Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-07-06
THE GOLDEN
CALF
SUNDAY sehOol Le.son Ior July7s. lqo;
Specially Prepared fer This Paper

.
GOLDEN TENT.-"Iittle children keep
/ yourselves from idois."-i John 5.2l
| TlME-SomeJimc i'm July r. c. 1891
1 according 90 The common chron0Iorvl
1 toward the close 90 Noses forty davs on
Mount sinai SIX CT seven weeks after the
1 giving OF the law.
PLACE.-The people are still cucampei
before Mount sinai in the Valley Of Er
I Rahah.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES- Warn
| ings against modern idolatry: Rom. l.2i-
4 p Cor $40. 1874. 22-22. 1 John 5.2I:
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
TO obtain the commandments In more
permanent form. written on tablets OF
| stone. and 20 receive further instruc-
tons; and also TO be prepared by his
intimate communion with God for his
long and difficult work of forming the
people into nation that could dwell
in the promised land Every quality
OF mind and OF spirit was 10 be taxed
TO the utmost. Every minister. every
teacher, every believer needs. says
Joseph Parker. periods of solitude
| and ccmmuninE with God: away from
the fray. the battle. the race. but re-
oeiving nourishment, uutriment. in
spiraticn. 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 completer obedience and more
radiant cheerfulness."
V. L. saw that Moses DELAYED. 3"
He was gone 40 days OCx. 25:1S). al
most seven weeks. If the week with
the leaders I'm the lower parts OF the
mountain is 10 be added (Ex. 24:9. 16).
The absence of Moses was a time Of
testing both the leaders and the peo-
pie. They bad just taken the oath OF
allegiance TO God. and unanimously
promised 20 obey him.
V l. Up. make MS gods" or a god.
which shall 80 before as" and be our
leader They could not see God. and
they wanted some visible expression
of God. They had several manifesto
lions Cf God.-the pillar of cloud and
fire. the glory ON the mountain. and
the daily manua; bat 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 worshipod. with Teasing
and rioting and unrestrained licen-
uousncss, in marked contrast with the
purity and self-control required by
Jehovah.
V. 3. And when Aaron saw il
(thisl." Saw I'm what light the peo-
pie viewed the image. "He built an
altar before it and said. to-mor-
row is feast TO the Lord" God was
still 20 be worsh!pod. bur under the
form of a calf Probably Aaron
thought he was very shrewd In thus
saving FOR God what be could OF honor
and reverence.
So Jehu boasted of his zeal for the
Lord of hosts while he was worship
ing the golden calves OF Jeroboam 70
Kings 1915. 29).
Y. T. The Lord said unto Moses.
Go, get 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 God: there was work to
do below. which his mountain-tOp ex.
perience fitted him 90 DO SO the three
disciples who viewed the Transigura.
ton weer not allowed TO remain on
the Mount. but were sent down TO
their daily work where the others we're
in vain trying to cure a demon-con-
trolled boy
To test him, God offered TO destroy
the nation aud make Moses the second
Abraham OF new and greater people.
Moses stood the test rejected the
tempting offer. and urged upon God
three pleas for mercy. Moses hasten
ed down the mountainside, with
Joshua. who had been waiting for him.
Soon they came In sht OF the abom-
Unable idol, and the frenzled worship
ers dancing. half naked. around il.
Probably there was power not only
in his soul. but in his Appearance
some CLEANS of that glory described
in Elk. 1895.
The breaking Of the tables OF the
covenant was enough to cause the
stoutest heart TO fear.
Moses then burned the golden calf |
and ground 4 20 powder. 1t is almost |
to pulverizo 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 side2" Who will |
stand for the right, whatever their
past mistakes. whoever else may re-
fuse?
Practical Points.
The consequences of loving anything 4
more than we love God are deadly.
The character deteriorates; the con-
science destroys peace: the allure
ments and attractions fade into hor-
rors; plaques come; we fail OF Gods
guidance; the idol is destroyed and
nothing takes its place.
THE soul Is like a curious chamber
with elastic walls which Gan ha Az. \