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THE
DUPLICITY OF IDOLATRY: EXODUS 32:1-14
Idolatry is often considered in the most extreme circumstances (e.g., foreigners worshipping physical statues built by the hands of humans or sacrifices offered to false gods). Although these extremities are certainly examples of idolatry, when idolatry is rightly considered as anything that takes the place of God’s rightful position, the nuances of such sin become more personal and closer to the sin with which God’s people struggle in their own lives and even in Western and American culture. The realization then should be not only the glaring degradation of idolatry but idolatry’s treacherous nature, for the most common idolatry is not that which is set in front of God’s people but rather the Trojan horses that deceptively sneak into the lives of Christians.
Exodus
32:1-14
The
Golden Calf
32 When the people saw that Moses delayed
to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to
Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this
Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what
has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off
the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your
daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people
took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And
he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and
made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought
you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this,
he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow
shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early
the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the
people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down,
for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted
themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the
way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have
worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who
brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the
Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked
people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may
burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great
nation of you.”
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and
said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have
brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why
should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them
in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from
your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self,
and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and
all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they
shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented
from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.[1]
The text here presents four
impactful truths about idolatry God’s people must bear in mind.
1. God acts on his own timing (not
people’s)
2.
Idolatry
is insidious
3.
God
never breaks his covenant; people do
4. Everyone is at risk of a golden calf in their lives
God
Acts on His Own Timing (Not People’s)
A vital perspective
God’s people must take is suited in the fact that God operates in his own time
and in his own way. Humanity struggles with the realization that they are not
in control. Often, when people believe they are in control of anything in their
lives, circumstances provide means of reminding them that they are not.
Enwrapped within the trappings of human nature is the desire to possess
control. Nonetheless, the greater people comprehend that they are not in
control, the greater their dismissal of self and their embrace of God’s
consummate control of everything in their lives.
In the Exodus text,
God’s people begin to understand that Moses has spent a significant amount of
time on the mountain (v. 1a),[2]
they grew weary and impatient. Such is the nature of people when it seems that
God delays in responding to their requests. Christians should be assured that
God does not fail in responding to his people’s prayers[3] so
with such an understanding, believers should exercise patience and trust in the
Lord. How often, however, is the response of God’s people to turn their gaze
from God’s will and glory and seek other perceived options? It is likely that
every believer could think of times in their own lives when they wrongly sought
seemingly better options and regretted it later. Such was the case with the
People of Israel in Exodus 32.
God brought his people out of the bondage of slavery, through the wilderness, across an entire sea, and protected them from harm, but their impatience gave way to idolatry because they took their gaze off of God’s purposes, God’s glory, and placed it instead on their own selfish desires. Said another way, God did not operate on their schedule so they turned to idolatry. When people lose sight of God’s purposes and will, premature decisions are made that lead to destruction when the better choice is to wait on the Lord. When loneliness seems too much, Jesus is better than any hastily-pursued relationship; when it is uncertain how bills will be paid, Jesus provides and is worth the wait; and when the situation is seemingly dire, Jesus is better even in turmoil than bliss will ever be without him because he is the Prince of Peace and calmer of the storm. Christians should realize that God conducts his plans in his own way and time.
Idolatry
Is Insidious
Israel’s idolatry does
not happen instantly; rather, it is built upon choices of other options that
while seemingly good are, in fact, detrimental. Idolatry is sneaky and often
disguised by beauty and glamour. The golden calf is made of precious medals, which
God intends for good, but human nature takes such good things and distorts them
into something that God did not intend nor design. Idolatry is sneaky because
people are often caught unaware of the threat it poses. When their gaze is
removed from Christ, what was meant for good then becomes that which is placed
above Christ (i.e., the gift becomes that which replaces the God who gave it).
God’s people must understand that gifts are not bad but when sought more than the God who gives them, they are idols. Satan often disguises sin as something beautiful and alluring, and when Christians realize that they are ensnared in the trappings of sin, it is too late—what was intended for good has become an idol. While idolatry is often considered the worship of false gods (e.g., statues, etc., and that surely is idolatry), the duplicity of idolatry is found in the fact that people make idols out of nearly anything. The irony is that the idol is often created by human hands (e.g., the golden calf created by the People of Israel). The only solution for Christians not to fall into the confines of idolatry is to be ready and aware of its danger (1 Cor 16:13) and keep their eyes on the glory of Jesus Christ (Heb 12:2). Without such a single-minded focus and unwavering commitment, idolatry will creep into the lives of believers without warning and without capitulation.
