The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-07-26
THE GOLDEN
CALF
Sunday School LesscnIor July 20. 1907
Specially Prepared ior This Paper


GOLDEN TEXT.-'Little children keen
yourselves from idols John 5.2i
TIME.-sometime In July. -. C. i.al
according 10 the common chronology,
toward the close OF Moses forty DAYS I'm
Mount Sinai; six or seven weeks after tie
giving OF the law.
PLACE.-The people are still encampea
before Mount Sinai in the Valley OF Er
Rahah.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. Warn
ings against modern idolatry: Rom i
Is; Cor. G:l0. 1914. 2O-22: l John 5.f.
Rev 2i:S.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
After the commandments had been
given by God through Moses and the
covenant assented TO by the people
Moses again went up into the mount
10 obtain the commandments in more
permanent form, written on tablets OF
stone. and TO receive further instruc
lions; and also 10 be prepared by his
Intimate communion with God for his
long and difficult work of forming the
people into a nation that could dwell
in the promised land. Every quality
Of mind and of spirit was to be taxed
20 the utmost. Every minister. every
teacher. every believer needs saws
Joseph Parker, periods OF solitude
and communing with God: away from
the fray. the battle. the race. but re-
ceiving nourishment. nutriment. in-
SEPARATION. comfort, and even words by
which to express the divine thought.
And. coming back from the mountain
OF contemplation. he touches life with
a steadier hand. and does his duty
with a completer obedience and more
radiant cheerfulness."
V. /. Saw that Moses delayed
He was gone 40 days (Ex. 25:ls). al
most seven weeks, II the week with
the leaders in the lower parts OF the
mountain is to be added eek. 24:9, 49,
The absence OF Moses was a time Of
testing both the leaders and the peo-
pie. They had Just taken the oath Of
allegiance 10 God. and unanimously
promised 10 obey him.
V. !. up. make us gods" or a god.
which shall go before US" and be our
leader. They could not see God and
they wanted some visible expression
OF God. They had several manifesto
tions of God.-the pillar OF cloud and
fire, the glory on the mountain. and
the daily mama; but even these be
came so common that they did not
make them realize the presence OF
God. They had just come from the
land OF idols. heather gods every
where. All these gods could be seen.
The attractions OF idolatry were OF
no mean power. They were familiar
with the way in which the idols OF the
heather We're worshiped, with Teasing
and rioting and unrestrained licen-
tiousness. in marked contrast with the
purity and self-control required by
Jehovah.
v. 5. And when Aaron saw Il
(this)." Saw in what light the peo-
pie viewed the image. HE built an
altar before IL and said. to-mor
row is a feast to the Lord God was
still 10 be worshiped. but under tho
form OF calf Probably Aaron
thought he was very shrewd in thus
saving for God what he could OF honor
and reverence.
So Jehu boosted OF his zeal for the
Lord of hosts while he was worship
ing the golden calves of Jeroboam
Kings 1916. 29l.
V. Z. The Lord said unto Moses.
Go. get thee down" Moses in the
thick cloud which covered the top OF
Sinai could not gee or hear what was
going on below. But II was no time
for him to remain apart, even in com
munion with God; there was work 70
do below. which his mountain-top eN-
perience fitted him 10 CO. So the three
disciples who viewed the Transfgura-
ton weer not allowed TO remain on
the Mount, but were sent down 20
their daily work where the others were
ia vain trying to cure demon-con-
trolled boy.
To test him, God offered to destroy
the nation and make Moses the second
Abraham OF a new and greater people
Moses stood the test, rejected me
tempting offer. and urged upon Goa
three pleas for mercy. Moses hasten
ed down the mountainside, WIN
Joshua. who had been waiting for MN.
Soon they came in sight OF the aDolh'
Unable idol, and the frenzied worship
ers dancing. half naked. around j.
Probably there was power not ohy
in his soul, but in his appearance.
some CLEANS Of that glory descroeu
In Tx. 34:33.
The breaking Of the tables OF me
covenant was enough TO cause inc
stoutest heart to fear. -
Moses then burned the golden can
and ground it to powder. 1T Is almost
impossible to pulverize pure gold oN'
the act was made easily possible ploO
ably by alloys present in the je"eHs.
from which the idol had been made'
Patterson Du Bois.
Then Moses put the question. Ivy r.
Is on the Lords side?" Who "'li
stand for the right whatever 'Ne"
past mistakes, whoever else may
fuse?
Practical Points.
The consequences OF loving anythlns