Posted by Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?…And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
Isaiah 44:10,17
Introduction
Last week we finished by asking the question…could you ever make an idol? Today we are looking at how the events that took place led to Israel making an idol and how this can easily relate to us.
The events of Exodus chapter 24 to chapter 32 give us valuable insight into the steps to Gods people making an idol.
Step 1 – There’s a period of perceived inaction on Gods part or a period of waiting
Israel had been on the journey, heading further away from the place they were held captive, and then a pause……Moses is called to the Mount to be with God while Israel waited. The next seven chapters in the Bible is where God gives Moses instruction on everything Israel will need for the future.
- Instructions for worship
- The law
- Tabernacle
- Appointing people to key roles – The High Priest, Bezaleel (building the tabernacle)
There was a period of waiting for Gods instruction and guidance and this waiting period led Israel to the next step…
Step 2 – Fear or discontentment with the current situation.
Exo 32:1 ….. when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. (this was a panic statement!!).
This fear, panic created anxiety which led them to:
- Forgetting or willing to forgo previous promises – God had already told them He was taking them to Canaan.
- Forgetting His previous miraculous works of deliverance in their lives
Question…Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation where you don’t know what’s going on, there’s no clear direction from God and you begin to panic?
This fear and panic was followed by…
Step 3 – A willingness to give over the very things God had given them to make the idol.
Exodus 32:2-3 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
Where did they get those golden earring from? They were a slave nation (Ex 3:21-2)
The very things God had given them for his purpose and glory they used to build an idol.
These gold earrings were meant to be used later for the building of the tabernacle and all its furniture.
Gold represents the Deity of Jesus – There was no way that the gold used for the calf could be used for the upcoming tabernacle because that which it represented was now defiled.
Notice though who they took them from…their sons and daughters! They were willing to sacrifice the things of the very ones closest to them to build that idol. – Psalm 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
For the next steps we take the insight we have gained from Israels journey to looking specifically at how this all relates to us and the effect building an idol has on our ability to enter into God’s rest.
Step 4 – Making the idol
(Exodus 32:4) And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf:
Who’s going to build this idol?…Aaron appears to have built it but there were certainly other willing to help…depending on its size an relevance, yours might take more than one person so you are likely to recruit numbers of people to help build it…just like Aaron did.
What’s it made out of? – The very things God has given to sustain you, give you purpose and to glorify Him.
Once you’ve created the idol, where will it reside?
Ezekiel 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart,
Once in your heart you’ll have no problem publicly acknowledging that this idol is thing that gives you deliverance and purpose –Exodus 32:5 and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
It will hold likely a prominent position in your life just as it did in Israel’s camp…(Exodus 32:5) And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
The final step – Rejoicing in the finished work
(Exo 32:6) And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
You’ll be excited that you have something tangible to look to for purpose and deliverance and you will probably expect others to reverence your idol similar in a similar manner as you do, and be highly offended when they don’t. The book of Daniel gives us an excellent example of this very thing taking place.
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up….And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3: 1-3,11
Be careful if you are in a waiting period or a period where you don’t understand what’s happening and God appears to be quiet. Remember Ps 46:10…Be still and know that I am God.
Reposition yourself to return unto rest 