God
Never Breaks His Covenant; People Do
Israel’s choice in the
Exodus text is not over anything insignificant—it is between an eternal
covenant or an idol. While the idol may seem pleasing, God’s eternal covenant
is always better. With an understanding of God’s omnipresence and omniscience,
it should serve as no surprise that God knows what is happening among his
chosen people. Nevertheless, God does not refer to Israel as his people when
Moses is made aware of the situation but rather (to Moses) as “your people” (v.
7). In a similar way that a parent does not take ownership of a child when they
act in ignorance, God passes his chosen people off to Moses.
Israel’s abandonment of
the covenant between them and their God is a serious variable in God’s resolve
to destroy them (v. 20). Covenant is exceedingly solemn to the Lord—if anyone
forgets or neglects such truth, it is people rather than God himself. God’s
entire working is founded upon covenant—first, the eternal Covenant of
Redemption between the three members of the Godhead and, second, the Covenant
of Grace between God and his elect. Even in the beginnings of the Exodus
narrative, God hears the cries of his people, but his response is not
predicated upon such cries but rather upon his covenant (Exod 2:24-25). Advantageous
is remembrance of God’s covenant for the people of God. When trials arise and
it seems that God has abandoned his people, God remembers his covenant; when
health fails and seems utterly hopeless, God remembers his covenant; when
mistakes place believers in dire situations, God is still faithful and
remembers his covenant; and indeed, God’s covenant is eternal and fulfilled
whether the overtures thereof in this life or the consummate experience of
eternity with Christ upon parting this life. God is faithful to his covenant.
In the Exodus story,
although God indicates the formation of his wrath against Israel, he relents
upon the plea of Moses. God’s initial instruction is, “…let me alone, that my
wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may
make a great nation of you” (v. 10). Even in God’s order, however, an allusion
of his Abrahamic Covenant is present. Moses is an instrument to preserve God’s
plan of a great nation in route to the Messiah so in verses 11-13, Moses
presents and appeal to God.
[First,] Moses appeals to God by his
self-chosen relationship to Israel, and by all that he has already done for
them in the past. Next, he appeals to the need for God to vindicate his own
name (verse 12). Lastly, he appeals to the great patriarchal promises (verse
13). The third is a most important point. As clearly as the vision at the
burning bush, it links the new name YHWH with the old patriarchal titles for
God and the old patriarchal promises.[4]
It is not as if God forgets his
covenant; rather, he clarifies his burning wrath against sin. His people have
abandoned the covenant. As the narrative continues, however, God does not break
his covenant.
Any abandonment of the covenant of God is employed by people—never by God. When people wonder where God has gone in their lives, the fact is that he goes nowhere; it is they who have shifted position. If the people of God would remain steadfast on the promises of God irrespective of the tumult and storms and keep their gaze on the cross of Christ, the difficulties, waiting, striving, and yearning would be placed in proper understanding; otherwise, they are all severely misunderstood. Christian, remain steadfast and remember the promises of God that have never failed and will never fail; God is always faithful to his own no matter what darts the enemy hurls and employs to cause a turning of sight from the glories of God. Only people abandon covenant—not God.
Everyone
Is at Risk of a Golden Calf in Their Lives
The bull as a symbol of
deity was common in the ancient world. Thus, such an instrument was chosen as
an idol for God’s chosen people to worship. While professing believers might
not blatantly employ such idolatry, the church must be careful not to allow
Satan’s underhanded attempts to distract her from her true identity and
belonging in Christ. If God’s chosen people in Exodus allowed unconcealed
idolatry, what makes God’s people now think that a more insidious form could
not creep into their midst? Even in Western-Christian subcultures, God’s people
are at risk of a golden calf whether it be politics or politicians, a perceived
way of life (e.g., Capitalism, etc.), a (celebrity) pastor, a hobby, or even a
style of music utilized in Christian corporate worship. No one is beyond the
risk of idolatry. The golden calf, however, is often not recognizable until it
has been embedded in its chosen lifestyle. For that, God’s people should take
great care to keep their eyes on the prize of Christ and refuse to seek other
seemingly (more) beneficial options.
In all circumstances and
perceived options, Jesus is always better. As Christians, God’s people are
primarily worshipers of God. Without the distractions of idolatry, Christians
are better and more complete worshipers. “Lord, we pray that your grace may
always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”[5]
[1]
All biblical references are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) of
the Bible unless otherwise noted.
[2]
That is Mount Sinai.
[3]
Although God does not always answer his people’s prayers in the way they wish
(as a sort of genie), he always offers a response (e.g., yes, no, maybe, wait,
etc.).
[4] R. Alan Cole, Exodus: An Introduction and
Commentary, vol. 2, Tyndale Old
Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 226–227.
[5] “Sunday Closest to October 12,” The Lectionary Page, September 26, 2026, https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp10_RCL.html.
