Chapter 28—Israel Worships a Golden Calf
This chapter is based on Exodus 32 to 34.
While Moses was absent, it was a time of waiting and suspense to Israel. The people waited eagerly for his return. Accustomed in Egypt to material representations of deity, it had been hard for them to trust in an invisible being. They had come to rely upon Moses to sustain their faith. Now he was taken from them. Week after week passed, and still he did not return. It seemed to many in the camp that their leader had deserted them or that he had been consumed by the devouring fire. {EP 219.1}
During this period of waiting, there was time to meditate upon the law of God which they had heard, and to prepare their hearts to receive further revelations that He might make to them. Had they been seeking a clearer understanding of God’s requirements and humbling their hearts before Him, they would have been shielded from temptation. But they soon became careless, inattentive, and lawless, especially the “mixed multitude.” They were impatient to be on their way to the land flowing with milk and honey. It was only on condition of obedience that the goodly land was promised them; but they had lost sight of this. Some suggested a return to Egypt; but whether forward to Canaan or backward to Egypt, the masses were determined to wait no longer for Moses. {EP 219.2}
The “mixed multitude” had been the first to indulge murmuring and impatience and were the leaders in apostasy. Among the objects regarded by the Egyptians as symbols of deity was the ox or calf. At the suggestion of those who had practiced idolatry in Egypt, a calf was now made and worshiped. The people desired some image to represent God and to go before them in the place of Moses. The mighty miracles in Egypt and at the Red Sea were designed to establish faith in God as the invisible, all-powerful Helper of Israel. The desire for some visible manifestation of His presence had been granted in the pillar of cloud and of fire, and in the revealing of His glory upon Mount Sinai. But with the cloud of the Presence still before them, they turned back in their hearts to the idolatry of Egypt. {EP 219.3}
The judicial authority had been delegated to Aaron, and a vast crowd gathered about his tent. The cloud, they said, now rested permanently upon the mount; it would no longer direct their travels. They must have an image in its place; and if, as had been suggested, they should return to Egypt, they would find favor with the Egyptians by bearing this image before them as their god. (See Appendix, Note 3.) {EP 220.1}
Instead of Leading, Aaron Follows
Aaron feebly remonstrated with the people, but his wavering and timidity at the critical moment rendered them the more determined. A blind, unreasoning frenzy seemed to possess the multitude. Some remained true to their covenant with God; but the greater part joined in the apostasy. A few who ventured to denounce the proposed image making as idolatry were set upon and finally lost their lives. {EP 220.2}
Aaron feared for his own safety, and instead of nobly standing up for the honor of God, he yielded to the demands of the multitude. They willingly yielded up their ornaments, and from these he made a molten calf in imitation of the gods of Egypt. {EP 220.3}
The people proclaimed, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” And Aaron basely permitted this insult to Jehovah. He did more. Seeing with what satisfaction the golden god was received, he built an altar before it and made proclamation, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat ... and rose up to play.” They gave themselves up to gluttony and licentious reveling. {EP 220.4}
A religion that permits men to devote themselves to selfish or sensual gratification is as pleasing to the multitudes now as in the days of Israel. There are still pliant Aarons in the church who will yield to the desires of the unconsecrated, and thus encourage them in sin. {EP 221.1}
Israel Broke Their Solemn Promise
Only a few days had passed since the Hebrews had stood trembling before the mount, listening to the words of the Lord, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” The glory of God still hovered above Sinai in the sight of the congregation; but “they made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox.” Psalm 106:19, 20. {EP 221.2}
Moses in the mount was warned of the apostasy in the camp. “Go, get thee down,” were the words of God; “thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them.” {EP 221.3}
God’s covenant with His people had been disannulled, and He declared to Moses, “Let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” The people of Israel, especially the “mixed multitude,” would be constantly disposed to rebel against God, murmur against their leader, and grieve him by their unbelief and stubbornness. Their sins had already forfeited the favor of God. {EP 221.4}
If God had purposed to destroy Israel, who could plead for them? But Moses discerned ground for hope where there appeared only discouragement and wrath. The words of God, “Let Me alone,” he understood not to forbid but to encourage intercession; if entreated, God would spare His people. {EP 221.5}
God had signified that He disowned His people. He had spoken of them to Moses as “thy people, which thou broughtest out of Egypt.” But Moses disclaimed the leadership of Israel. They were not his, but God’s—“Thy people, which Thou hast brought forth ... with great power, and with a mighty hand. Wherefore,” Moses urged, “should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did He bring them out, to slay them in the mountains?” {EP 222.1}
