Diversions

DEVOTION

EXODUS

DIVERSIONS

Ex 32:1-6

32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." 2 Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

NIV

We know Moses was on the mountain with God for forty days and nights. That is over a month and the people were without their leader, their shepherd. All this talk we have had about the tabernacle, the making of it, the outer court, the brazen altar, the laver and all the fixtures within the Tabernacle have been between God and Moses on the mountain. All the instructions about the Ark of the Covenant, the lampstand, the table of showbread, the golden altar of incense, the tightly woven curtain between the holy and the holy of holies has been just between God and Moses. We have been privy to this conversation because we have been on the mountain with them, so to speak. But the people have not and have no clue what is going on and when, if ever, Moses will come back to them. In addition, God has also been with them in the form of this pillar of fire by night and pillar of smoke by day, but as they are encamped near the mountain where God descended upon to talk to Moses, they have not seen any evidence of him or Moses. So it would be natural for them to want another god they could worship, one they could see, have evidence of it being with them. How foolish of them, we think. We know that was so foolish and stupid for them to insist on Aaron making them another god. But he does it. Aaron, the brother of Moses, the man who saw God do all he did in Egypt, who was beside Moses the whole time. Aaron was with him when he stood before Pharaoh, he actually did the speaking for Moses. We have to give him some credit as when he fashions the golden calf and the people said that this was the god that brought then out of Egypt, he told them there would be a festival to Yahweh, the LORD. He did not say there would be a festival to this golden calf. Nevertheless the lesson is in the impatience of the people regarding God being always showing them some miracle. Although we have to think that even though God is on the mountain with Moses, the manna and quail are still showing up every morning and evening. God is the ultimate multi-tasker. Still without empirical evidence of God being with them, they want another god of their own making. Is it possible that we could do something like that? If we do not see any evidence of God working in our lives, do we start looking for other gods? Surely we certainly would not make a golden calf to worship. But could we possible worship gold in another form, such as financial security? Could we make an idol out of something else, such as our homes, cars, boats and motor homes? What about a hobby or health and fitness? Could we make idols out of them? Maybe some people could be our idols? But it is doubtful we would replace God with them, as it seems the children of Israel were doing. Nevertheless God has said not to have any other gods before him. They did not know this yet, or did they? Oh yes they did, for God had already given them his Ten Commandments through Moses. They knew full well this was against his commands and they still did it. He also instructed them not to make any graven images, and here we have this golden calf. God has also instructed us regarding how we are to live and worship him and him alone. But are we guilty, maybe not of actually worshipping in the sense of bowing down to, but putting our trust in anything or anyone, including ourselves, other than God? Have we become impatient with God because we do not see his power manifested daily in our lives? Do we become distracted away from him because we are not seeing some miraculous event every day or week or month for that matter? If we do not sense his presence with us, do we start looking elsewhere for solace or peace and security? We remember those words of Daryl Scott. The difference between the conscience presence of God and the constant presences of God. Even when we do not feel his presence he is there with us. He is constantly with us, he said he would never leave or forsake us. We must never be diverted from our faith in God, ever. We must never allow anything or anyone to divert our complete faith, dependence, trust and obedience to the LORD. No diversions.