Exodus 32:1-35 Study Guide: The Golden Calf
Community Group Study Guide — The Golden Calf
Exodus 32:1-35
Study Information:
It can be a spiritual challenge to wait on God. In those seasons our faith can be stretched and we can be susceptible to doubt, temptation and sin. In the narrative of the golden calf, we read about the people of Israel’s inclination towards disbelief; indeed God described them as a “stiff-necked” people meaning they were stubborn and set in their ways. The people of Israel had seen God move powerfully over and over again in their redemption and provision in the wilderness, but in this text they struggled to trust God. They were alone and leaderless. There was no timeline for Moses’s return from the mountain, in fact he had been gone longer than expected and possibly thought that God had struck out against him. Lest we forget the recent context of Exodus, they had also recently fought a military battle against the Amalekites who were still close by. What do they do in the face of all this uncertainty? Well…, they mobbed up on Aaron to make them an image a god to worship.
When you find yourself in seasons of waiting without a clear understanding of what comes next, do you feel your faith get stretched? How do you battle doubt, temptation and sin during those times?
The Creation of the Golden Calf
Exodus 32:1-6
The first thing Israel did was mob up against Aaron. The text implies that this was a forceful intimidation as they gathered together and commanded Aaron to act in the face of Moses’s absence. Their concern was real, “we do not know what became of Moses,” but their command was not “make us gods who shall go before us… (Exodus 32:1).” This was a reversal of what God said in the creation story, “let us make man (Genesis 1:27-28),” and what God previous said about himself going before his people to deliver them (Exodus 20:2). Paul described this sinful impulse to trade the worship of God for the worship of a created image in Romans 1:22.
Next, Aaron gave into the angry mob and had them take off the gold rings they had presumably what they received when they plundered Egypt. Rather than using that wealth for the tabernacle or for provision in the wilderness, they use it on their sinful idols. Notice they name their idol “Yahweh” which was God’s personal name revealed in Exodus 3 (Exodus 32:5). This idol was also crafted with great care, which is something Aaron lied about later on (Exodus 32:24). Moreover, it matched the look of the gods of Egypt and Canaan as it was crafted into the shape of a bull. Both the Canaanite and Egyptians had bull gods who were tied to the idols of sex, pleasure and prosperity and so when they “sat down eat, drink and rose up to play” we should read that with a sexual connotation to it (Exodus 32:6).
Finally, to make things even worse they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to this new idol. The last two study guides focused in on burnt offerings and peace offerings. In Exodus 24, they sacrificed burnt offerings for sin and peace offerings for fellowship to Yahweh and in the consecration of the priests those very same offerings were used to set aside Aaron and his sons as holy.
This is not a “mistake” this is a grievous sin and God responds with the severity this sin requires.
Moses’s three appeals
Exodus 32:7-14
God and Moses were on the mountain when this took place and we get a window into their conversation and response to this sin. Notice first that the language God used with Moses was interesting, almost putting the responsibility on Moses for what took place; “for the people you brought up have corrupted themselves (Exodus 32:7).” Keep that in mind as we look at Moses’s three appeals, as he reminds God that God delivered them. Also notice the use of the word “turn” in the passage (Exodus 32:8, 12, 15). The people turned from God, Moses asks God to turn from his anger and finally Moses turns and went down the mountain to confront the people.
God offered Moses to wipe out the evil and stiff necked people and start over with Moses. In this exchange we see God elevate Moses to the role of intercessor, he brought Moses into conversation with God’s will and allowed Moses to become a mediator of wrath and justice against sin. God did not have to bring Moses into this discussion, he could have shown mercy or justice as he pleased, yet he had a plan for Moses here.
Moses’s three appeals to God leaned heavily on God’s covenantal commitment to Israel. First, Moses reminded God of his own redeeming actions and relationship with the people (Exodus 32:11). Second, Moses asked God to consider his own name and what the nations would think of God if he killed off his people (Exodus 32:12). Finally, Moses told God to remember his covenant with Abraham (Exodus 32:13). In all three appeals, Moses told God of his own faithfulness and steadfast love and basically asked God, “did you really mean what you promised?” We know that God does not go back on his word, he does not change and none of this surprised God. Yet, God condescended to Moses to lift him up in his leadership role as intercessor for the people.
Judgment and Intercession
Exodus 32:15-35
Moses confronted Aaron and the people for their sin. When he saw firsthand what transpired he threw down the tablets in anger and melted down the idol and forced the people to drink down the gold. This can seem like an overreaction to us, but let’s consider the heaviness of the sin of the people. Scholars point out that the drinking of the idol was a way to make clear that they accepted their role in their rebellion. Their previous drunkenness and sexual idolatry was clear in having to drink down their idol. Also, notice how Aaron minimized his role in the sin by saying the idol just popped out when previously we read it was crafted with great care (Exodus 32:24). Moses called the people who had a righteous indignation onto his side, the Levites, who then put the sword to the people involved in the idolatry. This may seem like a random killing, but the Hebrew text indicated that it wasn’t random and rather an execution of the ringleaders totaling 3,000 people. Finally God responded with a page on the people because of the calf that “Aaron made.”
In Moses and God’s response to the golden calf we see the need for judgment and grace. God judged their sin and showed them grace by not blotting them out. God also continued to move forward with them as his people. Moses was confident that this was not the end and promised to make atonement for them as he went up the mountain again to get another set of tablets with God’s law (Exodus 32:30). Yet, we see the need for judgment as those who led the people against God and stirred up this sin were executed. Surprisingly Aaron received mercy, which may point to him being coerced or forced into this sinful act.
These passages remind us of God’s divine jealousy and that we have for a greater intercessor in Jesus. We can all be like Aaron and downplay our sin, but we all fall short of the glory of God and commit sin and under judgment without the grace of Jesus Christ. Rather than going down a mountain, God the Son came down from heaven to be the substitute and atonement we needed on the cross. This passage is an invitation and a reminder of the grace we have in Jesus and that we are to flee from idolatry, confess our sin and turn to Christ.
At your community group:
Take 15-20 minutes to share about how God has been at work in your life, prayer concerns and pray for one another.
How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week?
Discussion Questions:
Read Exodus 32:1-35
How do the people fall into idolatry and minimize their sin?
Why do you think the people call the golden calf, “the LORD” (which is the Hebrew word for God’s name Yahweh)? Look at Exodus 32:5-6.
How did God bring Moses into the response to Israel’s sin? Moses becomes an intercessor in many other passages too. How does Moses foreshadow Jesus?
In seasons of waiting on God, we can be prone to doubt, distrust, temptation and sin. What are some ways you’ve minimized sin or have been tempted to worship Idols? What are some good practices to stay close to God in those seasons of waiting?
