The Attack

Israel Worships a Golden Calf

Picture: Israel Worships a Golden Calf 1TC 206.1

This chapter is based on Exodus 32 to 34.

While Moses was away on the mountain, it was a time of waiting and suspense for Israel. The people waited eagerly for his return. In Egypt they had become accustomed to material objects representing deity, and it had been hard for them to trust in an invisible being. They had come to rely on Moses to sustain their faith, but now he was taken from them. Week after week passed, and he still did not return. It seemed to many in the camp that their leader had deserted them or that he had been consumed by the devouring fire. 1TC 206.2

During this period of waiting, there was time to meditate on the law of God which they had heard and to prepare their hearts to receive any further revelations that He might make to them. If they had been seeking a clearer understanding of God’s requirements and humbling their hearts before Him, they would have been shielded from temptation. But soon they became careless, inattentive, and lawless—especially the “mixed multitude.” They were impatient to be on their way to the land flowing with milk and honey. That good land was promised to them only on condition of obedience, but they had forgotten this. Some suggested they return to Egypt, but whether forward to Canaan or backward to Egypt, most of the people were determined to not wait any longer for Moses. 1TC 207.1

The “mixed multitude” had been the first to indulge in complaining and impatience, and they were the leaders in apostasy. Among the objects the Egyptians regarded as symbols of deity was the ox or calf. At the suggestion of those who had practiced idolatry in Egypt, a calf was now made and worshiped. The people wanted some image to represent God and to go ahead of them in the place of Moses. The mighty miracles in Egypt and at the Red Sea were intended to establish faith in God as the invisible, all-powerful Helper of Israel. The people’s desire for some visible display of His presence had been granted in the pillar of cloud and of fire, and in the revealing of His glory on Mount Sinai. But with the cloud of the Presence still in front of them, in their hearts they turned back to the idolatry of Egypt. 1TC 207.2

In Moses’ absence, the judicial authority had been delegated to Aaron, and a vast crowd gathered about his tent. The cloud, they said, now rested permanently on the mountain; it would no longer direct their travels. They must have an image in its place. And if, as some had suggested, they should return to Egypt, they would find favor with the Egyptians by carrying this image ahead of them as their god. (See Appendix, Note 3.) 1TC 207.3

Instead of Leading, Aaron Follows

Aaron feebly protested with the people, but his indecision and his timid response at the critical moment only made them the more determined. A blind, unreasoning frenzy seemed to possess the crowd. Some remained true to their covenant with God, but most of them joined in the apostasy. A few who dared to denounce the proposed image-making as idolatry were beaten and finally lost their lives. 1TC 207.4

Aaron feared for his own safety, and instead of nobly standing up for the honor of God, he yielded to the demands of the crowd. They willingly gave him their ornaments, and from these he made a molten calf in imitation of the gods of Egypt. 1TC 208.1

The people proclaimed, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” And without using moral principle, Aaron permitted this insult to Jehovah, and actually did even more. Seeing how pleased the people were with the golden god, he built an altar before it and proclaimed, “‘Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.’ 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.” They gave themselves up to gluttony and sinful reveling. 1TC 208.2

A religion that permits people to devote themselves to selfish or sensual gratification is as pleasing to the multitudes now as it was in the days of Israel. There are still weak-willed Aarons in the church who will yield to the desires of the unconverted, and thus encourage them in sin. 1TC 208.3

Israel Broke Their Solemn Promise

Only a few days had passed since the Hebrews had stood trembling before Mount Sinai, listening to the words of the Lord, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” The glory of God still hovered above the mountain in the sight of the congregation; but “they made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped the molded image. Thus they changed their glory into the image of an ox” (Psalm 106:19, 20). 1TC 208.4

On the mountain, Moses was warned of the apostasy in the camp. “Go, get down,” were the words of God; “your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them.” 1TC 208.5

God’s covenant with His people had been broken, and He declared to Moses, “Let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and that I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” The people of Israel, especially the “mixed multitude,” would be constantly inclined to rebel against God, complain about their leader, and bring sorrow to him by their unbelief and stubbornness. Their sins had already lost the favor of God for them. 1TC 209.1

