The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1888-07-06
THE GOLDEN CALF.
LESSON II, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 8.


John v, e1-Commentary by Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission of II. S. Hoffman. Philadelphia, pub
lisherl
"And Aoses turned and went down
from the mount" III our last lesson we
saw Moses going up into the mount; after
the revelation Of God to Aaron and his
sons and tho seventy elders, Moses took
Joshua, and bidding Aaron and the eld-
ers to tarry till they should como again,
they went up into tho mount and cloud
covered it. After six days God called
unto Moses from the midst of the cloud and
Moses went into the midst of the cloud and
was there forty days. Just where he left
Joshua, and what Joshua did these forty
days, we are not told. But we are told that
after God had given Moses the Instructions
concerning the tabernacle and priesthood
which are recorded in chapters xxv-x0i, Ho
then gave him two tables of testimony, tables
of stone, written with tho finger Of God
@zi, ls,, and said to him to go down from
the mount, for the people had made molten
calf and were worshiping it. The Lord
also said to Moses that He would consume the
people in His wrath and make of Moses
great nation; but in answer to the interces-
sion Of Moses on behalf of tho people He con
sented to spare them
"The Work OF God-the Writing Of God.'
written with the finger OF God' QIx. xxi,
IS; Dnut. tx, 10y. The second set of tables
which Moses received in place Of these to put
in the ark were also written by God, but the
tables Moses hewed, and took with him up to
the mount Deut x, 1-5 The Righteousness
set forth in these ten commandments is that
which the holiness of God requires of those
who would draw near to Him and enjoy His
favor, and this is shown forth in many
type and symbol When we remember the
deep significance of each command as ex-
planned by the Lord Jesus in His sermon on
the mount, and that whatsoever shall offend
in one point is guilty of all" DANES ii, 10),
we may well exclaim, "Who, then, can be
saved2' But blessed be God for Moses the
intercessor who saved tho people from the
wrath of God; and what shall we say of the
prophet like unto Moses, who not only in His
life fulfilled all Righteousness, but in His
death became sacrifice for our sins, ard
now risen from the dead becomes '.the end of
the law for every one that believeth" Rom.
x, A., and because He ever liveth to make
intercession, He is able to save tc the
utmost Gnargin 'evermore'D them that come
unto God by Him Heb. vii, 25).
10. Moses cast the tables out of his hands
and brake them beneath the n,c,nt.n Thus
he does in symbol what the people had done
and were doing literally; and yet they seemed
perfectly happy Notwithstanding tt.e broken
law of God. How sin does blind the eyes
and stop the ears, and harden the heart. We
see on every side of us today the laws of God
continually broken, and yet the people seer,
perfectly happy, and ''bscause sentence
against an evil work is not executed speedily
therefore the heart of tho sons of men is
fully set in them to do evil" tEccl viii,
ILL., But "Our God shall come, and shall not
keep silence; fire shall devour before Him.
and it shall be very tempestuous round about
Him. Now consider this ye that forget God
lest He tear you in pieces and there be none
to deliver" FPS. |, 8, 2)
90. Tho calf which they had made"-
In verse S5 it is written: 'sThey made the
calf which Aaron made" and in Deut. tx, 81,
Moses says: ~ took your sin, the calf which
Sc had made" Moses burnt 1t, ground it to
powder, strainedit upon the water and made
tho children of Israel drink it. "They eat
the fruit of their own way" prov. i; 81,
We would suppose that after the Judgment
and plague Tvs 2S-35) which came upon them
because OF this sin, their descendants to all
generations would shudder at the mere men
ticn OF a golden calf, and yet we find the ten
tribes for 150 years worshiping the golden
calves which were made and set up by Jero
boan at Bethel and at Dan q Kings xii, 2s-
3O, but it resulted in the destruction of the
house OF Jeroboam and in captivity for the
ten tribes, from which they have not yet re-
turned. There is nothing more sure than
that sin will in due time be found out and
punished, and whatsoever q man sowetb
that shall he also reap" Num. xxi, 23;
Gal. vi, ~ The Lake of Fire is for all who
are not written in the Book of Lifo (Rev. xx,
15), and even the works Of believers are to be
tried by fire, which, if they endure. shall be
rewarded; but IL they cannot endure the fire
they shall be burned up, and the person
saved yet so as by fire. 4 Cor Iii, 11-15.)
The only thing to do, and to do quickly if
not already done, is to stand where the fire
has already fallen, even in Christ, who be-
came sin for.us GI Cor. " 21), and SO let Him
live in US that He may do the works, for
whatever He does will surely endure tho fire
and be rewarded.
9l-:4 Aaron tries to excuse himself and
place the guilt OF this sin upon the people,
somewhat like Adam, who said, s'the woman
whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave
me Of the tree and did eat" Gen iii, 12.)
But he was willing partner in this sin, and
his excuses were in vain. "The Lord was
very angry with Aaron to have destroyed
him; and preved for Aaron also the same
time" peut. *, 20.) He who reads tho
heart saw the guilt Of Aaron in this matter,
and only by tho intercession of Moses was he
saved from wrath. If we could see our guilt
oh, ,,1I,
buliing it, as we'll as thesin we actually com.
nit, we would be terribly afraid, and would
moro fully appreciate Him by whose inter-
cesslon we are spared. Hero arc few facts
concerning sin which will surely help us if
we receive them: 'To him that knoweth to
do good and doeth it not, TO him it is sin"
JAS. iv, 17.) "Wfatsoever is not Of faith
is sin" Com xiv, 23J "1f ye have respect
to persons ye commit SIM" JAS ii, 9.)
''All unrighteousness is sin." q John v, nj
'"fhe transgression of the law is SIM d
John iii, ~ ''Tho thought of feolishness is
sin" l,rov. xiv, 9.)
20. hepeople were naked" (I,. ", broken
loose,, 1t was wlen Adam and Eve broke
loose from God that they lost their glorious
clothing of light (i's. civ, q; Gen. i, IN,
and became absolutely naked.
26. who Is Oh the Lords side?" The sons
of Levi respond to this call, and 5000 of tile
guilty ones fall before their swords. Tho
whole nation was professedly on lis side.
but their conduct spoke differently; the
whoie visible "!:;lrch of Christ Oh earth pro-
tesses to i'c ct the Lords side" h.st if SIM
liar conservation service WIS to be called for
today in order to slaY all "worsi,ifors of tho
golden calf, who would stand forth with q
cieal conscience, and what would be the