He threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the base of the mountain. 14 So the LORD changed his mind about the calamity he had said he would bring on his people. Aaron took their gold earrings, which they had brought from Egypt, and melted them down to make a golden idol. 20 He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, and ground it into powder. They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. Aaron obliged them and made a golden calf out of the golden earrings they wore—which likely were the very same treasures the Egyptians gave them after God rescued them out of Egypt (Exodus 12:35). It challenges God's sovereignty and attempts to offer an alternate explanation to the issues of life. By the time Moses descended Mount Sinai, the Israelites had sacrificed to this idol and indulged in revelries. Bible Lesson: No Idols. 2. 21 Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you brought such great sin upon them?”, 22 Aaron said, “Sir, don’t be angry. 3. Exodus 32:1-35 Photo Mug-Illustration of a bible scene, Exodus 31-32, Golden Calf, the Israelites worship an idol while Moses is absent on Mount Sinai-Ceramic dishwa. This symbol was borrowed from the custom of the Egyptians. Sinai to speak with God. 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. This collection of short, colorful videos illustrate different Bible stories for your first through fourth graders. What a lie! Last week, talked a little bit about idols as we learned about the first commandment. The people said, “This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”. One could also point to Canaanite literature’s El (a bull), the chief god or Baal, an ox. He scattered it on the water and made the Israelis drink it. One could point to the gods of other nations for some possible inspiration for this. Find out more about her here. Why Can the Bible Only Be Understood Through the Spirit? Although this may seem removed from our current day and age—after all, we don’t worship golden calves on Sundays—how often do Christians take gifts God has bestowed upon us and turn to worship those instead of the Creator Himself? Answer: When Aaron built a golden calf for the Israelites to worship in Exodus 32, severe judgment came upon the people. In the chapter above, it seems Aaron is throwing the festival in honor of Yahweh (Exodus 32:5), at least initially. The Israelites tried to justify their reasons for setting up the calf. Turn from your anger and change your mind about the calamity against your people. 3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. They were written on one side and the other. Videos in this series are from the book of Exodus. The Israelites took gifts from God and turned them into an idol. This was a molten image of a calf which the idolatrous Israelites formed at Sinai. - THE GOLDEN IMAGE, AND THE FIERY FURNACE. Why Did God Create the Forbidden Fruit in the First Place? 8 They have been quick to turn aside from the way I commanded them, and they have made for themselves a molten calf. All rights reserved. If in fact God does not create idols, then what does the Bible mean when it says "God is the maker of all things"? Her modern-day Daniel, “Blaze,” (Illuminate YA) released June 2019 and the sequel “Den” releases a year from now. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are figures from the biblical Book of Daniel, primarily chapter 3.In the narrative, three Hebrew men are thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon, when they refuse to bow down to the king's image; the three are preserved from harm and the king sees four men walking in the flames, "the fourth ... like a son of God". Mentioned in Exodus 32 and I Kings 12 in the Old Testament, worship of the golden calf is seen as a supreme act of apostasy, the rejection of a faith once confessed. Idolatry is a major theme of the Bible. Framed Print. A Gold Idol and a Blazing Furnace. In Exodus, chapters 31-32, the A mere 40 days after receiving the Torah, the Jewish people created an idol Torah tells how three months after leaving Egypt, and a mere 40 days after receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Jewish people created an idol and worshipped it. Is there a scripture verse that says God does not create idols? The Israelites start worshiping the golden calf instead of waiting for Moses' instructions from God. When Moses seemed to take a long time in returning from the mountain, the Israelites turned to Moses’ brother Aaron and asked him to make an idol for them – a physical idol, like the ones they had seen in Egypt. Aaron crafted a golden calf, which the Israelites then claimed had delivered them from Egypt. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2021, Christianity.com. No wonder the first two commandments seem to speak out against gods and idols. Amplified Bible In those days they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced and celebrated over the works of their hands. Although this may seem removed from our current day and age—after all, we don’t worship golden calves on Sundays—how often do Christians take gifts God has bestowed upon us and turn to worship those instead of the Creator Himself? When Aaron made a calf, the Israelites lose three thousand people. They have bowed down to it in worship, they have offered sacrifices to it, and they have said, ‘This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”, 9 Then the LORD told Moses, “I’ve seen these people and indeed they’re obstinate. 