Israelites defy God, worship gold calf (Exodus 32)

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Bible Summary:

Moses is gone forty days and nights up Mount Sinai, so the people of Israel give up on him and ask Aaron to make a god to lead them. Aaron asks for all their gold earrings, melts them down, and molds them into a calf. He then builds an altar to the gold calf and announces a festival for the next day.

God tells Moses the people of Israel have rejected Him, so He is going to destroy them and make a great nation from his descendants. Moses pleads for their lives and God changes His mind.

Moses returns down the mountain with the stone commandments. He is furious to find people worshiping the gold calf, so he smashes the tablets. He grinds the gold calf into powder and makes the people drink it. Then, he calls everyone over to God’s side of the gate to the camp, but only the Levites join him, so Moses tells them to kill the rest, even if they are brother, friend or neighbor. They obey and slaughter 3,000 people that day.

The next day Moses tells the people they have committed a terrible sin. He heads back up the mountain and asks God for forgiveness for their sins. God tells Moses to lead the people to the place he promised with the help of a guiding angel. He then sends disease on the people for their sin.

My Thoughts:

Jealous and vengeful God: This jealous and vengeful God is in stark contrast to the loving God we learn about in the New Testament. How can they be one in the same? How could God think about wiping out millions of people just because they worship a golden calf? This sure sounds like men used the name of God to threaten people into doing their bidding. They are looking for the same obedience as the King of Egypt.

Jealousy: Jealousy can make people angry enough to lash out against others, like this story of God. Jealousy comes from a sense of insecurity and a lack of confidence. A wife may fear her husband will find someone better. A man may fear a colleague getting promoted over him.

Challenge your jealousy with the confidence that God made you beautiful the way you are and gave you abilities to do amazing things. You just need to believe!