Title: BEWARE OF CALVES AND OTHER THINGS THAT POP UP

Focus: God calls for undivided loyalty; therefore, beware of idolatry.

Function: To encourage the people to place their loyalties first and foremost with God.

Text: Exodus 32:1-35

Catechism: Lord’s Day 34

 

INTRODUCTION

            Idolatry is tricky business. Someone may say, “O that child adores her father; she idolizes him.” Should I hear that, I would not panic and worry about that child breaking the first commandment.  But when a person in this congregation should get a court order because she idolizes a movie star and is obsessed with him, I think it’s time for a serious talk with that parishioner. Others would suggest that person needs some kind of therapy to get over her obsession.

 

            Idolatry is tricky, and hard to sort out. Sometimes it’s easy to recognize an object of worship—like a golden calf, for example. But who would think of covetousness or greed as idolatry? And yet, that’s what Paul says in Colossians 3:5 “Put to death…whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”  In my study of this story in Exodus 32, I’ve come across a number of definitions of idolatry. Although they differ in wording, they all seem to convey this important thought: God calls for undivided loyalty. And I agree. Our loyalties as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are first and foremost with God who reveals himself in Scripture.

 

            When God organizes this huge band of people, fleeing Egypt under the guidance of Moses, he gives them 10 commandments. And the first Word of wisdom or law is this: “You shall have no other gods before me,” which positively stated means: I want your undivided loyalty. And this story in Exodus 32 of a golden calf “popping up” in the midst of Israel underscores God’s seriousness about idolatry and our loyalty to him.

 

OBSERVATIONS/INSIGHTS

            Let’s enter the story and make some observations and share some insights. For example, the inspired writer of this story has a subtle way of making his points. Note

 

His play on words: He begins by recording the complaints of the people to Aaron in the absence of Moses. Moses has been gone for almost 40 days. He’s meeting Israel’s God on Mt. Sinai, but it seems that Moses is gone for good. And so is Moses’ God. So, the people are getting restless; they want a visible leader and a visible god as well. So they go to Aaron, the high priest and brother of Moses, and the people say: (vs.1) “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”  Now here Moses gets the credit for the Israelites’ departure from Egypt.

 

            But consider what happens: Aaron senses a need to appease or satisfy the people’s need for visible gods or deities. So, he casts an idol made from gold earrings—an idol representing the gods with which the people were familiar in Egypt. And the people are so pleased with Aaron’s work that they say: “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” Here the  people give this golden calf credit for their deliverance from Egypt. They are well on their way of transferring their loyalty from Moses and Yahweh (the God of Israel) to an idol.

 

            But note what comes next: The spotlight falls on Moses and Israel’s God on Mt. Sinai. Listen (vs. 7) “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.”  Here we find the Lord distancing himself from Moses and the Israelites. And God tells Moses that his anger is burning and that he will destroy the Israelites for their idolatry.

 

            Moses, however, pleads on behalf of his people, and he says (vs. 11) “O Lord, why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?”  And thus Moses reminds the Lord God of his relationship with the Israelites. God’s owns these people. God has led them out of the house of bondage.

 

            The writer’s play on words, in the context of Israel’s idolatry, underscores that idolatry is about loyalty and ownership: Who are the Israelites in relationship to Israel’s God? And in light of their freedom and journey to the promised land, to whom do they belong? To themselves? To gods that can be made with human hands and seen with the naked eyes? To whom do we owe allegiance? It’s very subtle, but by using this play on words, the writer makes clear that God calls for undivided loyalty from us. Therefore, choose the Lord and beware of idolatry!

            Here’s another striking observation in the story:

We must make choices. A large segment of the Israelites choose a god for themselves—a golden calf. By doing so, they practice idolatry. Aaron is having trouble making a choice. On the one hand, he wants to keep the people happy; so he accommodates them and suggests making a god for them. On the other hand, he is reluctant to sever all connections with Yahweh, the God of Israel. So (vs. 5) “…he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, ‘Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.’” Aaron has a hard time making up his mind. He is willing to live with a “pinch of paganism” mixed with true worship of Israel’s God.

