When Aaron saw the people worshipping the gold calf, he built an altar before it. Aaron's rejection of responsibility and the midrashic painting of him as a victim can soften the powerful message of this narrative: it is important to own up to one's actions. When Moses descended from the mountain and found the people dancing to the golden calf, he was enraged and destroyed it immediately. let him come unto me. Exodus 32:6 NASB So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. The people sit down to celebrate their feast. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old & New Testament. The people began to worship the gold calf! Although this may seem removed from our . Packer - Knowing God). At the foot of Mount Sinai the Israelites lose faith in Moses and ask Aaron to fashion a golden calf: He [Aaron] took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. H6711 ; tsachaq; tsaw-khak A primitive root; to laugh outright (in merriment or scorn); by implication to sport: laugh, mock, play, make sport. a people were brought into the ranks of the nations who, through their history and life, would declare God the single creator of all existence, and realization of God's will the only purpose in life. We don't if he is coming back! He had not yet returned. Calling on the Levites to aid him in re-asserting his authority, Moses sent them through the camp to slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour (Exodus 32:27), by which action the Levites ordained themselves for the service of the Lord (32:29). When Jehovah sees this, he is very angry. also read: Deuteronomy 9:12-16 and Leviticus 19:4. For example, when we look at how the Israelites worshipped the Golden Calf, we find that they were. Was that wrong? Yet Aaron went on to serve as high priest. He ordered the men to collect the women's gold jewellery - did the women resent having to give up their precious things? 30 The next day Moses told the people, You committed a great sin, and now Ill go up to the LORD, and perhaps I can make atonement for your sin., 31 Moses returned to the LORD and said, Please, LORD, this people committed a great sin by making a god of gold for themselves. He blamed Moses for taking too long to get back from talking with God. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. 15 Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides. Or was Aaronforced to take part in this pagan worship as the only ways of maintaining his control over the people. Somewhere here stood a Golden Calf. An altar was hastily built and burnt sacrifices were offered, Aaron presumably officiating. So he says to Moses: 'Hurry and go down. The people asks Aaron to make them an idol, thinking Moses was dead; The people worship the idol of the golden calf. Ki Tisa, Exodus 30:1134:35The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp. Thiscomes from the story of the rebellion of the non- priestly Levites, led by Korah (Numbers 16), who rose against Moses and Aaron and demanded the priesthood for themselves. 19 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. Whatever his motives, Aaron soon had his comeuppance. It hardly seems fair that he should escape punishmenthe was the one who made the idol, after allwhile others were judged . Hand out paper to students. 2 Chronicles 11:15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. What do I do? 3. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you swore by yourself as you told them, Ill increase the number of your descendants like the stars of the heavens, Ill give your descendants all of this land about which I have spoken, and they are to possess[i] it forever.. Aaron and the Israelites worshipping the Calf Vintage engraving showing Aaron and the Israelites worshipping the Golden calf. In this other story, Jeroboam makes Golden Calves, using exactly the same phrase that is given to Aaron in Exodus: Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.. What dowedo then? 29Moses said, You have been ordained[p] to serve the Lord[q] today, and you have brought a blessing on yourselves today because every man opposed his son or brother.[r], 30The next day Moses told the people, You committed a great sin, and now Ill go up to the Lord, and perhaps I can make atonement for your sin., 31Moses returned to the Lord and said, Please, Lord, this people committed a great sin by making a god of gold for themselves. Yet he attempts to hide his role, by blaming the people who were "bent on evil." He thought that the wives would not give over their jewelry so readily, thus allowing Moses more time to return. | The "molten calf," which had no very exact counterpart in Egypt, perhaps points back to an older idolatry, such as is glanced at in Joshua 24:14, where the Israelites are warned to "put away the gods which their fathers served on the other side of the flood," i.e., of the Euphrates. Aaron proclaimed a festival to the Lord to be held in front of the Golden Calf. Exodus 20:23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. 12 Why should the Egyptians say, He brought them out with an evil intention to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth? The Persian worship of Mithras also involved bulls. Aaron told them to bring their golden jewelry to be melted down and formed into the image of a calf. 1937). 