10Now let me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may consume them, but I’ll 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? Exodus 32:1-35 Golden calves make an appearance once again when Jeroboam, a contender for the throne of Israel, makes two of them (1 Kings 12:25-33). Often, when we worship idols in our lives, we can create our own form of logic for why we are justified in worshipping anything less than God. This article suggests the Israelites, at first, didn’t intend for the calf to replace God, but instead Moses. The Israeli… It was destroyed at the command of Moses ( Exodus 32:20 ). God sees what is happening, and is angry, telling Moses that he will destroy these people, and start over again, using Moses to start a new church. He builds an altar before the calf, and proclaims a feast to Jehovah. King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold idol made that was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide. Then he set the idol up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it, and then he proclaimed, “Tomorrow is to be a festival to the LORD.” 6 They got up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. Verse 1. But scholars sometimes disagree with this. What Was the Golden Calf in the Bible? The idol he crafted for them was a calf, but Aaron maintained the name of the Lord in connection with it (Exodus 32:5). To punish them, Moses commanded the Levites to take their swords and ambush the people, “each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.” Exodus 32:32. 1. More than 350 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. While the Egyptians were on their heels, God split the Red Sea, and the Israelites passed through safely. Finally, there is definite religious imagery associated with the term "golden idol." Wesley's New Testament (1755) The situation had gotten out of control. Golden Calf: ( Exodus 32:4, Exodus 32:8; Deuteronomy 9:16; Nehemiah 9:18 ). Because God wouldn’t make a move on their schedule, they decided to make their own and force His hand. In essence, they’d grown impatient with their God to respond, so they wanted another one fashioned in the meantime so they could worship it. Then in the desert, as Moses was on Mount Sinai retrieving the 10 Commandments, the Israelites did what we often see in the Old Testament. Exodus 32:1-35. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Nebuchadnezzar's image was AN OBELISK, an erect male phallus! Idolatry is seeking glory in something other than God. Open in prayer, then say, great job tearing down idols today, class! Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. In Exodus 32 an odd event took place after the Israelites escaped Egypt. 17 When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he told Moses, “The sound of war is coming from the camp.”. We might try to pursue certain opportunities or relationships when He has not given us the permission to do so yet. At the end of the game, take down the golden calves and tear them up before throwing them away. Then he called the satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, rulers, and all the other officials in his kingdom to come together. and it’s not the sound of a shout of defeat, but it’s the sound of singing that I hear.”, 19 As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he became angry. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Hebrews 13:5 - [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things … 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you swore by yourself as you told them, ‘I’ll increase the number of your descendants like the stars of the heavens, I’ll give your descendants all of this land about which I have spoken, and they are to possess it forever.’”. The Israelites took gifts from God and turned them into an idol. Arminianism: The Golden Idol of Freewill by Augustus Toplady (1740-1778) “Not unto us, 0 LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy Name, give glory for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake” [Psalm 115:1] Some expositors have supposed, that this Psalm was penned by the prophet Daniel; on occasion of the miraculous deliverance of Shadrac, Meshac, […] Although the inspirations for these idols may have come from surrounding religions, bull, cow, and calf idols seem to dot the Old Testament narrative. Can anyone remind me what the first commandment is? In the bible, the term “golden idol” is used to mean anything we put above God in our lives. 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 don’t 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. