Experiencing God won't guarantee your leaders will be faithful to him.
2 So Aaron said, "Take the gold
rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to
me." 3 All the people took the gold
rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.
4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted
it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it,
they exclaimed, "O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the
land of Egypt!"
In the previous post from the book of Exodus, we saw how quickly the nation of Israel turned away from their understanding of God and what he requires of his people. He knew they were weak and unfaithful but he still chose them to be a light in dark places.
They should have recalled their
recent experiences with God and how amazing he has proven himself. They were
saved by God's mighty power
from the kingdom of darkness, they made promises to be his
redeemed people
that would not have any other gods but as Moses was up the mountain
talking with their amazing God, the people were talking to their future High Priest about making a
new god.
During the 40 days that Moses was receiving instructions from God the people broke their promises. Aaron's appointment as High Priest seemed questionable from the
start because of his lack of allegiance to God when the people asked for a
god. It seems like it way too easy to get him onboard with their terrible
idea despite the fact that there didn't seem to be any significant pressure put on him as he
went along with their idea without hesitation.
They told Aaron to "Make some gods that can lead us!" What an impossible request! They should realize that the being that does the
creating has the most power, how could anybody possibly make anything that
would be powerful like our God? How could a mere mortal make their own god?
Thousands of people already saw the proof that the man made gods of Egypt were
completely powerless but God's people still wanted that kind of god.
Thousands of people witnessed God's love, protection and his ability to redeem
a people from the kingdom of darkness, yet there wasn't anyone that showed any
skill as a leader by standing for what is right.
Exodus 32:8 How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live!
Nobody in this group of thousands stood up for what is right even after
all the time and effort it takes to melt gold so that is can be molded and
also takes time and effort to build an altar. And then, after all of the
preparations are made, Aaron tells them tomorrow is the big day.
Next morning they wake up and nobody said oops! Nobody stepped up to lead.
All of the people continued to go on with their plans, including Aaron. God's people quickly proved to be no different from
the rest of the world. Was their God different or was he just another god?
Aaron failed the leadership test
Exodus 32:22 "Don't get so upset, my lord," Aaron replied. "You yourself know how evil these people are.
Aaron denied responsibility and blamed the "evil" people even though he
was the one that made the molds and poured the gold and built the altar.
Aaron wanted Moses to believe that it all “just happened."
Moses passed the leadership test
Exodus 32:10,30 Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation."30 The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin."
God’s people need leaders like Moses that will stand up to God's people and
refuse to allow them to follow the rest of the world. We need leaders that
will be appalled at evil, pray for us and confront our sin.
God's people needed a man that was willing to die in their place in order to save them from their sin. Moses wasn't qualified to die for his people but the day was coming when God himself would come to be the only qualified substitute for his people.
Jesus came to lead God's people as the greater, ultimate Moses, to do what Moses desired but he could not. Jesus came and died so that I would not have to pay the price that I would never be able to pay off. My death can't pay the price for my sin because I am not a perfect sacrifice.
Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look-I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
The only leader of God's people that could die as our substitute is not dead! Jesus is
the living one
that holds the only keys that can release you from the kingdom of darkness! When we follow his leadership we will be able to stand before our creator and hear him say "Don't be afraid."
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Jesus, Our Substitute
(ligonier.org)