16 The tablets were the work of God and the writing was Gods writing, inscribed on the tablets. He had both preformed miracles and witnessed first-hand the power of God over the Egyptian gods, the very gods of whom he fashioned an idol. Scriptural evidence points to the Golden Calf being a representation of Hathor, the Egyptian Goddess who later became Isis. They were written on one side and the other. c. disregard for Moses' and YHWH's authority d. weak-kneed leadership by Aaron. Aaron gathered up their golden earrings, melted down the gold, and made a calf (i.e., a young bull) out of it. Singing Dancing Dont get me wrong, I do believe that God wants us to enjoy our lives but at the same time do it in a way that honors Him. He threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the base of the mountain. 1 and when the people saw that moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto aaron, and said unto him, up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of egypt, we wot not what is become of him. Aaron obliged them and made a golden calf out of the golden earrings they worewhich likely were the very same treasures the Egyptians gave them after God rescued them out of Egypt ( Exodus 12:35 ). There he received the two tablets of stone on which God wrote the Ten Commandments. He then. 21 Then Moses asked Aaron, What did this people do to you that you brought such great sin upon them?, 22 Aaron said, Sir, dont be angry. Was thisa good example of hindsight in the Bible stories? The Lockman Foundation; e-Sword, 1998. Receive notification whenever items are posted to this site: You can change your delivery preferences in your subscription dashboard. They asked Moses' older brother, Aaron, to make them a god for them to worship as they made their way to Canaan. The Bible Knowledge Commentary5 notes that Paul indicates this as well in I Corinthians 10. But the Egyptian calf-worship, or, rather, bull-worship, was not a worship of images, but of living animals. My Book of Bible Stories. He scattered it on the water and made the Israelis drink it. My Book of Bible Stories, Share . The incident is rounded off by the account of the miraculous flowering of Aarons rod as a sign that the Lord had chosen him above all his fellows (17:1-11). 32:6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Moses is so angry that he throws down the two flat stones with the laws on them, and they break into many, many pieces. Enter your email address to subscribe to this site and receive notifications of new posts by email. 32:5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. Moses said to Aaron: "What did this people do to you that you have brought such great sin upon them?" The calf when made was not viewed as an image of any Egyptian god, but as a representation of Jehovah (ver. Exodus 32:1-35. The Golden Calf - Bible Story Exodus 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. The Golden Calf, Deliverance From Egypt to Israels First King, Israels First King to Captivity in Babylon, Captivity in Babylon to Rebuilding of Jerusalems Walls, Jesus Resurrection to Pauls Imprisonment, Publication download options Who, after all, wants to be wrong? And so the men strike dead 3,000 people! 32:1 When the people saw that Moses took a long time to come down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and told him, Come here and make us a god who will go before us, because, as for this fellow Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we dont know what has become of him., 2 Aaron told them, Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me., 3 All the people tore off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to him. Additionally, the Complete Word Study Dictionary4 indicates that there may be sexual, licentious overtones in this particular incident. Furthermore, it appears that Aaron is a collaboratorif not an instigatorin the creation of the idol. 25-29 | Moses calls people to arms and the Levites responded, they killed 3000 men who were worshiping the idol Exodus 32. Ever since the days when Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the serpent for the eating of the forbidden fruit, the attempt to transfer responsibility has been a powerful human tendency. Moses, the uncompromising idealist, is concerned about the connections that he and the people have to God. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD'" (Exodus 32:4-5). Earlier in Exodus, Moses went up to Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments from God (a story we have previously analysed here). 7-10 | God tells Moses of the peoples idolatry and His anger toward them When confronted by Moses regarding his sin, Aaron blamed the people into pressuring him. What a lie! He had gone up on the right side of Mount Sinai more than 20 days ago to speak with God. The golden calf may be a representation of Apis, the Egyptian god worshiped at Memphis, or it may be a representation of Baal, the god of the Canaanites. answer the question why did aaron make the golden calf, which will help you get the most accurate answer. