The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-07-18
THE GOLDEN
CALF
Sunday School Lesson Tor July IS. 1907
Specially Prepared for This Paper
Specially Prepared for This Paper


Memory verses. "a. 30.
GOLDEN TEXT-"L.ittie children keep
yourselves from Idols ~ John 5.2l.
TIME Sometime In July. n. G. 1871
according TO the common Chronology,
toward the close OF Moses forty days on
Mount Sinai. six or seven weeks after the
giving Of the law.
PLACE.-The people are stili cncamped
before Mount Sinai in the Valley OF hL
Rahah.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES g. Warn
ings against modern idolatry; Rom. i;2i-
g; I Cor $40; i0aA 20-22, 1 John 5.2i;
Rev. ei;S
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
After the commar dments had been
given by God through Moses and the
covenant assented to by the people.
Moses again went up into the mount
to obtain the commandments In more
permanent form. written on tablets OF
stone, and to receive further lnstruc-
tons; 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
to the utmost. Every minister, every
teacher. every believer needs. says
Joseph Parker. periods OF solitude
and communing with God: away from
the fray. the battle. the race. but re-
cc1ving 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. l. Saw that Moses delayed"
He was gone 40 days Tex. 25:1Sl. al
most seven weeks. II the week with
the leaders In the lower parts OF the
mountain Is TO be added lex. Ease, 49,.
The absence OF Moses was time OF
testing both the leaders and the peo-
pie They had just taken the oath Of
allegiance 10 God. and unanimously
promised to obey him.
vi Up. make ms 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 manifesta-
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.
20 ltf
no mean power They were familiar
with the way In which the idols OF tho
heather were worshipod. with feasting
and rioting and unrestralned licen-
tiousness. in marked contrast with the
purity and self-control required By
Jehovah.
V. 8. "Aud when Aaron saw II
(thisl." Saw IN what light the peo-
pie viewed the image. lie built an
altar before II and said. tO-mor
row is a feast to the Lord" God was
still 20 be worshiped. but under the
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 bis zeal for the
Lord OF hosts while he was worship
ing the golden calves Of Jero5oam q
Kings 1915. 2s).
W. THE Lord said unto Moses
Go. &c; thee down" Moses In the
thick cloud which covered the top Of
Sinai could not see or hear what was
going on below. But Il was no time
for him to remain apart, even In com
munion with Cod there was work to
do below. which his mountain-top ex-
perience fitted him to do. So the three
disciples who viewed the Transfgura-
ton weer not allowed to remain on
the Mount. but were sent down to
their daily work where the others were
in 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 l--eater people
Moses stood the test. rejected the
tempting offer, aud urged upon God
three pleas for mercy Moses hasten
ed down The mountainside. with
Joshua. Who tsd been waiting for him.
Soon they cane in sight Of the abom-
Unable idol. and the frenzied worship
ers dancing, half naked. around IT,
Probably theie was power not only
in his soul. but in his appearance
some CLEANS of that glory described
In Elk. 34:35.
The breaking Of the tables Of the
covenant was enough 10 cause the
stoutest heart to fear.
Moses then burned the golden calf
and ground II to powder. IT Is almost
impossible TO pulyerize pure gold. but
the act was made easily possible, prob
ably, by alloys present in the jewelry
from which the idol had been made"
Patterson Du Bots.
Then Moses put the question. Who
is on the Lords side?" Who will
stand for the right. whatever their
past mistakes. whoever else may re-
fuse?
Pra1tical Points.
The consequences OF loving anything
more than we love God are deadly.
The character deteriorates: the con-