“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.””Exodus 32:1-2 NIV
Seriously!
After all the miracles God had shown them… After all that God did to protect and provide for the people of Israel … They truly were a hard headed lot.
It’s bad enough that they couldn’t wait the 40 days for Moses to come down from the mountain but shocking for me in this story is Aaron. Aaron who was amazingly blessed … the only person with his descendants to be able to go into the Inner Room of the temple. All others would perish… As the High Priest of the Lord he didn’t even rebuke them or try to dissuade them from their plan.
But before you start cheering this on we really can’t point fingers can we?
We may not have heard the voice of God as the Israelites did but we surely have seen God provide, protect and display numerous miracles in our lifetime. We acknowledge and know that God is with us at all times. But yet, we also still disobey.
Technically, the people of Israel did not receive the Ten Commandments as yet to know that what they did was wrong but what is our excuse?
The waiting game is a hard one… I am the first to raise my hand here because I am a person of action and getting things done. Waiting for me is tough but as I have gotten older I have begun to appreciate the beauty of waiting. When we wait for God it shows a deeper faith and spiritual maturity.
Many people today worship the Golden calf of money, lust and greed.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13
And those in the church have become quiet or sided with those who do not agree with the Bible on topics such as sexuality or treatment of others (racism)… We have become comfortable in fitting in. The Churches have become caught in serving two masters: God and the World.
And those preachers that have stood their ground are being persecuted. When is the last time you prayed for your pastor or all church leaders?
You see, we see many ‘leaders’ like Aaron. People who are not really true leaders, but are led by public and/ or popular opinion.
Dealing with people will be one of the hardest things we do as servants in God’s Kingdom… you just can’t please everyone. But our role in this life is not to please people but to please God.
Food for thought: It is easy to point the finger at others who do wrong but four fingers always point back at you. We may not know your signs and which master you serve but God knows.
Prayer: Abba Father, many times we love to wrap you up in a cuddly bubble and forget that you are, as your Word states, a jealous God. As the world gets louder and fiercer we call on your heavenly force to stand with us in our fight. May we be chosen like Esther for a time such as this, have the courage of Daniel, wisdom of Solomon, faith of Abraham and purity of heart like Mary to fight this battle. In Jesus name. Amen
God’s grace, mercy and peace be to you.
True…Bless you…Its easy to criticise but like Luke 6:42 says “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” And also true that as the times get tougher, God will be causing the distinction between those that serve Him and those that do not very clear…Malach 3:18 “And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”….and so there is need to hold to God firmly. It’s not easy but His Holy Spirit is here to help, correct, encourage and lift up.
Thanks as always @gwamezioku for your additional insights.