Golden Calf עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה

We are moving into chapter thirty-two of Exodus with our word for today which is a phrase. עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה cast image calf, metal image calf. It is used 4 times in the Old Testament, used twice in our chapter. Let’s look at our uses starting with our chapter since it is also the first time it is used in the Bible. Exodus 32:1-4, 7-8 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה [literally a cast metal calf. The translators correctly supply the word golden because the context clearly identifies the metal as gold] golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” … And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” Notice how God calls the people out as corrupting themselves, turning aside quickly from his commandments specifically the one not to worship other so called gods. Moses repeats this incident in the book of Deuteronomy which by the way means second law. Moses is going over the law again to the people before the begin their journey to the promise land. Deuteronomy 9:15-16 So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had made yourselves a עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה golden calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you. Our last usage is another reference to this event. This time retold by Nehemiah speaking to the people of God’s grace to their ancestors. Nehemiah 9:17-21 But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֔ה golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. This is an amazing factual historical account of God’s patience, love and mercy. We see this same character quality in God throughout the Bible. I’ll close with these great reminders. Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 2 Peter 3:9, 15 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance … And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters.