September 27 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

When we read the story of the golden calf, we can't help but ask, How could they do it? These people had just heard the mighty voice of God: "No other gods before me." "No graven images." And they had responded with solemn words: "We will do everything the lord has said; we will obey" (Ex. 24:7).

Now, in spite of all their experiences with the living God, they make themselves a dumb idol. How could they ever do it?

We might remind ourselves that this nation of Israel, as it came out of Egypt, was far removed from the worship of the living God. Their knowledge of the will of the Lord must have been very shallow, while their exposure to paganism had been deep and long. The craving for visible gods and tangible leadership was natural to them. This is also the reason why God kept them so long at Mount Sinai. They had to learn God's ways and be organized into a worshiping community by means of the tabernacle.

At this point, Moses had been gone for nearly six weeks. And Aaron— at least in this story—was weak and cowardly. Some Bible students suggest that Aaron and the people did not really intend to make another god for themselves; they wanted to serve the true God by means of this image. In other words, they transgressed the second commandment, not the first. However, there is really no practical difference. It was definitely a sin of idolatry.

At any rate, there's no reason for us to become judgmental. Idolatry is the cardinal sin for all people. Many people profess to be Christians. They worship the true God on Sunday but serve an idol on Monday. How can they do it?

The Israelites would have been lost without a mediator to plead for them. Moses was their mediator. He turned to God with a heart full of love for Israel. He spoke to Israel with a voice filled with the wrath of God.

We, the members of a new covenant, are also dependent on our Mediator. It's the love and anger of Jesus that keeps us from idolatry.

REFLECTIONS

What might "idolatry" look like in our lives?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.