Calves Don't Just Happen



            Several weeks ago, while spending some time on the Old Testament, I ended up in Exodus 32.  The text tells us that Moses was up on the mountain for 40 days. While Moses was on the mountain, the people approached Aaron and made this request:
           " When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:1)
            In the following verses, we learn that Aaron gave the people what they wanted; idols.  He directed the people to bring him their earrings. Then Aaron melted the earrings down and molded them into the shape of a calf.  When he was finished, they had a big party. As they are singing and carrying on, Moses came down from the mountain and confronted Aaron. Aaron replied:
            “Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. They said to me, ‘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.’  So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” (Exodus 32:22-24)
            “I threw it into the fire and out came this calf”.  Isn’t that the most ridiculous explanation you’ve ever heard? It is not only ridiculous, it’s a lie. Aaron was purposeful in making the idol. He collected the earrings, built the fire, melted down the gold, and then cast it into the shape of a calf. After he created it, they worshipped it.
            My initial reaction to this text was to judge Aaron and the Israelites. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’ve created a few calves of my own. This story showed me that idols don’t “just happen”, they are created.  The earrings that were intended to adorn ears were melted down and became an idol.  Anything or anyone can become an idol in your life.  This world offers an endless supply of potential idols. We need to be certain that we are keeping God first in our lives. Our human hearts have a tendency to wander.
            My prayer is that I will be able resist the temptation to set up anything or anyone as an idol in my life.  I want the Lord to search my heart and reveal idols in my life.  Any excuse I offer for an idol is no better than, “I threw the gold into the fire and out came this calf”.
           

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