Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures

Perhaps you’ve seen this scenario on TV or in real life: the dating relationship in which both parties understand the status, or at least the rules of engagement, of this relationship quite differently. One may find it to be a serious bond with far reaching implications while the other may be oblivious that anything had escalated to that point at all.  And perhaps you’ve heard movie character A or relationship B come out with the words, “I didn’t realize we were exclusive.”

Many are familiar with the story found in Exodus 32 regarding the infamous golden calf.  Absurdities flow in abundance here, for sure.  Hasn’t God proved Himself? Why do they need to make a new god? Who melts their own jewelry to worship it? And does Aaron really think we believe it jumped out of the fire in that shape?

But Moses’ reactions to what they’ve done while he was gone are interesting.

Angry, Moses takes this golden calf and has it burnt and ground to powder.  He then proceeds to scatter it all over the water and make the people of Israel drink it. But why?

Maybe this is a reprimand.  We’ve all made mistakes as children, and maybe this is some classic punishment. Moses is simply the stern mother of the Israelites and he is going to force these folks to wash their mouths out with soap! Hamilton’s Handbook of the Pentateuch suggests it may even have been a means to establishing guilt, giving the Levites knowledge of whom to kill.

However, Hamilton also helps us to draw a connection between this passage and one found in Numbers 5.  In this passage, a wife who has been unfaithful to her mate is to drink water from the laver that is mixed with dirt from the tabernacle floor.  The drinking of this mix is both an admission of guilt and physical representation of it.

Like our couple from above, these two passages needed some serious DTR time. (define the relationship for you old folks) Have these people forgotten that the relationship was exclusive?

In both, a betrayal has occurred. In the instance of this adulterous woman and our idolatrous Israel, we find a great need to return to an exclusive relationship.  Our God desires an exclusive relationship. If they didn’t find that in the beginning, if they skipped that part of the 10 Commandments, if they missed the revelations along the journey, surely they can see it now.

Israelites, this is to be an exclusive relationship with God.

We are to be exclusively His.

Exclusive: excluding other things.  Focused or targeted on one thing only. Sole. Constant. Undivided. Unbroken. Absolute.

As I was reading this week I came to  Exodus 32 when the Israelites are making the golden calf and God decides to destroy them.  Moses goes on to plead with God not to destroy the people.  This encounter reminded me of in Genesis 18 when Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom.  Both of these men pleaded with God to not destroy a group of people and God responded to each according to their request.  It is amazing to me that God is so kind that He would provide a mediator to a people group that are not honoring Him.

Again, Exodus speaks to my life.  I love this passage.  Here we see Moses, giving his all, really trying hard to be the servant God believes he can be.  And Aaron, bless his heart, is just trying as hard as he can to please the people.  We read of the crowd becoming anxious, demanding a sign.  We all know the story.  Aaron caves and makes an idol of gold and silver for the people to worship.  You know the rest – God gets mad, sends Moses back down the mountain threatening to kill them all.  (Kind-of reminds me of my father – “don’t make me pull this car over”!)  And so the story goes…

What I find most interesting about this story is that even though I know the story, I continue to be the Aaron in the story.  I am continuously seeking what God has placed right in front of me and when I can’t get it or see it, I make something for myself!  What does it take to be still and know?

This story is remarkable for so many reasons, but most of all because it takes into consideration the humanness of Moses and Aaron and allows the readers to come into the story at a very crucial point.