Exodus 32: The Golden Calf (Idolatry)

"They have turned aside quickly out of the

way that I commanded them..." Exodus 32:8

Let me ask you a question this morning: how do you define worship? Perhaps you might think of singing in a church service or perhaps bowing to an idol. However, as we observe the story of Exodus 32, what we find is that worship is much more than we often think it is. Let us look at this great and famous story of the golden calf, in order that we might find out the true definition of worship, that we might be careful to devote our worship to the Lord.

Genesis 32, which we observe today, is smack-dab in the middle of Exodus when God is establishing his covenant with his people. As we looked at in our last devotional, this Mosaic or Sinai Covenant would be what governed the Israelite's lives, that is, what would set them apart from the other nations surrounding them, that they might be a people holy unto the Lord. The Israelites had already agreed to obey this covenant in chapter 19, yet we can barely even get ten chapters ahead before the Israelites break their promise.

Getting irritated because of Moses' long stay on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites are hungry for worship. Moses had departed in order to get instruction from the Lord on how he ought to be worshiped, yet while he was gone, the Israelites got impatient. Thus, the Israelites commanded Aaron, their Vice President who had apparently taken office while Moses was preoccupied, to make for them an idol to worship. In his own sin, Aaron listens to the people and does so, and the Israelites begin to worship a false idol that had literally just been crafted from their necklaces and bracelets.

Now, the rest of the story is pretty simple, and y'all are probably familiar with it. God sees the peoples' sin, promises to destroy them, yet Moses intercedes and reminds God of his promise towards them. Nevertheless, much destruction comes upon the people because of their sin, yet God does not blot them out completely due to the great promise he had made and the glory he would receive from it.

However, I want to focus on the first part of the story this morning, that is, the part that speaks of the idolatry of the Israelites. What really struck me in this story was in fact what I spoke of above, that is, the eagerness of the Israelites for worship. Left alone without their leader, the Israelites couldn't even go ten chapters in the book of Exodus without horrendously breaking the covenant of God by breaking the first two commandments without even blinking an eye. This shows us the great depravity of man's heart, both in the Israelites, and also in ourselves.

I began this devotional with a question: what is worship? Put simply, worship is the giving of worth. In other words, we worship something when we sacrifice our time, talents, or treasures to it because we think that it is worth it. This is exactly what the Israelites did for the golden calf by the giving of their golden earrings and their time for worship, yet it is what we do every day when we sacrifice our own time to watch television, our own money to purchase a phone we don't need, and our own talents for our own fame rather than God's. Many other examples could be given, but let us acknowledge today that we are just like the Israelites, that is, we have a worship problem, and that worship problem is called idolatry, which is worship in the wrong direction.*

I remember greatly an analogy given in a book once that paints a great picture of what idolatry looks like. In India and similar countries, a singular idol or even multiple idols sit in the middle of the living area in a house, with all of the chairs, couches, and tables situated facing it, since that idol is the center of worship within the household. Seems silly, does it not? Why would one want to face all of his chairs toward an idol? Well, let me ask you a question: what is all of the furniture in your house pointed towards? A Bible? Or perhaps this thing called a television? In India, their idols might be Buddha and the like; in America, we worship this this great god called entertainment.

Now, let me point something out: I am not condemning phones, televisions, Netflix, Xboxes, or the like. Things like these can surely be used for the glory of God if used in the correct way. However, the question is this: where is your heart? John Piper said most famously that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." If we struggle with idolatry (which we all do), the solution is finding our full satisfaction in God, not a golden calf, a football game, a relationship, or sex. Furthermore, let us notice that God is the only one deserving and worthy of our worth-ship. Therefore, let us cast off all idols today, as our Lord has commanded of us.

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21 (the conclusion of 1 John)

*Bob Kauflin