The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-17
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The Golden Calf


Little children. keep yourselves from
IDOLS John 5:21.
The Israelites experienced a severe trial
Oh falth and obedience soon after enter
ing into covenant relationship with God
In this trial they failed utterly. The
covenant was broken. However. after
Furnishing them, God graciousy renewed
the covenant with them.
The circumstances of this testing are a
part of this lesson. After the making of
the covenant, Moses, by divine direction.
went up into Mt. Sinai, taking with him
Joshua. He was gone 40 days-a compar-
atVely long period under the cireum-
stances. His prolonged absence gave room
for the cultivation OF. faith, patience and
trust.
The lsraelites remembered the trying
experiences through which they had
passed. The Egyptians and slavery were
behind them; the Amalekites, who had al
ready attacked them, might renew the
attack.' What would they do in the alb
sence of Moses, whose upheld hands had
brought them Gods favor, and victory?
Here worldly wisdom came in Aaron.
the high priest, Moses brother and repre-
sentative in leadership, was perplexed as
to ow to keep the people from utter dis
couragement. They seemed to need a
visible representative of God. Apparently
they were unable to trust fully to the
God whom they could not see, after His
representative. Moses, was out of sight
The leaders of the people took counsel
together and determined to make a repre-
sentation of Jehovah-an image which the
People could use as an instrument of wor-
ship. We are not to suppose that the Is
raelites recognized the golden calf as their
God Jehovah, but used it merely as
symbol, just as the heather use idols as
representations of their gods, and as some
Christians use the crucifiX as a represen-
tstion of Christ-not to worship, but mere
ly to assist fajtn and hold attention.
Todays lesson seems clearly to Indicate
that God was greatly displeased with
their symDolical representation of Him.
self. One of His commands to Israel had
been, Thou shalt not make unto thee
any craven image or any likeness of God
or of anything, to bow down before it
and worship it as symbol, or represent
tation.
Making the Golden Calf
We are not to suppose that the calf
was made of solid metal. 1t is improba BILE
that all the jewelry of all the Israeites
would have been enough to make
metal calf of any size. The supposition
is that, after the manner of that time,
the calf was made of either clay or wood,
and then covered with the molten metal
the gold which had constituted the peo-
pies jewelry. This in turn was doubtless
craven, or tooled Having made the idol,
the people rejoiced in 1t as an evidence
of God in their midst They gave them
selves up to season of feasting and
dancing.
This was the condition of things at the
end of the 40 days spent by Moses in
the mount with God. As he came down
from the mount with the tables of the
law. he heard the shouts of the people,
and then behed them worshiping the
golden calf. Moses was angry. He was
the mediator between God and Israel--the
representative of both. He had right
to be angry; for he was charged by God
with the responsibility of that nation. and
he realized that serious crime against
the divine covenant had been committed.
Moses dashed the tables of the law into
fragments. indicating that the covenant
was broken He went down to the people,
angry against them, as Gods representa-
tive. Armed with divine authority, he
let fall upon them just penalty for their
ra pid retrogresson into sin.
Then, the representative of the peo-
pie, Moses went to God in prayer and
besought that If the penalty of this sin
was the casting off of his people ile
might himself be blotted out instead. Such
patriotism as Moses here evinced has
surely not often been equalled. 1t meant
loyalty TO his work as lsrael's represen-
tative and mediator, and al the same time
loyalty to God, whom he also represented.
keep Yourselves From IDOLS
Let us apply the lesson to spiritual Is
rael After the Christian has left the
world the slavery to sin, after he has
passed the bitter experiences of Marah.
after he has had manifestations of Gods
favor, after he has partalSen of the bread
from heaven. after ne has entered fully
into covenant relationship with Cod
there comes time when he must walk
proved by the Lord. II he falls in this
lesson. as did the typical Israelites. it will
be serious matter.
This making of images and allowing
them TO divert and absorb our worship of
God is one of the greatest trials and tests
which come to spiritual lsraeltes- The
golden calf which some set UP to worship
is business They give themselves wholly
to 1t, sacrificing their time and their en-
ergy. The love of money and of the
things which money can procure leads
into idolatry and thereby breaks their
covenant with the Lord.
Others idolize the opposite sex. and give
all they possess for its favor and fellow
ship. They worship the creature more
than the Creator, as the apostle ex-
plains. They are making great mistake.
Jesus declared this, saying: He that
loves father or mother, or children. or
self or my other creature more than Me
IL not worthy of Me.
still another idol Is to be noted-that Of