If God had decided to destroy Israel, who could plead for them? But Moses saw ground for hope where there appeared only discouragement and divine fury. The words of God, “Let Me alone,” he understood not to forbid but to encourage him to plead their case—if he asked earnestly, God would spare His people. 1TC 209.2

God had implied that He had disowned His people. He had spoken of them to Moses as “your people whom you brought out of Egypt.” But Moses disclaimed the leadership of Israel. They were not his, but God’s—“Your people whom You have brought out ... with great power and with a mighty hand.” “Why,” Moses urged, “should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains?’” 1TC 209.3

During the few months since Israel had left Egypt, the report of their amazing deliverance had spread to all the surrounding nations. Terrible dread rested on the heathen. All were watching to see what the God of Israel would do for His people. If they were now to be destroyed, their enemies would triumph. The Egyptians would claim that their accusations were true—instead of leading His people into the wilderness to sacrifice, He had caused them to be sacrificed. The destruction of the people whom He had honored would bring a slur on His name. How great is the responsibility on those whom God has highly honored, to make His name a praise in the earth! 1TC 209.4

As Moses interceded for Israel, the Lord listened to his pleadings and granted his unselfish prayer. God had proved his love for that ungrateful people, and Moses had nobly endured the trial. The well-being of God’s people was more important to him than becoming the father of a mighty nation. God was pleased with his faithfulness and integrity, and committed to him the great responsibility of leading Israel to the Promised Land. 1TC 209.5

As Moses and Joshua came down from the mountain and were nearing the camp, they saw the people shouting and dancing around their idol—a scene of heathen riot, an imitation of the idolatrous feasts of Egypt. How different from the solemn and reverent worship of God! Moses was overwhelmed. He had just come from the presence of God’s glory, and he was unprepared for that dreadful display of Israel’s degraded condition. To show his horror at their crime, he threw down the tablets of stone, and they were broken in view of all the people, a sign that as they had broken their covenant with God, so God had broken His covenant with them. 1TC 210.1

Moses Punishes the Wrongdoers

Taking hold of the idol, Moses threw it into the fire. Afterward he ground it to powder and scattered it on the stream that came down from the mountain. In this way he showed the utter worthlessness of the god they had been worshiping. 1TC 210.2

The great leader summoned his guilty brother. Aaron tried to defend himself by relating the clamors of the people, stating that if he had not done as they asked he would have been put to death. “They said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.” He wanted Moses to believe that a miracle had taken place—that the gold changed to a calf by supernatural power. But his excuses made no difference. He was properly dealt with as the chief offender. 1TC 210.3

It was Aaron, “the saint of the Lord” (Psalm 106:16), who had made the idol and announced the feast. He had failed to stop the idolaters in their heaven-defying plan. He was not stirred to action by the proclamation before the molten image, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.” He had been with Moses on the mountain and had seen the glory of the Lord there. He was the one who had changed that glory into the image of an ox. God had committed to him the government of the people in Moses’ absence, but he had permitted rebellion. “The Lord was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him” (Deuteronomy 9:20). But in answer to Moses’ intercession, his life was spared; he repented for his great sin and was restored to the favor of God. 1TC 210.4

How Aaron Encouraged Rebellion

If Aaron had had courage to stand for the right, he could have prevented the apostasy. If he had firmly maintained his own loyalty to God and had reminded the people of their solemn covenant with God, the evil would have been stopped. But his willingness to cooperate with them emboldened the people to go to greater lengths in sin than they had ever thought of before. 1TC 211.1

To justify himself, Aaron tried to make the people responsible for his weakness in yielding to their demand; but despite this, they were filled with admiration of his gentleness and patience. But Aaron’s yielding spirit and desire to please had blinded his eyes to the enormity of the crime he was permitting. His actions cost the life of thousands. In contrast was the course of Moses. While faithfully carrying out God’s judgments, he showed that the welfare of Israel was more precious to him than prosperity, honor, or life. 1TC 211.2

