The Golden Calf

“The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.” — Exodus 34:6

Moses went up Mount Sinai to be with God. He stayed there forty days and forty nights, while God told him how His people should live and worship.

Down in the camp, the people waited. And waited. And waited.

“Moses has been gone so long,” they said. “We don’t know what has happened to him.” They went to Aaron. “Come on,” they said. “Make us gods to lead us!”

Aaron should have said no. But he didn’t. “Bring me your gold earrings,” he said. The people pulled off their earrings and brought them to him. Aaron melted the gold and made it into the shape of a calf, a young bull.

And the people said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

Only a few weeks before, they had heard God Himself say, “Do not make idols.” They had promised, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” But now they were bowing down to a golden statue, and having a wild party around it.

Up on the mountain, God saw what they were doing. He told Moses, “Go down, because your people have turned away from Me.” God was angry, and He said He would destroy them.

But Moses prayed for the people. “Lord,” he said, “remember Your promises to Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Please don’t destroy Your people.” And God listened to Moses’ prayer, and did not destroy them.

Moses went down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets with God’s commandments on them. As he came near the camp, he heard singing, and he saw the calf and the dancing. Moses was so angry that he threw the tablets down, and they smashed to pieces at the foot of the mountain. The people had broken God’s commandments, and now the tablets were broken too.

Moses took the golden calf and burned it in the fire. He ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.

“What did these people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you led them into such a great sin?”

Aaron made a silly excuse. “They gave me the gold,” he said, “and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

It was a terrible day. Many people died because of their sin.

But then Moses went back up the mountain to pray for the people again. And God didn’t give up on them. He told Moses to cut two new stone tablets, and He wrote His commandments on them again.

Then God showed Moses His glory. He passed in front of Moses and called out His own name: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.” That means God is kind and full of grace. He doesn’t get angry quickly. His love is huge and it never stops.

The people had sinned so badly. But God forgave them, and kept His promise to be their God.

Read it in your Bible: Exodus 32; 34:1–10

Dear God, thank you that you are kind and slow to get angry, and that your love never stops. Please forgive me when I put other things before you. Amen.