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. However, we shouldnt let our celebration become idol worship or slip into sensuous debauchery. (Exodus 32:1-4). 32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. 32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. Aaron reaction is, simply put, instinctive. Parallel Commentaries And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool. Moses Destroys the Golden Calf and the Tablets of the Law In Chaldaea, the bull, generally winged and human-headed, represented the combination of wisdom, strength, and omnipresence, which characterises divinity; and this combination might well have seemed to carnal minds no unapt symbol of Jehovah. Then, Moses yelled, "Whoever is on God's side, come to me!". After the breakup of Solomons kingdom Israel, once united,broke in two to form Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Aaron being one the sons of Levi, he immediately and openly sided with God and Moses, His prophet. So they turn to Aaron and ask him to make an idol for them to worship, presuming that God isnt going to help them anymore. Physical objects can be holy insofar as they lead people to God" (Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary [Philadelphia: JPS, 2001] p. 534). When God tells him about the Golden Calf, Moses begins his descent back to his community. The people offered sacrifices and then engaged in pagan rituals, including orgies ( Exodus 32:25) to worship this new god. Exodus 32:1-35 Exodus 32:1-35. Go now, lead the people where I told you. How does copyright work with translated songs? He ordered the men to collect the womens gold jewellery did the women resent having to give up their precious things? He ordered the people to collect all the gold in their possession, and used it to create a golden calf for worship. This is important because it seem to link the story to another in I Kings 12:26-30. Should Aaron have acted differently? Aaron proclaimed, "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord!" The people got up early the next morning and they offered sacrifices on Aaron's altar. Aaron called the people together and told them that the golden calf was the god who delivered them from Egypt. The other thing that stood out in this first section was the description of how the people celebrated before this idol. 20He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, and ground it into powder. Moses had climbed up Mt. Judges 17:3,4 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. Golden Calf Exodus 32 KJV Exodus Chapter 32 1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. Aaron made a gold idol in the shape of a calf. Promise? Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. The people are acting very badly. We dont have to think about this for too long to see why. According to the Bible, the golden calf was an idol (a cult image) made by the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai. He was away for forty days and forty nights (its always forty days and forty nights in the Bible). Apis was believed to be a manifestation of the god Osiris. It is only when we allow the enjoyment of them to become distorted or excessive that we move away from Gods design. e-Sword, 1890. Aaron said: 'Give me your gold.' He melted the gold and made a statue of a calf. Aaron was punished for making the golden calf. Nehemiah 9:18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; Exodus 32:1,8 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. It is easy to be drawn into temptations of the like listed by Peter. Then he grinds it into powder. 32). Then the Israelites have a big party, and worship the golden calf. I know that I face some of those same temptations each day. After he had made it a molten calf.--This is a quite impossible rendering. Moses set himself at "the gate of the camp" and urged the faithful to join him in crushing the rebellion. Whether or not that finger is pointed in the right direction, we are obliged to recognize that we have naturally defensive natures. The Hebrew word for God has a plural form. out came this calf!" Rashi explains that the sin of the Golden Calf originated in a misunderstanding. There is another bit of evidence of opposition to Aarons supreme position. Golden calf. Moses and the Levites (members of the tribe of Levi, which Aaron led) unite. However, because of Aaron's declaration that the image represents the God who brought the people from Egypt, then the image may represent a visible image of Yahweh. The following quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible. When Moses addresses God, he speaks of the people, not of Aaron. Why do you think Moses intercedes for Aaron? Victor Books; e-Sword, 1983. International Christian ConcernVoice of the Martyrs. He scattered it on the water and made the Israelis drink it. They are praying to a calf! We pray that Your Spirit will remind us of Your design and embolden us to resist, flee, and stand fast in our faith. You know the peoplethat theyre intent on evil. Aaron wasn't saying that the golden calf was a replacement for the true God, he was claiming that this calf represented the true God who had brought them out of Egypt. Because humans had denied God's presence in life, even in nature, and instead found the premise of life in owning objects and the purpose in pleasure . Aaron took their gold belongings and fashioned them into a molten calf, and the people said: "These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up from the land of Egypt!" Final sentence of this scene is, "Aaron built an altar and called out saying, 'A festival for Gd tomorrow.'" But the rabbis say "no." According to Jesus, this is just like actually doing them. In this instance, Moses is a superior teacher to Aaron. Sadly, the lure of the debauched life is appealing. Deuteronomy 9:16 And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you. The Golden Calf. 5 Walvoord, John, and Roy Zuck. