A Coin and Calf

Before our mall was renovated years ago, there was a fountain my children loved.
The fountain was in one of the anchor stores, right between the escalators.
There was a raised platform all around the fountain that could be used as a seat.
Mostly it was temptation for children to climb on, to get a better look.

This fountain was the main attraction for my children.
They each loved throwing coins into the water.
They came back to me for pennies as if I were a gumball machine dispensing candy.
I had to come well stocked since each of them got the same number of pennies.

They thought that they would be rich if they ever collected all the pennies in the fountain.
We laughed about that recently.
I remembered giving out lots of pennies through the years.
My oldest son teased me and said that it probably amounted to less than $10.00.

Some people make wishes as they throw coins into the fountain.
There are songs about such things.
We know better.

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. (Exodus 32:1-6)

Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from the Lord; the two Tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone, inscribed by the finger of God.
(Exodus 31:18)

How quickly the people had forgotten God’s deliverance.
He freed them from the slavery of Egypt.
He parted the Red Sea so that they could cross over on dry ground.

God brought water from the rock so they could quench their thirst in the desert.
He provided manna and quail for them to eat when no food could be found.
How quickly they forget the goodness of God.

Can melted gold jewelry provide deliverance?
Can melted gold jewelry hear their prayers and answer their prayers?
Is melted gold jewelry anything more than melted gold jewelry?

Moses took too long on the mountain and the people were restless.
Aaron should have led the people instead of going along with them.
Aaron, Moses’ brother, should have known better.

How easy it is for us to assess the situation.
How easy it is for us to point the finger and say, how could they?

We would like to think that we would never do such a thing.
We would like to think that our faith is stronger than that.
We would like to think that we have a better memory when it comes to the things of God.
We would like to think…

What if we gathered all the coins in the fountain and melted them down?
What if we built an altar, there between the escalators, and worshiped the god of the age?
Technically, we do just that, every time we worship anything in the place of God.

Is it just because the golden calf was so obvious?
We have our subtle idols and think nothing of them.

What is your golden calf?

We could all fill in the blanks.
We all have an answer to that question.

Our golden calf is anything that is the object of our worship and our devotion.
Our golden calf is anything we elevate above God.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it…When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the  tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. (Exodus 32:7,8,19,20)

What golden calf needs to be removed from your life?
What is taking the place of God in the heart of your worship?
That place belongs to Him alone.

We should know better.