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1 When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, "Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt - who knows what's happened to him?" 2 So Aaron told them, "Take off the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me." 3 They all did it; they removed the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from their hands and cast it in the form of a calf, shaping it with an engraving tool. The people responded with enthusiasm: "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from Egypt!" 5 Aaron, taking in the situation, built an altar before the calf. Aaron then announced, "Tomorrow is a feast day to God!" 6 Early the next morning, the people got up and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings and brought Peace-Offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink and then began to party. It turned into a wild party! 7 God spoke to Moses, "Go! Get down there! Your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have fallen to pieces. 8 In no time at all they've turned away from the way I commanded them: They made a molten calf and worshiped it. They've sacrificed to it and said, 'These are the gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt!'" 9 God said to Moses, "I look at this people - oh! what a stubborn, hard-headed people! 10 Let me alone now, give my anger free reign to burst into flames and incinerate them. But I'll make a great nation out of you." 11 Moses tried to calm his God down. He said, "Why, God, would you lose your temper with your people? Why, you brought them out of Egypt in a tremendous demonstration of power and strength. 12 Why let the Egyptians say, 'He had it in for them - he brought them out so he could kill them in the mountains, wipe them right off the face of the Earth.' Stop your anger. Think twice about bringing evil against your people! 13 Think of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you gave your word, telling them 'I will give you many children, as many as the stars in the sky, and I'll give this land to your children as their land forever.'" 14 And God did think twice. He decided not to do the evil he had threatened against his people. (Exodus 32:1-14 The Message Bible)
Dear Reader, may the peace of the Lord Jesus be with you and yours. I have just now received a very important request from a reader who asks prayers for his nephew, Ian Garcia as Ian is on the USS Carl Vinson, which has been deployed to the war region of Israel and Gaza. May we pray for Ian and his colleagues that God bless and protect them and bring them all safely home quickly. Prayers for all who are affected by this war, too.
The senior pastor was on retreat and a sabbatical. The expected date for his return came and went, and still no senior pastor. What was more pressing was that worship day was approaching and the bulletin information that the senior pastor usually provided was not ready. The secretary called the associate pastor and he scribbled what he believed would suffice, but it did not meet the secretary's standards and so he tried again. The secretary called the pulpit committee who called the associate to see if he couldn't try a third time to make the missing information a bit better and up to snuff for the bulletin. They also wanted to know what they could do since the senior pastor was not yet back. Someone even called the district superintendent to ask her if they could find a temporary senior pastor to fill in for the missing senior pastor. The associate soon felt this was all hopeless and he would be moved the next conference year, which was two months away. He thought about it and wondered aloud to his wife and asked her if perhaps if he could but just drag out his old Elvis costume,, he could dress as Elvis and re-do some of The King's hits in a Christian way that that might appease the growing anger of the congregation over the missing senior pastor. Out came the gold lamé suit, and the itchy but effective porkchop sideburns. The toupé was dusty and on it went on the head. The song would have to be All Shook Up.
Okay, this has already happened in some churches, but not in the passage we read today. First Church Exodus was in an uproar over the over-praying senior pastor Moses. "It seems like forever!" was the cry of the impatient congregation. But there was no gold Elvis suit. What there was was almost just as stupid. Aaron, the associate pastor of First Exodus too quickly agreed with the congrgation that they needed to do something. And he even listened to their ridiculous request to "make gods for us who will lead us." Stop and ponder that for a second. This is not the only time we read something like this in the Bible. My favorite is the prophet's story of the man who chops down a tree to use half of it to cook his food and the other half of the tree to make a god to thank for the food! But Aaron's order to take the gold rings and to bring them to him to make a golden calf is equally stupid and silly. But that was what they did; they melted the gold and formed a calf from it. And they planned a feast day for this "god."
The party started the next day, first as a Whole-Burnt-Offering and Peace-Offerings, a semi-reminder of what was once holy to them, but it quickly escalated into a wild party. If you've ever seen the old Ten Commandments movie with Charlton Heston, you remember the scene of this party. It was wild enough for God to take notice and for Him to order Moses to return back to the camp. God was not pleased to hear His people thanking a golden calf for their freedom from slavery in Egypt. God even says, "I look at this people - oh! what a stubborn, hard-headed people! Let me alone now, give my anger free reign to burst into flames and incinerate them. But I'll make a great nation out of you." Moses pleads with God to not do that to the people reminding God about others in their story with whom God had delivered, including His covenant with Abraham, and that swayed God and He did not do the harm He had intended for Israel.
The truth is that in moments of spiritual struggle, we may also look for substitutes for God. It may take the form of our pursuit of wealth, power, or worldly pleasures. We may make idols out of our desires and priorities, forgetting the one true God who has been faithful to us.
But the beauty of this passage lies in God's response. Despite the people's unfaithfulness, God is willing to relent from His anger and give them another chance. Moses, in his role as an intercessor, pleads with God to spare the people, reminding Him of His promises to their ancestors. And God, in His mercy, relents.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, We come before you with gratitude for your boundless patience and mercy. Just as the Israelites strayed from your path, we, too, have our moments of weakness and waywardness. Forgive us for the times we have made idols out of our desires and neglected our relationship with you. Thank you for being a God of second chances, for relenting in your anger, and for giving us opportunities to return to your loving embrace. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Remind someonf ot the patience of God.
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