 

            Then Moses appears on the scene. He is livid by Israel’s revelry and golden calf worship. So Moses stands at the entrance of the camp and he says: (vs. 26) “’Whoever is for the Lord, come to me,’ And all the Levites rallied to him.” They make a choice against their relatives and fellow Israelites and for their God. And we learn that they killed about three thousand of the people who blatantly revolted against the Lord with their idolatry. These Levites made a hard choice which showed their loyalty to God. And Moses said to them (vs. 29) “’You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.’” In other words, as the Levites expressed their choice and allegiance to the Lord, so the Lord sided with them and Moses.

 

            Then, at the end of this chapter, the whole matter of choosing comes to a head. Moses tells the people that he is going up the mountain, going to the Lord to plead on their behalf. And in doing so, Moses now takes the side of his people. And thus we read: (vs. 30) “So Moses went back to the Lord and said, ‘Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin----but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.’” Here Moses takes a stance before God. Moses sides with his people, recognizing their need (and his own need) for forgiveness and mercy. But at the same time, Moses forces God to make a choice as well: If you are of a mind NOT to forgive them, then you must blot my name out of the book of life.

 

            In reply, the Lord puts the matter of choice back into our lap. Listen to the Lord: (vs. 33) ”’Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.’” Ultimately, God holds each and every one of us responsible for the choices we make. Beware of idolatry!

            Word plays and choices—these are some of the motifs that underscore the message in this story: God calls for undivided loyalty from his people.

 

            Here are some insights from the story:

Practicing idolatry is easy to do: We notice that Moses sets Aaron down and he asks Aaron: (vs. 21) “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” And Aaron basically replied: Well, it kind of just happened. You stayed away so long, and the people became restless, and I did have an obligation to keep them under control, so I decided to placate them. And before I knew it—BINGO! There was this golden calf! I told the people: (vs.24) “’Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” Is not that amazing—calves popping up from a fire?!  Practicing idolatry seems so easy to do.

 

            It’s easy to blame Aaron for being afraid, for being weak in his faith, and for his refusal to make a stand before more than 3000 restless people who were used to finding refuge in Egypt’s gods and who had a need to party and “do their own thing.” But we do well to look into our own hearts. We, too, are prone to seek our own pleasures and our own “comforts” or sources of strength.

 

            For some of us it is money; for others lust and immoral sex; for some it’s a reliance upon military might; and for others it’s the god of education or the god of economy or work to which we pay allegiance. Practicing idolatry is easy to do. Listen to Paul speaking to Timothy: (II Tim. 3:2ff) “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them” In all honesty, there are moments in my life that I find myself wrestling with some of these powers within me more than I care to admit. We are all prone to idolatry; it’s so easy to do. Here’s another insight from the story:

 

Idolatry appeals to our flesh or sinful human nature, but in the end it leads to the dung heap.  Did you notice what Moses did? Moses (vs. 20) “took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to power, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.” The Israelites ended up bowing down before that golden calf while drinking and partying. But now that golden calf ended up in their intestines or guts only to find its destiny on the dung heap or sewer pit of the Israelites. All throughout Israel’s history we note that idols end up in manure piles or on ash heaps. And those who bow down to them do not fare much better. Beware of idolatry! Why? Well, take note of this insight:

 

Idolatry divorces us from the love of God:

            Did you notice what Moses had in his hands when he came down the mountain and saw the idolatrous Israelites? Moses was holding two tablets of stone with 10 commandments written on them. Listen to how the 10 Words from God are introduced: (Ex. 20:2) “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Note: here there is no doubt to whom the Israelites belong! And there’s no doubt as to who has brought deliverance to Israel.

 

            And then God says: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Nine more commandments follow. All these commandments have this two-pronged intent: Love God; love your neighbor. Why? Because God has made us his own by rescuing us from either the house of bondage called Egypt in the days of Moses, or today from the bondage of sin and death through the death and resurrection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

           

            Violating God’s commandments means violating the Law of love; practicing idolatry means falling back into bondage of sin and death. That’s why I say that idolatry divorces us from the love of God.

 

            So as we embrace the golden calf story as part of our own faith history, we shall re-commit ourselves to Jesus Christ. For it is because of his divine work and love, and through faith in him, that we now unashamedly say: We belong to him! We stand with him! We shall love him with every fiber of our being! And we shall place our loyalties first and foremost with the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Both now, and forever more! Amen.