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a engraving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt. . But, in Egypt people had made molten idols to worship as their gods, so the people of Israel asked Aaron to make a similar one for them. And, just as Aaron used an engraving tool to fashion a golden calf, Fr. So, after the people donated their gold, Aaron made a golden calf and proclaimed: "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 32:4). They decided to replace him, and with the help of Aaron, formed a golden calf and worshipped it. 32 Now when the people saw that Moses () delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled around Aaron and said to him, "Come, () make us [] a god who will go before us; for () this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egyptwe do not know what happened to him." 2 Aaron said to them, " Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives . These cherubim are said to sit on the mercy seat, the gold slab covering the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments. I wanna be the leader It never stops with one little change. Why are they doing this? It hardly seems fair that he should escape punishmenthe was the one who made the idol, after allwhile others were judged. Many scholars believe that the story of the Golden Calf and its sequel contain the echoes of tensions which developed between the House of Aaron and the tribe of Levi. 1-6 | Meanwhile, back in the camp The people asks Aaron to make them an idol, thinking Moses was dead; The people worship the idol of the golden calf So many times, when we are accused of a wrongdoing, we quickly point a finger in the other direction. For less than $5/mo. The responses of Aaron and Moses to the incident of the Golden Calf are strikingly different. Now we fast forward to Exodus 32. 23They told me, Make a god for us who will go before us because, as for this fellow Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we dont know what has become of him. 24So I told them, Whoever has gold ornaments, tear them off. When they gave it to me, I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf., 25When Moses saw that the people were out of controlsince Aaron had let them get out of control, something that incited ridicule from their enemies[m] 26he stood in the gate of the camp and called out: Whoever is for the Lord come over[n] to me, and all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 32:27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. The Israelites took gifts from God and turned them into an idol. The people said: 'This calf is our God who led us out of Egypt!' They began to worship the golden calf, and they had a celebration. Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: With Dictionaries of the Hebrew and Greek Words of the Original with References to the English Words. 1 and when the people saw that moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto aaron, and said unto him, up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2. Ex). Aaron himself knew that Moses was to return the next day, but Israel, in their wickedness, refused to listen to him. Yet I will now go up toAdonai; perhaps I may win forgiveness for your sin." Given how widespread bull-worship was in this part of the world especially, the golden calf was almost certainly a young bull rather than a cow, with horns. He told them to give him all their gold jewelry, which he melted down and formed into the shape of a calf. 10Now let me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may consume them, but Ill make a great nation of you., 11 But Moses implored the LORD his God: LORD, why are you angry with your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a show of force? When Aaron made the golden calf, he declared a "festival to the Lord," using the Hebrew YHWH, showing that what he understood himself to be doing was not creating a different god but creating a representation of the god who brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Doesnt this show that we need to be careful to worship only Jehovah, and not any false gods? . en calf n. (in the Bible) an image of gold in the shape of a calf, made by Aaron in response to the Israelites' plea for a god while they awaited Moses ' return from Mount Sinai, where he was receiving the Ten Commandments (Exod. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. 27He told them, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and each of you kill his brother and friend and neighbor., 28The descendants of Levi did just as Moses told them,[o] and about 3,000 people died that day. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you swore by yourself as you told them, Ill increase the number of your descendants like the stars of the heavens, Ill give your descendants all of this land about which I have spoken, and they are to possess it forever.. Moreover, I am drawn to narrative, and this book has only two stories in it: the death of Aaron's sons (Lev. 33 The LORD told Moses, Whoever sins against me, Ill blot him out of my book. (Exodus 32:1-4). Believers Bible Commentary: An Exposition of the Sacred Scriptures. Certainly the bull form was more distinctive of the Babylonian and Assyrian than of the Egyptian worship, and it may he suspected that the emigrants from Chaldaea had clung through all their wanderings to the mystic symbolism which had been elaborated in that primaeval land, and which they would contrast favourably with the coarse animal worship of Egypt. golden calf, idol worshipped by the Hebrews during the period of the Exodus from Egypt in the 13th century bc and during the age of Jeroboam I, king of Israel, in the 10th century bc. In making this demandthe people probablyintended to keep the worship of Jehovah but have a visible representation of the god. Peter has this to say about this type of revelry (underlining added). We start to look for our own ways of finding direction / protection / deliverance. 16The tablets were the work of God and the writing was Gods writing, inscribed on the tablets. Thank you for subscribing to emails from ReformJudaism.org! The Complete Word Study Bible and Dictionary Pack. Aaron feared that they would kill him, as they had killed Hur, his nephew. As Peter says, weve already wasted enough time doing living like that (the Lord knows I wasted more than my share of time). Do you think Aaron intended for us to believe that God (or some other deity) created this Golden Calf? Yes, they can do this! 14 So the LORD changed his mind about the calamity he had said he would bring on his people. 32Now, if you will, forgive their sinbut if not, blot me out of your book which you have written.. The golden calf is probably a representation of the Egyptian bull god Apis in the earlier period and of the Canaanite fertility god Baal in the latter. He tries even further to shun blame by stating that the Golden Calf had simply appeared from the fire. 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. This ancient bronze bull figurine may have been covered in gold leaf. Isn't that the way most corruption in religion begins? PRIVACY SETTINGS, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/1101978090/univ/art/1101978090_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/my/E/wpub/my_E_lg.jpg, Share If these gold cherubim are meant to be golden winged bulls, the Israelites calling for a golden calf, whilst still a departure from their Yahweh-worship, is not as much of a departure as it might first sound. Exodus 3:21-22 NASB I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 2 and aaron said unto them, break off the And when he gets close, this is what he sees. Note how quickly things got out of hand. Why a calf, to begin with? Then Aaron built an altar and said that the next day there would be a festival to the Lord. Moses had climbed up Mt. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 So Aaron said to them, "Take off . We all strive to be leadersbut once we get there, do we think about what we'll do with our newfound position? 32:28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. Led by Moses, the Levites go and kill three thousand men for worshipping the golden calf as a false idol. (Exodus 32:21-24), The next day Moses said to the people, "You have been guilty of a great sin. Aaron told them to bring him their gold earrings, and he cast them in a mold and made a molten golden calf. 8 They have been quick to turn aside from the way I commanded them, and they have made for themselves a molten calf. Why did Aaron make the golden calf right after God had spoken the ten commandments to the Israelites? The Worship of the Golden Calf by Filippino Lippi (1457-1504). 581606;The Torah: A Women's Commentary, pp. But now they were breaking that promise. So, the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses (v. 28). 1. The Cambridge Commentary says that the word Elohim is used in this verse for the true God, and that the "image represents Jehovah". A sacred bull, called Apis, was worshipped at Memphis, and another, called Mnevis, at Heliopolis, both being regarded as actual incarnate deities. Each day when Moses didn't return more people worried and got more upset. " You know the people, that they are set on evil " ( Exodus 32:22 ). FindABible.net - can help you find out where to get a Bible in the language of your choice. . Cattle are an important source of both milk and meat for any people, not to mention the labour that cattle would be called upon to perform. 30-35 | Moses chastises the people for their sins; Moses makes intercession for the people; God sends an angel to go before Moses and God smites the people, Moses has been up on the mountain for almost40 days receiving the law from God and in the meantime the people have become restless and fear that Moses might not return. Under pressure, Aaron gave in. 33The Lord told Moses, Whoever sins against me, Ill blot him out of my book. This work by James Swanson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. 