During the few months since Israel left Egypt, the report of their wonderful deliverance had spread to all surrounding nations. Terrible foreboding rested upon the heathen. All were watching to see what the God of Israel would do for His people. Should they now be destroyed, their enemies would triumph. The Egyptians would claim that their accusations were true—instead of leading His people into the wilderness to sacrifice, He had caused them to be sacrificed. The destruction of the people whom He had honored would bring reproach upon His name. How great the responsibility resting upon those whom God has highly honored, to make His name a praise in the earth! {EP 222.2}
As Moses interceded for Israel, the Lord listened to his pleadings and granted his unselfish prayer. God had proved his love for that ungrateful people, and nobly had Moses endured the trial. The prosperity of God’s people was dearer to him than becoming the father of a mighty nation. God was pleased with his faithfulness and integrity, and committed to him the great charge of leading Israel to the Promised Land. {EP 222.3}
As Moses and Joshua came down from the mount and drew near the encampment, they beheld the people shouting and dancing around their idol—a scene of heathen riot, an imitation of the idolatrous feasts of Egypt. How unlike the solemn and reverent worship of God! Moses was overwhelmed. He had just come from the presence of God’s glory, and he was unprepared for that dreadful exhibition of the degradation of Israel. To show his abhorrence of their crime, he threw down the tables of stone, and they were broken in the sight of all the people, signifying that as they had broken their covenant with God, so God had broken His covenant with them. {EP 222.4}
Moses Punishes the Wrongdoers
Seizing the idol, Moses cast it into the fire. He afterward ground it to powder and strewed it upon the stream that descended from the mount. Thus was shown the utter worthlessness of the god which they had been worshiping. {EP 223.1}
The great leader summoned his guilty brother. Aaron endeavored to shield himself by relating the clamors of the people, that if he had not complied with their wishes he would have been put to death. “They said unto me, 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. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.” He would lead Moses to believe that a miracle had been wrought, that the gold by supernatural power changed to a calf. But his excuses were of no avail. He was justly dealt with as the chief offender. {EP 223.2}
It was Aaron, “the saint of the Lord” (Psalm 106:16), that had made the idol and announced the feast. He had failed to check the idolaters in their heaven-daring purpose. He heard unmoved the proclamation before the molten image, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” He had been with Moses on the mount and there beheld the glory of the Lord. It was he who had changed that glory into the similitude of an ox. He to whom God had committed the government of the people in the absence of Moses was found sanctioning rebellion. “The Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him.” Deuteronomy 9:20. But in answer to the intercession of Moses, his life was spared; and in penitence for his great sin, he was restored to the favor of God. {EP 223.3}
How Aaron Encouraged Rebellion
If Aaron had had courage to stand for the right, he could have prevented that apostasy. If he had unswervingly maintained his own allegiance to God and had reminded the people of their solemn covenant with God, the evil would have been checked. But his compliance emboldened them to go to greater lengths in sin than had before entered their minds. {EP 224.1}
To justify himself, Aaron endeavored to make the people responsible for his weakness in yielding to their demand; but notwithstanding this, they were filled with admiration of his gentleness and patience. But Aaron’s yielding spirit and desire to please had blinded his eyes to the enormity of the crime he was sanctioning. His course cost the life of thousands. In contrast was the course of Moses. While faithfully executing God’s judgments, he showed that the welfare of Israel was dearer to him than prosperity, honor, or life. {EP 224.2}
God would have His servants prove their loyalty by faithfully rebuking transgression, however painful that act may be. Those who are honored with a divine commission are not to aim at self-exaltation or shun disagreeable duties, but to perform God’s work with unswerving fidelity. {EP 224.3}
The insubordination which Aaron had permitted, if not speedily crushed, would run riot in wickedness and involve the nation in ruin. By terrible severity the evil must be put away. Moses called to the people, “Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me.” Those who had not joined the apostasy were to take their position at the right; those who were guilty but repentant, at the left. It was found that the tribe of Levi had taken no part in the idolatrous worship. From among other tribes there were great numbers who now signified their repentance. But a large company, mostly the “mixed multitude,” persisted in their rebellion. In the name of “the Lord God of Israel,” Moses now commanded those who had kept themselves clear of idolatry to gird on their swords and slay all who persisted in rebellion. “And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.” The ringleaders in wickedness were cut off, but all who repented were spared. {EP 224.4}
