The Making of a Calf

The Making of a Calf

People are prone to idolatry. Throughout the Old Testament and into the New we find the inspired writers' warnings against idolatry. 

Right before the deliverance of Israel God spoke to Moses. God told him the Israelites were to ask for articles of silver and gold from the Egyptians as they left Egypt. They did as Moses directed them (shocking). In this way the Israelites plundered the Egyptians as they left Egypt. (Exodus 11:1-2 and 12:35 below)

Later, in Exodus 32, during the 40 days while Moses and God communed on the mountain, the children of Israel grew impatient. In their defiance they asked for gods to lead them. They gave their golden earrings to Aaron and out of the gold Aaron made an idol.

A golden calf.

Their new god.

They had been slaves, where did they get this gold?  It had to be the same gold that God had told them to ask for from the Egyptians. 

Then they took what God had supernaturally given them and made it into an idol. 

How often do the things that God gives us become our idols? God blesses us, then we in turn become so occupied with the blessing it becomes an idol we serve.

When this happens, we have made our calf.

How are you doing with God?

Exodus 11:1 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.”

Exodus 12: 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.