Exodus 32
The Golden Calf
Taking Responsibility
He did it.
He knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway.
He knew what the rules were but was more afraid of what others would think than what the right choice was.
When he was finally confronted with his actions, he did was so many have done before him. He looked his accuser square in the eye and said, “It’s not my fault!”
The above would be funny in certain circumstances if it was not so true. If we desire, there is always someone else to blame, another we hope will take the fall, to become the brunt of someone else’s hurt or anger.
We live in a world that often deems their failures to be someone else’s fault. It may be the fault of their parents, or society, or the school, or the political establishment, or the church. Too many times, mankind is far more interested in pointing the fingers at anyone who could possibly be blamed with one exception - self.
In Exodus 32, Aaron falls prey to this trap. He listened to the request of the people, failed to remain loyal to both God and Moses, and created the object of their desire. However, when confronted by his younger brother with his deeds, he gives a rendition of the story that has the calf magically appearing from the fire.
It is a lie. Everyone knows it is a lie. Yet the man who God chose to be high priest told the story anyway to try to get out of a situation of his own creation.
As you read chapter 32, think about the importance of taking responsibility. Nobody is perfect; nobody should pretend to be. However, there is a vast difference between making a big mistake and trying to cover up that mistake by making another one and lying about it.
Honor and integrity are the most important when under fire due to our poor choices. If we leave them behind on those occasions, we never really had them at all.
Exodus 32
The Golden Calf Created. (Vs. 1-6)
Chapter 31 ends with Moses receiving the tablets from the Lord and preparing to descend the mountain. Chapter 32 begins with a “meanwhile,” situation. As Moses is concluding his meeting on the mountain, the people are tired of waiting for him.
The people come to Aaron, asking him to make gods that will travel before them. (Vs. 1)
They state the reason for their request is that Moses’ whereabouts are unknown.
Moses has been gone for 40 days and 40 nights. (24:18)
Remember, they were also told not to touch the mountain lest they die. (19:23)
Aaron tells them to give him their gold earrings (Vs. 2)
When they are delivered, Aaron takes the gold, fashions it with a graving tool and makes a golden calf. (Vs. 3-4)
The process of fashioning the gold would have included melting it down, hardening it, then shaping it as desired.
The people declare after this is completed that these are the gods that brought them out of the land of Egypt. (Vs. 4)
Aaron continues leading the people down this path by creating an altar before the calf and declaring the next day as a feast to the Lord. (Vs. 5)
The next day, they rise up early and offer sacrifices before the altar and the people commence with their celebration. (Vs. 6)
Notice: While Aaron has taken these steps before the people, he is not emulating the commands of God to Moses.
While Moses has received these words about the tabernacle and sacrifices, they have not yet been given to the people.
God Seeks to Destroy Israel. (Vs. 7-14)
God warns Moses concerning what is happening. (Vs. 7-10)
He says they have corrupted themselves. (Vs. 7)
They have quickly disobeyed the commands they have heard. (Vs. 8)
Remember, God gave them the 10 commandments with His own mouth. (Chapter 20)
He also reiterated again that no gods were to be formed. (20:23)
God says that these people are stiff-necked and He is ready to consume them and start over with Moses to make a great nation. (Vs. 9-10)
Moses pleads with God to reconsider. (Vs. 11-13)
He asks God why His wrath burns so hot. (Vs. 11)
He argues that the Egyptians will take the opportunity to state that God only took Israel out of the land to destroy them. (Vs. 12)
Finally, He calls upon God to remember the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob). (Vs. 13)
At the pleading of Moses, the Lord relents from the disaster He was prepared to bring. (Vs. 14)
Moses Returns to the Camp. (Vs. 15-20)
Moses returns to the camp. (Vs. 15-16)
He is carrying the tablets of the testimony.
They are written on the front and back. (Vs. 15)
They are the working of God, with His writing engraved on them. (Vs. 16)
Joshua, who has been waiting for Moses’ return, hears the noise from the celebrations in the camp and assumes they are being attacked. (Vs. 17)
Moses tells Joshua that it is not the sound of victory or defeat but singing that he hears. (Vs. 18)
When Moses arrives and sees the calf and the dancing his anger burns hot. (Vs. 19-20)
He threw the tablets and broke them at the foot of the mountain. (Vs. 19)
He took the calf they had made, burned it, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water that the people were using to drink. They would have no choice but to drink it. (Vs. 20)
While Moses’ anger was the source for these actions, it is also the case that the breaking of the tablets signified that Israel had already broken the commandments of God by their actions.
Confronting Aaron and the People. (Vs. 21-29)
Moses asks Aaron what they did to him to cause him to bring this great sin upon them. (Vs. 21)
Aaron claims the people’s heart is set on evil. (Vs. 22)
He continues by giving a version of the story that is mostly true, with one significant exception. (Vs. 23-24)
The people did make the request.
He did ask for their gold and they gave it.
However, Aaron’s explanation for the calf is that he simply threw the gold into the fire and out popped this calf. He completely removes the direct nature of his actions from the results.
Moses sees that the people have broken loose (from the Hebrew para - meaning to loosen, expose, or dismiss). (Vs. 25-29)
They have broken loose from the authority of Aaron and those around him. They are no longer listening or caring what they are being told.
Moses calls those who are still on the Lord’s side to come to him. Only the Levites gather around him. (Vs. 26)
Moses commands them with God’s authorization for them to put on their swords and go through the camp cutting down those who were being disorderly. (Vs. 27-28)
This was not random killing for the sake of it.
The nature of them breaking loose was a reckless disobedience without the desire to stop or show remorse. It is upon these that the Levites are sent to bring judgment.
About 3,000 of the people fell to the edge of the sword that day.
Moses tells the Levites that they have been ordained for the service of the Lord. (Vs. 29)
The Next Day. (Vs. 30-35)
On the following day, Moses makes a declaration to the people. (Vs. 30)
He declares that they have committed a great sin.
However, he is going to go up to the Lord to seek atonement for that sin.
Moses pleads for his people before God. (Vs. 31-35)
He recognizes it is in God’s hand to forgive or not, for the people have committed this sin and there is no denying it. (Vs. 31)
Nevertheless, if God is set on refusing forgiveness, the leader of the people asks God to remove him from His book as well. (Vs. 32)
God tells Moses His judgment will come upon the ones who have sinned against Him. He will not blot out a man who has no fault. (Vs. 33)
Judgment will come, but for now the Lord wants Moses to lead the people to the place about which He has spoken to him - the promised land. The time will come when their sins will return to visit them. (Vs. 34)
The Lord does send a plague upon the people because of the calf they made. (Vs. 35)