29 Moses said, You have been ordained to serve the LORD today, and you have brought a blessing on yourselves today because every man opposed his son or brother., Moses Again Intercedes for the People This poem attests to this predicament: YIPPEE, I'M THE LEADER When Moses went up into Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:12-18), he left the Israelites for forty days and nights.The Israelites feared that he would not return and demanded that Aaron make them "a god to go before them". 15-18 | Moses comes down with Gods tablets; Joshua tells Moses about the sound from the camp; Moses explains what kind of sound it was AsSamiri and the Golden Calf. Had Egyptian ideas been in the ascendant, it would have been natural to select a living bull, which might have "gone before" the people literally. God created food and sex and He wants us to enjoy them. The same thing the Israelites did. Apis and Mnevis were not molten calves, but live bulls. Cut picture into pieces, like a puzzle. He asked Aron why he made such a thing for the people but Aron pleaded to Moses and said: 'Do not be enraged, my lord. Is this what the Golden Calf looked like? OK What shall we do? There are two possible responses. A nineteenth-century commentator noted that, "There is no intrinsic holiness in things. The "feast to the Lord" became an orgy. Scripture "Do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on the earth or in the waters. It is interesting that he does not destroy the stone tablets when he hears of the sin, but only after he sees the people dancing around the Golden Calf. After a while, the Israelites feared that their leader would never return. We also read the following in Tz'enah Ur'enah, a seventeenth-century Eastern-European text comprised of Torah commentary, midrash, and ethical teachings: Aaron told them, "Take your wives' earrings and I will make a god of them." So lets make a god to lead us out of this land.. The people acknowledged this 'golden calf' as their new god, happy that they now had a visible deity to worship. So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. In contrast to Rashi and the Rasag, the majority of the commentators do not interpret the sin of the golden calf as pure idolatry. What does this mean? So Moses comes down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets on which the Ten Commandments (as they are commonly known) are inscribed. [cited 16 Nov 2022]. 4He took them from them[b] and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf. The photograph above shows remains of the Temple at Dan built at this time. Forgive us when we sin against You and others in this manner. The Challenge of Holding God Close While Keeping Fear at Bay, On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah -- Ki Tisa: Just Rest, Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA). The episode concerning Aaron and the golden calf (see Exodus 32-34) comes as quite a shock. ACTIVITY: The Golden Calf. The people took their earrings out of their ears and gave them to Aaron. 32:21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? Men's desires become more important than what God has said (Galatians 1:6-10). Yet, if we create a way out for Aaron despite his actions, then it is difficult to derive a sound lesson from the Golden Calf saga. 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Only God is intrinsically holy. The Israelites demanded that Aaron make them an idol, a golden calf, in rebellion against the will of God, during the forty days that Moses was absent. They said to me, 'Make us a god to lead us; for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egyptwe cannot tell what has happened to him.' Although Moses is humble, he stands up to scrutiny and challenge, while Aaron is quick to appease and coddle the people. 14So the Lord changed his mind about the calamity he had said he would bring on his people. [h] 12Why should the Egyptians say, He brought them out with an evil intention to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth? 4 Zhodiates, Spiro, Warren Baker, and Gene Carpenter. The story of Aaron building a golden calf for the Israelites to worship may strike us a strange episode in the history of the people of Israel, as that story is told in the Old Testament. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today. Also in trying to adhere to Gods standard, the people we use to participate in those activities will not understand and will possibly ridicule or make fun of us for not doing so any more. 15Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides. Does this mean that Aaron was the founder of a popular cult that combined Yahwism with other non-Mosaic elements? Yet it reveals a lack of full respect for God. After he did this, they all said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" The next day Aaron organized a big party to "worship" this golden calf. Interesting Literature is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk. 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