NEW Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is provided by Charmer Pratt. Charmer, a longtime member of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia, has served faithfully in the welcoming ministry since 2016.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“It Starts in the Heart”
Exodus 32:1-6
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, 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.
This is a story that many of us are familiar with, and if you’re not, I highly recommend reading Exodus 32 in its entirety. It tells the story of the golden calf—how Israel turned to idolatry after forty days of not seeing Moses return from the summit of Mount Sinai. As a result of this blasphemous act, the Lord punished Israel in three ways: drinking the golden dust of the powdered calf (v. 20), a mass slaughter among the people (v. 27-28), and a plague (v. 35).
However, Israel’s blasphemy began well before a single gold earring was handed to Aaron to craft the idol. Let’s examine verse 1 to see what the people of Israel said to Aaron: “Come, make us gods who will go before us.” Here, they ask for multiple gods—an unmistakable sign of the polytheistic influence they absorbed from Egypt. In essence, they seek to be like the very nation that their true God had just defeated. In other words, God alone is not enough for them, and they feel compelled to look elsewhere. “As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt…” This is the clearest example of their blasphemy. It was God who delivered them from Egypt, yet they credit Moses with the work that belongs to Him. “…we don’t know what has happened to him.” They disregard the last thing they were told. In Exodus 24:14, Moses instructs the elders to wait for his and Joshua’s return—mirroring what God told Moses in verse 12.
It is profoundly disrespectful to turn to the world for wisdom that only God can provide, to attribute His works to a mere man, and to forget His words. No wonder Israel faced these three severe punishments! But if we’re honest, haven’t we all been guilty of these sins at some point? Thankfully, redemption is always possible. Even in the wilderness, God extended mercy and used Israel mightily to build the tabernacle (see Exodus 35–36).
Have you found yourself growing impatient with the Lord, seeking fulfillment outside of Him, crediting others for His work, or forgetting the last thing He told you? Turn back to Him—He is always ready to restore you.
Prayer: Lord, I’m sorry for the ways in which I’ve blasphemed Your Name. Thank You for always providing a path for redemption no matter how far I stray from You. Please fill me with love for You so that I don’t forget Your words, give anyone else credit for Your works, or look to another for wisdom only You provide. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 8