The God Who Cares: The Golden Calf

How is this story about God’s care?

If you are familiar with this story you may be like me and think, “How is this story about God’s care?” Because, if you’re like me, you think of this event and mostly remember something like this:

[play clip from Ten Commandments]

This story is going to be very similar to that of Adam and Eve, where an atrocious act was committed, but God’s care for mankind persists in spite of it. And that his promises never fail.

Summary to this point:

10 Plagues: Israel is not harmed

Red Sea Crossing: Proclamation of the greatness of Yahweh

Marah: Bitter waters made sweet

Manna and Quail

Water from the Rock

The Amalekites defeated

Exodus 19:1–8 NIV

On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

The people agree.

So Moses receives the ten commandments and some other laws that support them and relays them to Israel. As a reminder, this is what the Lord said, Ex 20:1-17

Exodus 20:1–17 (NIV)

And God spoke all these words:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

“You shall have no other gods before me.

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ...

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ...

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

“You shall not murder.

“You shall not commit adultery.

“You shall not steal.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Exodus 24:3–7 NIV

When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”

The people agree to the terms and conditions. And they actually read them. So Moses returns up the mountain and God then gives him very detailed instructions about how God is to dwell with his people. God lays out the floor plan for his new house with the Israelites. He is moving in. Details about the floor plan and materials and priests and garments and who is to build and maintain it. God is making big plans. Perhaps it is the sort of plans you make before or shortly after getting married - plans for a house and to move in together. But...

Exodus 32:1–14 NIV

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.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 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.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 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. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Exodus 32:19 NIV

When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.

Exodus 32:25–35 NIV

Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’ ” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.” The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.” And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

The Israelites learn a truth the hard way. That sin is serious and has serious consequences. Covenant relationship with God is not to be taken lightly. If it were not for Moses, it seems that all those people would have been destroyed. And it is here that we get a great picture of Jesus. Today, in our new covenant, Jesus, like Moses, offers himself to pay for the wrongs of others. God did not accept Moses’ offering, but in our new covenant with God, Jesus has been offered and accepted as the payment for our sins - our wrongs. Even for something as egregious as idolatry at the foot of the mountain of God. We are tempted to think that the lesson of this story for us is: Wow, don’t sin - especially not like that. The problem is we have sinned like that, and we do sin like that. How often have we had mountaintop experiences with God where we have been clearly blessed and God has clearly shown us his power - yet in the next week, the next day, we are back to struggling with our sin - failing over and over. How could we do that after what we KNOW what God has done for us? How easily we forget and how easily we sin! No, the lesson isn’t “don’t sin” because, guess what, we will. (No I’m not advocating sinning, I’m just saying that’s not the lesson for us. Our lesson can be summed up in 1 John 2:1-2:

1 John 2:1–2 NIV

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus is our Moses, speaking to God when we sin, “Don’t destroy them. I’ll pay for it.” So my encouragement for you this morning, for those of you who are committed, baptized believers in Christ Jesus is - He cares. He cares for you and he has taken care of your sin problem. Find peace in that. Don’t run or hide from God because of your sin. Jesus has taken care of that sin problem. God has made his house within you - his spirit lives within the temple of your body. You have the opportunity to pursue and cultivate a relationship with God in spite of your sin because of his amazing, sacrificial love.

But, if you are not a committed, baptized believer in Jesus Christ, you don’t have this blessing. You still have a sin problem. But as 1 John says, Jesus atones for the sins of the whole world. He gave himself for you. If you want Jesus to take away your sins, Jesus asks that you would acknowledge him as God and Savior - dedicating your life to him. In a moment we will sing a song together. During that song, if you want to make that dedication or you have questions about what that would look like, come visit me up front as we sing. Else, catch me afterwards and we can visit, but you have the opportunity now if you wish. Let’s stand and sing together.