God's Rule
Lesson 4

Lesson Four

God's Sovereignty and Early Israel's Golden Calf

Text: Exodus 32

Transformation is difficult. Internal change is hard to produce. Altering habits, behaviors, routines, involvements, and procedures is a challenge. However, it is difficult to alter external qualities without first inwardly changing the person. Changing habits, behaviors, routines, involvements, or procedures is a challenge. Changing the person who produces those habits, behaviors, routines, involvements, or procedures is much more difficult. A common human motto seems to be, "You can alter what I do, but do not try to change who I am."

For generations Israelites existed as slaves in Egypt. To specifically apply an old saying, "God took the Israelite slaves out of Egypt, but God could not remove the Egyptian slave influence from the Israelites." Because Israel physically was freed from Egyptian slavery by crossing the Red Sea did not mean their minds and hearts were removed from the influences of Egyptian idolatry. Their first response to "difficult circumstances" was this: revert to familiar, comfortable, idolatrous influences learned in Egypt.

Two facts are called to your attention. Fact one: after Israel heard God speak to them at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exodus 20;1-19; Deuteronomy 4:10-13), they begged Moses to prevail upon God not to speak directly to them again (Exodus 20:19). They promised to listen to Moses if he would serve as the mediator between them and God.

Fact two: God gave Israel specific reason to know (1) He was real and (2) He could take care of them. Moses' powers (Exodus 4; 7:1-13); God's determination to establish His identity (Exodus 6:2-8); God's miraculous workings (Exodus 7:14-12:51); and Israel's crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13-31) were God's determined efforts to cause Israel to see Him as the living God who could and did provide for them.

God's provision for the Israelites did not end with the crossing of the Red Sea. He gave them water at Marah (Exodus 15:22-26); manna in the wilderness of Sin [that continued for forty years]; quail (Exodus 16:8-12); water from a rock at Rephidim (Exodus 17:1-7); and gave these former Israelite slaves victory over Amalek's warriors (Exodus 17:8-13). The living God, their Redeemer who rescued them from Egypt, protected them from vicious enemies and provided their physical necessities.

After all these experiences, after hearing God's voice at Sinai, after promising to listen to Moses, Moses went upon a mountain to listen to God. Moses was gone a little over a month. Israel grew impatient in their dessert environment. They assembled around Aaron urging him to make them a god to lead them. They needed leadership! That leadership needed to come from their familiar past! It needed to be a god, a god made by human hands! They did not know what had happened to Moses, and they could not wait for his "possible" return. Moses was "this man" who brought them out of Egypt. They needed a god to lead them. [Ironically a man could make their god and somehow the god would be greater than the man who made it.]

Aaron cooperated with them. He took their gold ear rings, melted them, and used a "graving tool" to produce a molten calf (Exodus 32:2-4). In a striking, insulting rejection of God's sovereignty, Aaron presented the golden calf to Israel with these words: "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 32:4).

Past history knows few [if any] times when a people chosen by God succeeded in making God angrier than He was on this occasion. The day following Aaron's presentation of the golden calf to Israel, Israel had a feast and celebration to honor their god (Exodus 32:6). Their insult outraged God! (See Exodus 32:7-10) Why was God insulted and outraged? Israel through unique experiences had opportunity to see and experience God's love, care, and protection. They were free for only one reason: God's "mighty hand and outstretched arm" delivered them from Egyptian control. Yet, they dared call an idol made from the gold they wore the god who delivered them from Egypt! What an insult to the living God, the true Redeemer!

If anyone ever saw God's sovereignty at work, Israel saw it. God was more powerful than all the gods of Egypt. God was more powerful than all of Egypt's wise advisors. God was more powerful than the king of Egypt. No opponent could withstand God. Nothing could keep God from achieving His purposes. Yet, Israel was so arrogant, so self-reliant that they dared declare an idol made from their gold jewelry to be the god who rescued them from Egypt! Their concept of deity was awful! Their request and actions defied the first commandments God gave them (Exodus 20:3-6). What an astounding rejection of God's sovereignty!

God was so angry with Israel that He asked Moses not to intercede for them. These people quickly had turned away from Him! They were an uncontrollable people! They rejected the leadership and guidance that He provided for their best interest! God was so angry that He wanted Moses to do nothing to calm that anger. "Moses, let my anger burn against this obstinate people! Leave me alone! I will begin again with you!"

Why did God refer to Israel as Moses' people, not His people (Exodus 32:7)? Perhaps for this reason: these people were more likely to respond to Moses than they were to respond to God. When God spoke to them, they were terrified. They did not want to hear God speak. They considered God's immediate presence a dangerous circumstance. Yet, when Moses spoke to them, they listened. They preferred Moses' voice to God's voice. When they asked for a god, they referred to Moses' leadership, but not to God's leadership (Exodus 32:1). Perhaps in these former slaves' minds God was not yet a living force. In their minds God certainly was not sovereign!

Discuss these statements:

  1. Throughout history, people were [and are] likely to demand that God "fit" their human concepts rather than allowing God to establish His own identity. [Do you do that?]

  2. Idolatry is a human attempt to fashion God in ways that "fit" human expectations. [What are your "idols"? Why do you have them?]

  3. People are more comfortable with a god they make rather than the God who reveals Himself. [Do you prefer gods you make? Why?]

  4. The human mind can make "idols" as surely as human hands can. [Does your mind make "idols"?]

  5. Any form of idolatry is a rejection of God's sovereignty. [When do you reject God's sovereignty?]


Link to Teacher's Guide Lesson 4

Copyright © 2003
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

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