The Golden Calf (The Objective Answer Part 3)

Actually, I wrote my Part 3 (and 4) to my series of The Objective Answer Part 1 and 2 a long time ago, but I just didn't click that 'Publish Post' buttons. They're still there under 'draft'. Words are very powerful (consequences) and we must dare to own up to everything we say. With great power comes....?

Truth must still be strong, never muddied, but can be repackaged.

Couple of days ago, I saw something I'd never seen before when I read the Bible in Exodus 32. The familiar story of while Moses was up at Mount Sinai with the Lord for forty days and nights, the Israelites became fearful and impatient. And they demanded Aaron, the High Priest to make them another god, an image....

[32:1] When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” [2] So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” [3] So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. [4] And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” [5] When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” [6] And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. (ESV)

I'd never question this before: "Why calf?" Now I see that the calf was meant to represent the Lord (see their good intention). According to verse 4, the calf represented the god that delivered them out of Egypt (see their past triumph/experience). In any case, with a little reference to the New Bible Dictionary, the idolatry at Sinai was "a blending of contemporary, popular bull- and calf-cults, Egyptian and Canaanite alike, with their emphasis on natural strength and fertility".

What struck me this time was the celebration described by Aaron was "unto the Lord". It was an all-out (full of might), genuine (they missed God, remember?), sacrificial (among other sacrifices, they also took off their gold!) worship to the Lord (talk about perceiving God). But God would have none of it, His wrath was burning against the Israelites, was about to wipe them out if not for Moses' intercession on their behalf.

This was the danger. Israelites did not consciously reject the Lord as their God, but they attempted to portray Him as the golden calf. And that was a big no no to the Lord.

I cannot imagine my wife celebrating our anniversary with me, buying me lotsa gifts, but enjoying with the man that she imagine I would be, not the man she really knows. No matter how wonderful the experiences she has had. Doesn't matter how expensive the gifts she brought. I'd burn them...and probably her too....haha, let's not go there.

No wonder Jesus emphasized worship as the right perception of God to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Both in spirit and in truth!

I was chatting late last night over the Net with my good friend, Pastor Vincent in the UK. As usual, our conversation would eventually lead to wrestling with hard issues. We're both deeply troubled by so many teachings in Christianity today. I won't write here what we had discussed. Not today.

But I must say this: unless you're a spiritual baby, you must take full 100% ownership and responsibility for your spiritual growth and learning. Don't leave your life in the hands of somebody else (remember: even Aaron, the high priest who could enter the holy of holies could mislead his people). But choose your 'anchors' wisely. And don't be afraid to question everything. Why not? On that final day, only you (no one else) have to stand and answer for everything that was given to you. There'll be no one left to blame. You'll soon realise the buck really stops with you.

Is there a golden calf you've been worshipping unknowingly? Better shine some light to see.

Maybe more on this topic some other time.