God wants His servants to prove their loyalty by faithfully rebuking transgression, however painful that act may be. Those who are honored with a divine commission are not to exalt themselves or shun disagreeable duties, but to perform God’s work with unswerving faithfulness. 1TC 211.3

If not quickly crushed, the rebellion that Aaron had permitted would escalate in wickedness and bring the nation to ruin. The evil must be put away by terrible severity . Moses called to the people, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” Those who had not joined the apostasy were to take their position at the right; those who were guilty but repentant, at the left. It was found that the tribe of Levi had not taken part in the idolatrous worship. Many people from among other tribes now expressed their repentance. But a large company, mostly the “mixed multitude,” persisted in their rebellion. In the name of “the Lord God of Israel,” Moses now commanded those who had kept themselves clear of idolatry to take their swords and kill all who persisted in rebellion. “And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.” The ringleaders in wickedness were cut off, but all who repented were spared. 1TC 211.4

People are to be careful how they judge and condemn others, but when God commands them to execute His sentence on evil, He is to be obeyed. Those who performed this painful act thus demonstrated their abhorrence of rebellion and idolatry. The Lord honored their faithfulness by bestowing special distinction on the tribe of Levi. 1TC 212.1

Justice had to be brought to the traitors, to maintain the divine government. Yet even here God’s mercy was displayed: He granted freedom of choice and opportunity for repentance to all. Only those who persisted in rebellion were cut off. 1TC 212.2

Why Israel’s Idolatry Must Be Punished

It was necessary that this sin should be punished as a warning to surrounding nations of God’s displeasure against idolatry. Whenever the Israelites would later condemn idolatry, their enemies would throw back the charge that the people who claimed Jehovah as their God had made a calf and worshiped it in Horeb. Though they had to acknowledge the disgraceful truth, Israel could point to the terrible fate of the transgressors as evidence that their sin had not been excused. 1TC 212.3

Love no less than justice demanded that judgment be given. God cuts off those who are determined to rebel, that they may not lead others to ruin. In sparing the life of Cain, God had demonstrated the result of permitting sin to go unpunished. His life and teaching led to the corrupt conditions that demanded the destruction of the whole world by a flood. The history of the pre-Flood people testifies that God’s great patience and restraint did not keep back their wickedness. 1TC 212.4

The same is true at Sinai. If sin had not been speedily punished, the same results would have appeared again. The earth would have become as corrupt as in the days of Noah. Evils would have followed, greater than those that resulted from sparing Cain’s life. It was the mercy of God that thousands should suffer, to prevent the need for visiting judgments on millions. To save the many He must punish the few. 1TC 212.5

Furthermore, as the people had forfeited divine protection, the whole nation was exposed to the power of their enemies. They would soon have fallen prey to their many powerful foes. It was necessary for the good of Israel that crime should be promptly punished. 1TC 213.1

And it was no less a mercy to the sinners themselves to be stopped in their evil course. If their lives had been spared, the same spirit that led them to rebel against God would have resulted in hatred and strife among themselves. They would eventually have destroyed one another. 1TC 213.2

Moses’ Christlike Love for Israel

As the people began to see how great their guilt was, they feared that every offender was to be cut off. Moses promised to plead with God for them once more. 1TC 213.3

“You have committed a great sin,” he said. “So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” In his confession before God he said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” 1TC 213.4

The prayer of Moses directs our minds to the heavenly records in which the names of everyone are inscribed, and their deeds, good or evil, are written. The book of life contains the names of all who have entered the service of God. If by stubborn persistence in sin any of these become finally hardened against His Holy Spirit, in the judgment their names will be blotted from the book of life. 1TC 213.5

If the people of Israel were to be rejected by the Lord, Moses wanted his name to be blotted out with theirs; he could not bear to see the judgments of God fall on those who had been graciously delivered. Moses’ intercession on behalf of Israel illustrates Christ’s mediation for sinners. But the Lord did not permit Moses to bear the guilt of the transgressor, as Christ did. “Whoever has sinned against Me,” He said, “I will blot him out of My book.” 1TC 213.6

