Text: Exodus 32:1-6

1 And 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.   2 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.   3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.   4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf:  and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.   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.   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.  

Sunday, 18^th February 2024

THE SNARE OF COMPROMISE: Idols

Text: Exodus 32:1-6

Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 10: 7 Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

The people didn’t care what god they served if it did what they wanted.  Aaron attempts to make an image of a golden calf but tries calling it “THE LORD” in hopes that he can at least make it look like the real God of Israel. Aaron compromised, he sees desperate people and what they want and tries to give them what they wanted, but still use God’s name for it. Unfortunately, this process sadly continues till today. Many Christians have sometimes embraced theology that suits them rather than what the Bible teaches, but always they make the poor theology look and sound biblical.

In the last days the Bible says that this process will be active. In 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Apostle Paul said, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Aaron calls the people to worship “The Lord,” and even calls them to a festival probably hoping that they will see this calf as the true Lord of heaven and not an idol, but it doesn’t work.  False images can only produce false worship. The people were anxious to worship this new image, it offered greater “freedom”.  They were so anxious and impatient that verse 6 of our text says, “So the next day the people rose early … Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in partying.”

When the gods you serve allow you to do whatever you want to do it is easy to be anxious to serve them. How quickly things got out of hand. They couldn’t wait for God’s Word, for His commandments and timing, so they took over. Aaron should have held them steady, but he gave in to what they wanted.  Godly leadership doesn’t just follow what the crowd wants; they instead preach what God wants.

CGDS HYMN 59: SS&S 309: 

REVIVE THY WORK, O LORD

1. Revive Thy work, O Lord !

Now to Thy saints appear !

Oh, speak with power to every soul,

And let Thy people hear !

2. Revive Thy work, O Lord ! . .

While here to Thee we bow ; . .

Descend, O gracious Lord, descend !

Oh come, and bless us now 1

3. Revive Thy work, O Lord !

Exalt Thy precious name !

And may Thy love in every heart

Be kindled to a flame !

4. Revive Thy work, O Lord !

And bless to all Thy word !

And may its pure and sacred truth

In living faith be heard !

5. Revive Thy work, O Lord !

Give pentecostal showers !

Be Thine the glory, Thine alone !

The blessing, Lord, be ours !

   Prayers: 

1.  Lord Jesus, help me to identify and avoid any form of existing idol in my life.

2.  LORD God Almighty, purge me by the blood of Jesus Christ from every form of idolatry, in Jesus’ name. Amen.    

3.  Pray for others in this regard.