I remember as a kid reading the story of Aaron and the golden calf. I read amazed at the foolishness of the Israelites. They had witnessed so many incredible miracles of God. They had been in slave labor for so many years but yearned for freedom. For whatever reason for His timing, God chose that the moment had come for their freedom. He sent a deliverer in Moses to be His voice to lead them into freedom. They watched with doubts as Moses spoke before Pharaoh and complained as their conditions worsened. Then they saw the incredible 10 plagues which resulted in their first steps to freedom. As they came to the mighty Red Sea and saw the Egyptian soldiers hot on their tail, they began to cry out in fear and distress. God, once again, came through with the miraculous parting of the sea. One would think as they passed through on dry land and watched the Egyptians drown that they would never doubt God again, never take things in their own hands. It didn’t take them long for the flesh to creep in. As if that wasn’t enough, they saw further miracles of God providing refreshing water from rocks, the provision of manna and quail and defeating mighty armies. It seemed that God was always telling them to obey Him, to follow Him.
Exodus 15:26 says, “He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.’”
God kept drawing them to Him…urging them to follow only Him and not get distracted by the circumstances that surrounded them. We see in just a few chapters later as Moses was receiving the 10 commandments from God that the Israelites turned to idolatry. It is probably one of the most ironic stories in the Bible. Here are the Israelites, who have experienced miracle after miracle from God, come to Aaron and urge him to make gods who would lead them. The unbelievable part comes in when Aaron tells them to give him their gold and then he made a golden calf and told them, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:4)
Exodus 15:26 says, “He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.’”
God kept drawing them to Him…urging them to follow only Him and not get distracted by the circumstances that surrounded them. We see in just a few chapters later as Moses was receiving the 10 commandments from God that the Israelites turned to idolatry. It is probably one of the most ironic stories in the Bible. Here are the Israelites, who have experienced miracle after miracle from God, come to Aaron and urge him to make gods who would lead them. The unbelievable part comes in when Aaron tells them to give him their gold and then he made a golden calf and told them, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:4)
Seriously??? Seriously??? It seems like throughout the Bible, God is always exhorting his people to not follow empty idols. In Psalm 135:15-18 it says, “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” When I read this verse it’s amazing to see this being played in my own life and those around me. I ask myself…”what idols have I set up in my own life?” Can it be things that are even good; like my husband and kids? Ministry? An idol is anything that guides me, anything I place my trust in over God. I pray that the Lord will convict me to not set up idols in my life. They will only bring me death. What I could have been, will never be. What do I put my mind and thoughts on? What do I put my hope in?
Jeremiah 2:2-3 says, “’I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,’ declares the Lord.” Israel was devoted to God and followed Him. They were His best, the first fruits. However they turned away and followed worthless idols. Verse 11 says, “has a nation ever changed its gods (yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.”
The chapter goes on to say how ugly, beaten and used Israel has become because they have chased after worthless things. This is a true description of how we become as we follow useless manmade idols. Have we changed our God? Do we take direction for our life by what the culture tells us is important? Have we sold our children for materials things? Have we changed our bodies to create it into our own idol? Do we place value in things that will not be in eternity with us?
Jeremiah 2:21 says, “I planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?”
Lord, bring me back to you. May I not wander aimlessly, being destroyed by life, by the idols that I have created. May I once again be your precious, first fruit.
“’How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel,’ declares the Lord.’” Jeremiah 3:19-20
Oh Lord…show me my unfaithfulness…show me where I have put my trust, dependence and faith in something other than you.
God wants to bless us but He demands obedience and faithfulness. Why? So He can have control over us? No. His ways bring us freedom. When we follow worthless idols, we are empty and dead just like the idols we have created.
“From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our fathers’ labor.” Jeremiah 3:24
May I not have any idols that consume what God has given me. May everything I have bring Him glory.
