursed instead of his people. Paul said, let me be accursed for the sake of my people (Romans 9:3). Moses as the spiritual leader was emotionally attached. Moses pleaded and interceded for his people. It was with this heart for his people that God really revealed himself to Moses in Exodus Chapter 33.
Moses dealt with the sin. Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. (Exodus 32:15).
Joshua had not been part of the sin, the golden calf and all that went along with that sin. Joshua is wondering what is that noise? Is it war? Was it the sound of defeat? It was the noise of sin.
The stone tablets represented the covenant between the Israelites and God. The covenant was broken if the Israelites disobeyed the commandments. The breaking of the tablets was a visual portrayal of what Israel had done to their sacred vow to Almighty God.
The covenant lay broken on the ground. They are shattered to pieces. The calf is burned and ground into powder. The ashes put in water and they were made to drink it. Moses confronted his older brother. How could you let this happen?
He said I don’t know how this happened. Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” (Exodus 32:24) There is a parallel to Genesis 3 and the fall of man, sin in the garden of Eden. The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12) There were terrible repercussions from this sin. There were three thousand that were put to death by the sword.
Moses dealt harshly with sin but he was seeking the spiritual wellbeing of the people. The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” (Exodus 32:20) Please Lord, forgive the sin of the people. (Exodus 32:32)
They betrayed God so quickly. It is amazing how quickly they sinned and how far they had fallen. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12). We are inclined to sin. We must watch our hearts.
The golden calf scene was a super sin. Where sin abounds grace super abounds. The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, (Romans 5:20)
The account of the golden calf is a warning that we need good spiritual leadership. We need accountability. We need the Word of God in our life. We need time in prayer. But most of all we need the grace of God.
Where sin abounds grace super abounds. God not only let Aaron live, he became the high priest. We serve an amazing God. Sin is serious. Yet the mercy of God is so deep and so rich.
Yes, it is amazing how quickly Israel sinned and how far they had fallen in worshipping the golden calf. Yet, there is something more amazing. The grace of God. That we are as sinful as the Israelites who worshipped the golden calf. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Jesus died the just for the unjust to bring us back to God (1 Peter 3:18).
