THEY ROSE UP TO PLAY
OBSERVATION: THIS STUDY ADDRESSES IDOL WORSHIP AS THE ISRAELITES TRAVELED TOWARD THE PROMISED LAND.
INTERPRETATION: EXODUS 32:6 (NKJV) THEN THEY ROSE EARLY ON THE NEXT DAY, OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS, AND BROUGHT PEACE OFFERINGS; AND THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND ROSE UP TO PLAY.
COMMANDMENT NUMBER ONE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS STATES, “YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GOD’S BUT ME.” (EXODUS 20:3) THIS COMMANDMENT DEFINES A BELIEVER’S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. CALF WORSHIP IN EGYPTIAN AND CANAANITE CULTURE SYMBOLIZED STRENGTH AND FERTILITY.
OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING CONTRASTS BETWEEN CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD TO AARON’S GOLDEN CALF WORSHIP.
CONTRAST #1-THE LAMB OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST, WAS HIS FATHER’S GREATEST TREASURE. TO MAN (MARK 9: 7 -BELOVED SON). AARON’S CHOICE, MADE BY HIS HANDS WAS PAGAN AND WITHOUT SPIRITUAL VALUE.
CONTRAST # 2-CHRIST WAS GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH (JOHN 1:14-WORD MADE FLESH). THE GOLDEN CALF WAS MADE TO MAKE GOD VISIBLE. JEROBOAM DID THE SAME (1 KINGS 12: 28-31)
CONTRAST #3-CHRIST WAS AN EARTH BORN GIFT OF SALVATION FROM GOD (1 THESSALONIANS 5:9). THE GOLDEN CALF PRODUCED NOTHING BUT COMPLETE DEPRAVITY.
CONTRAST #4- CHRIST ALONE SAVES YOU FROM SIN AND BONDAGE AND GUARANTEES YOU AN ETERNAL HOME WITH HIM (JOHN 14: 2-3). THE MAN MADE
GOLDEN CALF WAS MADE TO WORSHIP AS THE ISRAELITES MOVED TOWARD THE PROMISE LAND. PAGAN IDOLS OFFER TO PROMISE.
APPLICATION: THE WORD OF GOD MUST BE IN YOUR HANDS. IT IS YOUR ONLY OFFENSIVE WEAPON AGAINST FALSE GODS (H. CROSBY).