Men are to beware how they judge and condemn their fellowmen; but when God commands them to execute His sentence upon iniquity, He is to be obeyed. Those who performed this painful act thus manifested their abhorrence of rebellion and idolatry. The Lord honored their faithfulness by bestowing special distinction upon the tribe of Levi. {EP 225.1}
That the divine government might be maintained, justice must be visited upon the traitors. Yet even here God’s mercy was displayed: He granted freedom of choice and opportunity for repentance to all. Only those were cut off who persisted in rebellion. {EP 225.2}
Why Israel’s Idolatry Must Be Punished
It was necessary that this sin should be punished as a testimony to surrounding nations of God’s displeasure against idolatry. As the Israelites would hereafter condemn idolatry, their enemies would throw back the charge that the people who claimed Jehovah as their God had made a calf and worshiped it in Horeb. Though compelled to acknowledge the disgraceful truth, Israel could point to the terrible fate of the transgressors as evidence that their sin had not been excused. {EP 225.3}
Love no less than justice demanded that judgment be inflicted. God cuts off those who are determined upon rebellion, that they may not lead others to ruin. In sparing the life of Cain, God had demonstrated the result of permitting sin to go unpunished. His life and teaching led to the state of corruption that demanded the destruction of the whole world by a flood. The history of the antediluvians testifies that God’s great forbearance did not repress their wickedness. {EP 225.4}
So at Sinai. Unless punishment had been speedily visited upon transgression, the same results would again have been seen. The earth would have become as corrupt as in the days of Noah. Evils would have followed, greater than resulted from sparing the life of Cain. It was the mercy of God that thousands should suffer, to prevent the necessity of visiting judgments upon millions. To save the many He must punish the few. {EP 226.1}
Furthermore, as the people had forfeited divine protection, the whole nation was exposed to the power of their enemies. They would soon have fallen prey to their numerous and powerful foes. It was necessary for the good of Israel that crime should be promptly punished. {EP 226.2}
And it was no less a mercy to the sinners themselves that they should be cut short in their evil course. Had their lives been spared, the same spirit that led them to rebel against God would have been manifested in hatred and strife among themselves. They would eventually have destroyed one another. {EP 226.3}
Moses’ Christlike Love for Israel
As the people were roused to see the enormity of their guilt, it was feared that every offender was to be cut off. Moses promised to plead once more with God for them. {EP 226.4}
“Ye have sinned a great sin,” he said, “and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.” In his confession before God he said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now if Thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.” {EP 226.5}
In the prayer of Moses, our minds are directed to the heavenly records in which the names of all men are inscribed, and their deeds, good or evil, are registered. The book of life contains the names of all who have entered the service of God. If any of these by stubborn persistence in sin become finally hardened against His Holy Spirit, their names will in the judgment be blotted from the book of life. {EP 226.6}
If the people of Israel were to be rejected by the Lord, Moses desired his name to be blotted out with theirs; he could not endure to see the judgments of God fall upon those who had been graciously delivered. The intercession of Moses in behalf of Israel illustrates the mediation of Christ for sinful men. But the Lord did not permit Moses to bear, as did Christ, the guilt of the transgressor. “Whosoever hath sinned against Me,” He said, “him will I blot out of My book.” {EP 227.1}
In deep sadness the people buried their dead. Three thousand had fallen by the sword; a plague had soon after broken out in the encampment; and now the message came to them that the divine Presence would no longer accompany them in their journeyings: “I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.” And the command was given, “put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.” In penitence and humiliation, “the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.” {EP 227.2}
By divine direction, the tent that had served as a temporary place of worship was removed “afar off from the camp.” This was further evidence that God had withdrawn His presence from them. The rebuke was keenly felt, and to the conscience-smitten multitudes it seemed a foreboding of greater calamity. {EP 227.3}
But they were not left without hope. The tent was pitched without the encampment, but Moses called it “the tabernacle of the congregation.” All who were truly penitent and desired to return to the Lord were directed to repair thither to confess their sins and seek His mercy. When they returned to their tents, Moses entered the tabernacle. The