The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-07-25
THE GOLDEN
CALF
Sunday School Lesson for July 2S. 1907
Specially Prepared for This Paper
Specially Prepared for This Paper

LESSON TExT.-Exodus S2:l-s, So-S5.
Memory verses, "a, 35.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Little children keep
yourselves from idos."--l John 5:2i.
TIME.-Sometime In July, b. c. 1891
according to the common chronology.
toward the close of Moses forty days on
Mount Sinai; six OF seven weeks after the
giving of the law.
PLACE.-The people are still encamped
before Mount Sinai in the Valley of Err
Rahah.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Warn
ings against modern idolatry Rom. 1:21-
Is; Cor. e:lo; 1914, 2o-22; 1 John 5:2l;
Rev. 21:8.
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 to receive further instruc-
tions; and also to 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-
ceiving nourishment, nutriment, In
spiration, comfort, and even words by
which to express the divine thought.
And, coming back from the mountain
Of contemplation he touches life with
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. 5:1S), al
most seven weeks, If the week with
the leaders in the lower parts of the
mountain is to be added (Ex. 24:9, 16) .
The absence of Moses was a time OF
testing both the leaders and the peo-
pie. They had just taken the oath Of
allegiance to God, and unanimously
promised to obey him.
vi up, make us gods" or a god,
(which shall go before u.s." 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 we're familiar
with the way in which the idols of the
heather were worshiped. with feasting
and rioting and unrestrained licen
tiousness, In marked contrast with the
Jehovah.
V. s. "And when Aaron saw II
(this)." Saw in what light the peo
pie viewed the image. "He built ar
altar before 1t and said, to-mor
row is a feast to the Lord" God wal
still to be worshiped. but under the
form of a calf Probably Aaror
thought he was very shrewd in thus
saving for God what he could OF honor
and reverence.
So Jehu boasted of his zeal for the
Lord of hosts while he was worship
J ing the golden calves of Jeroboam {:
Kings 1916, 29).
II. 1.-THE Lord said unto Moses
Go, get thee down" Moses in thu
thick cloud which covered the top o
Sinai could not see or hear what wa
going on below. But 1t was no tim,
for him to remain apart, even In com
munion with God; there was work t
do below, which his mountain-top ex
perience fitted him to do. So the thre
disciples who viewed the Transfigura
ton weer not allowed to remain ol
the Mount, but were sent down Il
their daily work where the others wer
In vain trying to cure a demon-con
trolled boy.
To test him, God offered to destro
the nation and make Moses the secon
Abraham of new and greater people
Moses stood the test, rejected tn
tempting offer, and urged upon Go
three pleas for mercy. Moses haster
ed down the mountainside, wit
Joshua, who had been waiting for hin
Soon they came in sight of the abou
Unable idol, and the frenzied worship
ers dancing, half naked, around 4
:. Probably there was a power not onl
n In his soul. but In his appearance
e some CLEANS of that glory describe
y In Ex. 34;35.
e The breaking OF the tables Of tn
r covenant was enough to cause tn
d stoutest heart to fear.
n Moses then burned the golden ca
/. and ground 1t to powder. 1T is almos
g impossible to pulverize pure gold, bu
h the act was made easily possible. prol
!, ahly nv allows present in the jewelr