The text for next week's sermon is Exodus 32:1-14. It is the story of how the Israelites made the Golden Calf.
Here's what I found interesting as I read the passage. No one seems to agree on how the Israelites got into the wilderness. Look at these verses:
v.1 "This Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."
v.4 After Aaron made them the golden calf, the people said "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."
v.7 "The LORD said to Moses, 'Go down at once your people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt , have acted perversly.'"
v.11 "But Moses implord the Lord his God, and said, O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand.
v.14 "And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster he planned to bring on his people."
Moses? The Golden Calf? Yaweh? Moses? God? Who is responsible for bringing the people out of Egypt??
Being sophisticated modern readers who know the Bible, we know that God brought the people out of Egypt. We know that God will bring the people out of the Wilderness. We know that God will bring the people deliverance from their enemies. We know that God will bring them out of Exile.
But, in this passage the question hangs there, begging us to examine it closely. Who is responsible for bringing us out of "Egypt"?
Even though we live in a modern world, we all have an "Egypt" in our past. (Or, maybe you are in an "Egypt" now.) Egypt stands not just for the geographical location where they were enslaved, but it also represents that spiritual and emotional place where you feel trapped, stuck, and unable to move forward. We pray, and pray, and pray. And somehow we are freed from our "Egypt," but then weeks, months, or years later, we have trouble remembering who brought us up out of Egypt.
Questions to ponder this week:
(for personal reflection) Where were the "Egypt" moments in my life? How did I survive them? Have I given God enough thanks?
Why do the people continually forget all that God has done?
How can we work as the church to remind one another of what God has done?
Where have we substituted the reality of God for a symbol?
How can we free ourselves from worshiping idols, and move back to true worship of God?
These are tough, but important questions. I pray that God's grace might surround you as you seek the answers.
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6 comments:
Ouch! Tough questions indeed – hmm…
Why do we forget?
When we ride a public bus, how many of us notice and remember the driver’s name? The driver is a part of the bus, like a muffler or a windshield-wiper...We pay our fee and have certain performance expectations that it will get where we want to go at the scheduled time. We get where we are going due to our “sound” scheduling and decision making about which bus to take, where to get off, etc. At best, we may remotely acknowledge the presence of some nebulous transit authority – but usually when the bus is late, not when all goes well. We remember God long enough to blame Him. As humans, we tend to be more interested in throwing someone under the bus, than in recognizing the skill and sacrifice of the bus’ driver. When we have a more personal relationship with the driver, such as on a school bus, that all changes! There are hundreds of children and parents in Manhattan who love and trust “Miss Becky” (B.F. not B.B.) because they know her.
How can we as the Church remind each other what God had done, and is doing?
We can try to avoid the earthly trap of desiring or demanding earthly praise from others for what we do for this church, for The Church, or for humanity. If all our gifts and resources come from God, shouldn’t He get the praise and recognition? Why did Moses not get to enter the promised land of milk and honey? Because, he too forgot where the credit lay. The praise we seek should be: “Well done good and faithful servant”. But man, is that hard; we all want to feel good now! We have to first believe deep down in eternity, to trust in God’s judgment, and to recognize that the enemy sometimes works through false but alluring praise.
Where have we substituted God for golden calves?
We “worship” things we can see, touch, and relate to: the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the cross, the church building, the American flag, etc. We tend to sub-consciously sanctify objects in our own hearts and minds; memorializing the saints that went before us, and remembering golden times by making mental associations and connections to our past and families. Assuming God values what we value.
While God was giving Moses the code for how we should relate to Him and to each other, we were busy making our own portable user friendly god that we could touch and see, something shiny and expensive so that all people could see how powerful and great we are; the chosen few. Religion getting in the way of relationship.
How do we free ourselves?
We don’t! God’s grace forgave Aaron for surrendering his leadership obligations, and for being weak by allowing himself to be manipulated and used by his flock to make the calf. God’s grace forgives us all for confusing Him with His creation, for choosing form over function, for looking inward, outward, backward and downward instead of upward and forward. Our eyes guide our bodies. Where do we look; do we look off into the distance of hope, or are we distracted by the shiny things?
my car, my house, my ipod, my TV, my bad habits are all my golden calves. anything that distracts me, that occupies my minutes - keeping me busy and completely away from God. my calves assuage my emptiness...
I love shiny things.
Who brought them out? I never questioned that God did, through Moses. Aaron was just saying what the people wanted to hear (politician?) to prevent mutiny / chaos. The people were afraid, there was a percieved vacuum of leadership. It seemed the people needed to "worship" something, anything. (sports, idols, material stuff?)
I think the Egypt / Wilderness is an interesting thing to ponder / apply to our lives. I feel I'm in some sort of in-between wilderness with no clear direction, and I'm impatient. What does God have in store for me??? I'm doubting Thomas (reminds me of an awesome song by Nickel Creek) I need clear proof before I move. Spirit of fear.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
I'm focusing on this bad economy and my empty bank account, I've already ripped off my gold earrings and melted them down.
now what?
Speaking of who brought us out, this hymn is stuck in my head..
He brought me out of the (deep) miry clay, he set my feet on the (solid) rock to stay, he puts a song in my (happy)heart today. a song of praise, hallelujah.
When I have a problem, that focuses my attention. I can't pray fast enough! "Help," I implore God. But, when it's all good here... I tend to get distracted by all that "good" earthly STUFF.
When we're comfortable, it's easy to drift along farther away from God. When we're in need, well, it's much easier to admit that we are not in charge.
When God does something TREMENDOUS like bringing us out of slavery or sending his son to die to reconcile us to Him, it's so overwhelming that it's hard to comprehend. Maybe that's why the people in the desert were confused about who brought them out of Egypt--technically Moses led them, but God put Moses there and directed the whole thing with Moses as the tool of His hand. I don't know about you, but when I feel God's touch directly in my life--even a light touch in a little matter--it's mind-blowing, and overwhelming.
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