The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-07-05
THE GOLDEN CALF.

IHE GOLDEN CALF.
II, THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 9.
The Text Of the Lesson II to BE Found
in Ex. xxxii, I5-2e-Golden Text,
John ', 21-Commsntary by Rev. d. M.
Stearns.
condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission of b. 8. Hoffman, Philadelphia, pub
lisher.l
"And Moses turned and went down
from the mount" In our last lesson we
saw Moses going up into the mount; after
the revelation of Ged to Aaron and his
sons and the seventy elders, Moses took
Joshua, and bidding Aaron and the eld-
ers to tarry till they should come again,
they went up into the 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 net told But we are told that
after God had given Moses the instructions
concerning ths tabernacle and priesthood
Are recorded In chapters xxv~xxxi, He
then gave him two tables of testimony, tahlos
& stone, written with Tho finger Of God
(xxxi, 1s), and said to him to go down from
the mount, for the people had made a molten
calf and were worshiping it. The Lord
also said to Moses that He would consume tho
people In His wrath and make of Moses .
great nation; but in answer to the interces-
sion Of Moses on behalf Of the people He con-
sented to spare them.
"The Work of God-the Writing Of God"
written with the finger of God" EL XXI,
18; Deut. il, TO-. 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 Oeut. Z, 15. The Righteousness
set forth in these ten commandments ID 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 a
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 "whosoever shall offend
in one point is guilty Of all" James ii, 1O,
we may well exclaim, "Who, then, can be
savedP' But blessed be God for Moses the
intercessor who saved the people from tho
wrath of God; and what shall we say of the
prophet like unto Noses who not only In His
life fulfilled all righteousness, but in His
death became a sacrifice for our sins, and
now risen from the dead becomes "the end Of
the law for every one that believeth" Rom.
Z, A., and because He ever iveth to make
intercession, He is able to save to tho
utmost tmargin "evermore'1 them that come
unto God by Him Heb vii, 25).
19. "Moses cast the tables out Of his hands
and brake them beneath the mount" Thus
he does in symbol what the people had done
and were doing literally; and yet they seemed
perfectly happy notwithstanding the 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 seem
perfectly happy, and "because sentence
against an evil work is not executed speedily,
therefore tho heart of the sons of men is
fully set in them to do evil" Eccl viii,
H. 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" Ps l, 8, 22)
20. 1.-THE calf which they had made.
In verse IS 1t is written: "They made the
calf which Aaron made" and in Deut il, 81,
Moses says: II took your sin, the calf which
ye had made" Moses burnt it, ground it to
powder, strained it upon the water and made
the children Of Israel drink it "They eat
the fruit of their own way" prov. /, SIj
We would suppose that after the Judgment
and plague tvs 1855 which came upon them
because of this sin, their descendants to all
generations would shudder at the mere men
tion of golden calf, and yet we find the ten
tribes for $50 years worshiping the golden
calves which were made and set up by Jero-
boam at Bethel and at Dan q Kings Xii, 2S-
80; but 1t 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 a man soweth
that shall he also reap" Num- xxi, %;
Gal vi, ~ The Lake of Fire is for all who
are not written in the Book of Life Rev. Xxx,
15, and even the works of believers are to be
tried by fire, which, if they endure, shall be
rewarded; but if they cannot endure tho fire
they shall be burned up, and the person
saved yet SO as by fire. q Cor iii, l1-15.)
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 Oh Cor. v, 2n, and SO let Him
live in us that He may do the works, for
whatever He does will surely endure the fro
and be rewarded.
, 21-24 Aaron tries to excuse himself and
place the guilt Of this sin upon the people,
somewhat like Adam, who said, ''the woman
whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave
me Of the tree and did eat" (Gen. ill, 12.)
But he was a willing partner in this sin, and
his excuses were in vain. 1.-THE Lord was
very angry with Aaron to have destroyed
him; and prayed for Aaron also the same
time" Deut. TX, 20.) He who reads the
heart saw the guilt of Aaron in this matter,
and only by the intercession of Moses was hs
saved from wrath II we could sec our guilt
because of the sin which we allow by not re-
buking 1t, as well as the sin we actually COM
NIT, we would be terribly afraid, and would
more fully appreciate Him by whose inter
cession we are spared. Here are few facts
concerning sin which will surely help US II
we receive them: ITO him that knoweth to
do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin"
JAS. iv, 17.) "Whatsoever is not Of faith
is sin" Rom. xiv, 23.l "If ye have respect
to persons ye commit sin" Uas. ii, 81
"Al unrighteousness is sin.s q John v, III
"The transgression Of the Law is sin" q
John iii, ~ 1.-THE thought Of foolishnez is
sin." prov. xiv, 0.)
2a "Ths people were naked" Or. ", broken
loose). It *as when Adam and Eve broke
loose from God that they lost their glorious
clothing Of light Ps civ, .; Gen. /, 9D,
and became absolutely naked.
26 "Who is on the Lords sidel" The sons
Of Levi respond to this call, and 8, 900 Of the
guilty ones fall before their swords. The
whole nation was professedly on his side,
but their conduct spoke differently; the
whole visible church Of Christ on earth pro
fesses to be ION the Lords side" !" but If a Sim
liar conservation service was to be called for
today in order to slay all s'worshipers of the
golden cali" who would stand forth with q
clear conscience, and what would be the
number of the SLANT How many Of us can
say in our hearts, before God, that we are
with Moses, and Joshua, and Caleb, and the
sons Of Levi; that we are worshiping God in
spirit and In truth; that we are walking by
faith, and not by sight; and that we have
not in our hearts turned back to Egypt