punishment

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Moses is angry with the people about their idolatry and he's also angry with Aaron. We read earlier how it was Aaron who made the calf, but today he wants Moses to belief that it just came out of the fire. He puts the blame on the people, rather than taking responsibility as a leader. The bloodshed in this passage is disturbing, and is certainly not a good model for solving religious disputes. What we can learn from it is the danger of putting other commitments before God. When we go astray from God, the idol isn't as obvious as a golden calf, but idolatry is still a constant threat.

God bless,
Sam

Exodus 32:21-29

21Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?” 22And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are bent on evil. 23They said to me, ‘Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off’; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”


25When Moses saw that the people were running wild (for Aaron had let them run wild, to the derision of their enemies), 26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27He said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.’“ 28The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day. 29Moses said, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day.”