In deep sadness the people buried their dead. Three thousand had been killed by the sword; soon after, a plague had broken out in the camp; and now the message came to them that the divine Presence would no longer go with them in their journey: “I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” And God commanded, “Take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.” In penitence and humiliation, “the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.” 1TC 214.1

By divine command, the tent that had served as a temporary place of worship was taken “far from the camp.” This was further evidence that God had withdrawn His presence from them. The people felt the rebuke keenly, and to the conscience-stricken multitudes it seemed to predict greater calamity. 1TC 214.2

But they were not left without hope. The tent was pitched outside the camp, but Moses called it “the tabernacle of meeting.” All who were truly repentant and wanted to return to the Lord were told to go there to confess their sins and seek His mercy. When they returned to their tents, Moses entered the tabernacle. The people watched for some sign that his intercessions for them were accepted. When the cloudy pillar came down and stood at the entrance of the tabernacle, the people wept for joy, and they “rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.” 1TC 214.3

Help From God, a Necessity

Moses had learned that in order to lead the people successfully, he must have help from God. He pleaded for an assurance of God’s presence: “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 1TC 214.4

The answer was, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” But Moses was not yet satisfied. He prayed that the favor of God might be restored to His people and that the visible evidence of His presence might continue to direct their journey: “If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except that You go with us?” 1TC 214.5

And the Lord said, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” The prophet still did not stop pleading. He now made a request that no human being had ever made before: “Please, show me Your glory.” 1TC 215.1

Moses Sees God’s Glory

The gracious words were spoken, “I will make all My goodness pass before you.” Moses was called to the mountain summit; then the hand that made the world, that hand that “removes the mountains, and they do not know” (Job 9:5), took this creature of the dust and placed him in a cleft of the rock, while the glory of God and all His goodness passed before him. 1TC 215.2

To Moses, this experience was an assurance that was worth infinitely more to him than all the learning of Egypt or all his achievements as a statesman or military leader. No earthly power or skill of learning can substitute for God’s abiding presence. 1TC 215.3

Moses stood alone in the presence of the Eternal One, and he was not afraid, for his soul was in harmony with his Maker. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18). But “the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (Psalm 25:14). 1TC 215.4

The Deity proclaimed Himself, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty.” 1TC 215.5

“Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.” The Lord graciously promised to renew His favor to Israel and to do marvels such as had not been done “in all the earth, nor in any nation.” During all this time, as at the first, Moses was miraculously sustained. At God’s command he had prepared two tablets of stone and had taken them with him to the summit; and again the Lord “wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” (See Appendix, Note 4.) 1TC 215.6

Moses’ face radiated with a dazzling light when he came down from the mountain. Aaron as well as the people “were afraid to come near him.” Seeing their terror, he offered them the pledge of God’s reconciliation. They heard nothing in his voice but love and appeal, and at last one man dared to approach him. Too awed to speak, he silently pointed to the face of Moses and then toward heaven. The great leader understood his meaning. In their conscious guilt, they could not endure the heavenly light which would have filled them with joy if they had been obedient to God. 1TC 216.1

Moses put a veil on his face and continued to do this whenever he returned to the camp from communion with God. 1TC 216.2

By this brightness, God intended to impress on Israel the exalted character of His law and the glory of the gospel revealed through Christ. While Moses was on the mountain, God presented to him not only the tablets of the law, but also the plan of salvation. He saw that all the types and symbols of the Jewish age pointed forward to the sacrifice of Christ. It was the heavenly light streaming from Calvary, just as much as from the glory of the law of God, that caused such radiance on the face of Moses. 1TC 216.3

The glory reflected in the face and expression of Moses testifies that the closer our communion is with God and the clearer our knowledge of His requirements, the more fully we will be conformed to the divine image. 1TC 216.4

As Israel’s intercessor (Moses) veiled his face, so Christ, the divine Mediator, veiled His divinity with humanity when He came to earth. If He had come clothed with the brightness of heaven, sinful human beings could not have endured the glory of His presence. So He humbled Himself, and was made “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), that He might reach the fallen race and lift them up. 1TC 216.5

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