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Why did the Israelites choose a calf? What Does it Mean to be Unequally Yoked in Marriage? They gathered together and brought their gold earrings to Aaron. Yet Aaron went on to serve as high priest. Whether they intended to replace Moses as a mediator or make an outright idol, they took the gold that came as a gift from Egypt (a gift from God, essentially) and turned it into an abomination. Although we have God’s commands in print (our Bibles) we can often get frustrated when He doesn’t seem to move according to our timetable. Amplified Bible And he took the gold from their hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Christian Standard Bible He took the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf. It is a matter of the heart, associated with pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony ( Php 3:19), and love for possessions ( Matt 6:24). Why Was it Such a Big Deal? Lesson: Bible Scripture: ... and maybe he wasn't coming back, the people went to Aaron and wanted to make an idol to guide them. 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.”, 30 The next day Moses told the people, “You committed a great sin, and now I’ll 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. The idol symbolizes or represents the thing Scrooge has set his primary affections on, namely money. What Is the “Hall of Faith” Found in Hebrews 11? Her column "Hope's Hacks," tips and tricks to avoid writer's block, reaches 6,000+ readers weekly and is featured monthly on Cyle Young's blog. Moses had climbed up Mt. Technically, a golden idol is a "thing" So wouldn't that mean that God creates golden idols? 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. Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up to play. 27 He 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.’”, 28 The descendants of Levi did just as Moses told them, and about 3,000 people died that day. The Bible says that God is the maker of all "things." It hardly seems fair that he should escape punishment—he was the one who made the idol, after all—while others were judged. The Bible understands that idolatry extends beyond the worship of images and false gods. Verses 1-30. 4 He took them from them and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf. Sinai to speak with God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye serv… They waited for a long time for Moses to return from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments. 32 Now, if you will, forgive their sin—but if not, blot me out of your book which you have written.”, 33 The LORD told Moses, “Whoever sins against me, I’ll blot him out of my book. He melted it all down and used engraving tools to carve a gold calf. Perhaps this is because the Illuminati are raping the world through their treachery, deceit and lies! Normally, these are part of the teaching videos for Konnect series, but here you can download and show them as stand-alone videos. But he does, and collects golden earrings, melts them down , and fashions them into a golden idol shaped like a calf. Print of Illustration of a bible scene, Exodus 31-32, Golden Calf, the Israelites worship an idol while Moses is absent on Mount Sinai. In both instances, idol worship of calves ends in massive destruction. 23 They 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 don’t know what has become of him.’ 24 So 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.”, 25 When Moses saw that the people were out of control—since Aaron had let them get out of control, something that incited ridicule from their enemies — 26 he stood in the gate of the camp and called out: “Whoever is for the LORD come over to me,” and all the sons of Levi gathered around him. Either way, the worship which soon followed shows they had a few intentions far beyond just having the golden calf serve in Moses’ place. Worshiping the golden calf, as in Exodus 32:1-35, illustration from a Bible card published 1901 by the Providence Lithograph Company A second example of golden calf worship is found in the northern kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam, who seceded from the southern kingdom of Judah in 928 BCE following the death of King Solomon. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 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 worshiped a golden idol (and not a very glorious one, I have suggested) while the glory of God was displayed on Mount Sinai, in the sight of all (Exodus 24:17). Jeroboam, who led the Northern Kingdom, led it in a direction of destruction and a very bad line of kings when the Israelites ultimately were taken over by the Assyrians in 722 BC. Idolatry … She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. What Does it Mean That Our Citizenship is in Heaven? Had this calf even been around then? There are two possible responses. The Egyptians, Neo-Babylonians and other nations would erect golden statues to represent their gods, and it was often a crime not to bow before them. You know the people—that they’re intent on evil. Once they made it to the other end unharmed, God drowned the Egyptians in the Red Sea. There he received the two tablets of stone on which God wrote the Ten Commandments. Moses had climbed up Mt. The figure is probably a representation of the Egyptian bull god … Their heels, God split the Red Sea a scripture verse that says God not. The Red Sea the two tablets of stone on which God wrote the Ten Commandments Commandments. 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