Moses: The Golden Calf

Exodus 32-33

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY

Creation. Abraham. MOSES. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to Come.

The mountain was covered in a thick cloud. Thunder rumbled, and lightning streaked across the sky. A trumpet blast grew louder and louder. The Israelites stood trembling at the base of the mountain. They heard God speak his commandments directly to them, prompting the people to tell Moses: 

Exodus 20:19-21
“You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. 

Moses replied, “God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” And there was another test just around the corner.

When God called Moses up the mountain, the people witnessed a sight unlike any they had seen before and would never see again. For six days, the “glory of the Lord,” appearing as a cloud that looked like a “devouring fire,” covered the top of the mountain (Ex. 24:15-17). On the seventh day, God called to Moses from inside the cloud. “Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Ex. 24:18).

At that point, the Israelites had been out of Egypt for only three months. Moses was their chosen leader—the one God used to free them from slavery, part the Red Sea, and provide food and water. Moses entered what appeared to be a consuming fire on the mountain and was gone for forty days. After waiting some time, the Israelites decided he wasn’t coming back. If someone went missing for forty days, you might reach the same conclusion. 

Exodus 32:1
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

The people believed that God had taken Moses, possibly killing him in that “devouring fire.” So, they quickly reverted to their former customs, shaped by years of living in Egypt’s polytheistic culture—worshiping gods. 

What the Israelites did was shocking. But before we become too judgmental, let’s be honest: we do the same things. God has freed us from the slavery of sin, blessed us with spiritual blessings, and sent his Holy Spirit to live in us. Yet... have you ever gone back to the sins of your past? It’s so easy to slip back into our old ways, isn’t it? 

With Moses absent, Israel needed a strong person to guide them. But Aaron, Moses’ brother, proved to be an enabler rather than a leader. He instructed the people to give him all their gold jewelry and made a cast in the shape of a calf. When the people saw the golden calf, they said:

Exodus 32:4b-6
“These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 

I love the dialogue between God and Moses. God told Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves” (Ex. 32:7). Moses said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?” (Ex. 32:11). It seems no one wants to claim the Israelites at this point.

By the time Moses descended from the mountain, Israel’s immoral celebration was in full swing. Moses’ anger burned fiercely, and he threw the tablets from his hands, smashing them at the mountain’s base. He ground the golden calf into powder and made the people drink it in their water to confront their sin. Amid the chaos, Moses stood at the camp's entrance and asked, “‘Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.’ And all the sons of Levi gathered around him” (Ex. 32:26). That day, the Levites killed about three thousand men who persisted in disobedience (Ex. 32:27-29). Then Moses went to God to intercede on behalf of the Israelites. 

Let me wrap up the story of the golden calf with an observation about leadership and parenting.

Moses left Aaron in charge, and Aaron blew it. Instead of guiding the people aptly, he enabled them to sin against God. Aaron “let them break loose” from following God (Ex. 32:25). When Moses questioned his brother, Aaron refused to take responsibility for his failure. He said:

Exodus 32:22-24
Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 

Aaron blamed the people for what happened and didn’t tell the truth about his involvement. “Don’t be mad at me,” he told Moses, “You know how evil these people are and how hard they are to lead.” Although Aaron had used a graving tool to form the golden calf, he told Moses he was surprised when he threw the metal into the fire and, out came a golden calf in the shape of the cast he had made!

So, parents, here’s a reminder—be the parent. Be leaders, not enablers. We must do our best to help our children, those God has entrusted to us, stay on the right path. Don’t leave it to culture, the school, the sports team, extracurricular activities, your kids’ friends, or smartphones. We shouldn’t be surprised when, if we allow our kids to take the lead, something like a golden calf appears from the fire. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on Exodus 32-33. Where in your life are you tempted to grow impatient with God’s timing and make your own plans according to your timeline?

Talking to God: Ask God to help you slow down and wait on him. 

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