Misplaced Trust

I want to take us all on a short walk through the story of the Israelites before they got to this point. If we think about the story of Exodus we quickly find out that the story’s focus is around Moses. Moses as a baby, Moses raised by Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses running away, Moses being called through the burning bush, Moses and the Ten Plagues, Moses conveying the passover meal, Moses parting the sea, Moses turning the water drinkable and telling them about the manna and quail, and so much more until he is called by God to head up the mountain for 40 days to receive all the instruction he receives including the 10 Commandments.

Now I want to be clear by pointing out that all of these things that Moses did was simply as a vessel of God. Moses didn’t do any of these things on his own, but it was God who used Moses to accomplish all these things. I do wonder though if some of that distinction could have been lost on the Israelites. After all, as we see time and again, the Israelites didn’t really want to leave Egypt. I think it’s also hard for the Israelites becuase they had lived in Egypt for so long without any obvious engagement from God. So when suddenly this man comes to them and does all of these mighty acts and deeds, I think it might be easy for some people to associate God and God’s presence with Moses.

And since Moses has been gone for about 40 days and God has likewise been silent for that time, I believe it wouldn’t be that hard of a connection, in their minds and in their thinking, to say that without Moses they seemed to lack a connection to God. And I’m sorry but how long is anyone going to wait around for someone to come back after hiking up a mountain? Or anyone just up and leaving without sharing how long they are going to be gone. Moses literally told them that he’d be back and to talk to Aaron or Hur if anything comes up or there’s a dispute. The authors tell us that he was up there 40 days and 40 nights, but Moses never shares that with any of them.

Can you imagine what it would be like if I told you that I was going to be gone for a bit and if anything came up just talk to the church council, but I didn’t give you a specified date of when I would be back? How long before you’d start wondering where I was or when I’d be coming back? How long before you started questioning the council? How long before the council calls the Synod office to find out if they know where I am or what to do? I obviously can’t say for certain, but I am sure that there would be some tension for any church or organization that suddenly lost their leader, especially if their leader was at the center at everything they did.

The first such company that comes to mind is Apple. Some of you may know that after getting my first iPhone I quickly became a fan of Apple products and switched over to their ecosystem entirely. Steve Jobs helped found Apple and after he left the company nearly went bankrupt until they hired Jobs back and he brought the company back to life. So it’s not a stretch of the imagination that things can start to fall apart after someone as pivotal as Steve Jobs or Moses suddenly leave.

I’m not saying this to blame Moses or God for what happened, but simply to help us understand what happens when we put all our eggs in the wrong basket. I believe the Israelites were so dependent upon Moses that once he was out of eyesight for a month they had no idea what to do. We see that very clearly at the opening of our text when see that the people are demanding that Aaron make something for them to be able to lead them. They also declare that it was Moses who brought them out of Egypt. So here are clear examples of what I’ve been saying. They need a leader to point the way and they list Moses as the one who has been directing them since they left Egypt.

Instead of Aaron taking on the role of leadership that Moses left him with, or perhaps no longer felt confident with what they now wanted him to be, he think about what Egypt had and what the other cultures they have encountered along the way had done. He knew that they had created images or idols to represent their gods and goddesses. This was the best that Aaron could do for them, so he creates a metal bull calf as a way for the Israelites to have something to turn to so they know that God is with them. I say that he does this so they know God is with them is that the next day he declares a festival to God or Yahweh. It seems Aaron isn’t suggesting they worship other gods like the ones in Egypt, but that they should use this golden calf image or idol to direct their worship of God since neither God nor Moses had been around to direct them. We even see the people offer up burnt offerings and and well-being sacrifices. All of this was well within what God wanted them to do, the problem centers around this creation of an idol. God tells the people in Exodus 20 that they are not to make idols. This is God’s own words spoken to the Israelites, verbally sharing the 10 Commandments.

I know that all of this probably felt new and sudden and incredibly difficult for the Israelite people, but I think in all of this newness, they placed too much emphasis on Moses and not enough on God. Had they relied and trusted more fully in God they probably wouldn’t have gone so far as to create these idols to worship God. What that tells me is that when we place too much trust in a single figure in our lives there’s bound to be some hiccups at the very least and some serious pain at the hardest point. God, through Jesus, makes sure that we know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. It is not through any person in this world; past, present or future, but in God alone we place our trust. At some point, if we place our ultimate trust in someone they are going to disappoint us. I am sure if I haven’t already, there will be a day when I do something or say something that will disappoint you in some way. When that day happens I hope that you know that I need forgiveness just like everyone else, and that God’s goodness, God’s presence, God’s grace, and God’s love isn’t dependent upon me or Moses, Steve Jobs, or any other figure personal, professional, national, or global.

In God alone we place our trust and our hope. It is through God’s son Jesus who brings us into a personal relationship with God and the Spirit who stirs us and moves us into that direction that gives us everything we need. There is no person, no image or idol, no possession that can ever replace the love of God as found in Christ Jesus. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Amen.