Augustine also associated the calf cult with the worship of the devil, and the jews who had drunk the water into which the powder of the golden calf had been cast with the body of the devil ibid. Aaron and the golden calf in the rhetoric of the pentateuch jstor. Moreover, the judgment which was inflicted numbers 12. Mar 16, 2018 the bible story of the golden calf is very revealing of human nature and the tendency of people to stray away from devotion to god. But exodus 32 is also a commentary on gods grace, patience and sovereignty.
The story of the golden calf, the greatest scandal of the wilderness period, is recalled in. Israels works nearly condemned the nation to obliteration. Once it was formed, aaron called for a feast and the people offered burnt offerings, feasted, and then rose up to play. As for this moses who brought us up out of the land of egypt, we do not know what has happened to him. Aaron says after melting down the peoples jewelry and coins to make the calf.
The bible story of the golden calf is very revealing of human nature and the tendency of people to stray away from devotion to god. It is a reasonable conjecture that aaron thought to prevent the projected idolatry by this requirement. But he does, and collects golden earrings, melts them down, and fashions them into a golden idol shaped like a calf. Read exodus 32 commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. Exodus 32 commentary spurgeons verse expositions of the bible. Aaron took their gold belongings and fashioned them into a molten calf, and the. Do you think aaron intended for us to believe that god or some other deity created this golden calf. The incident with chur was very revealing and i feel very humble and enriched for reading this because gds love for his people is beyond our comprehension. His identity remains unclear in the torah itself, but it is elaborated in rabbinical commentary other individuals named hur are also mentioned in the bible.
In fact, partly because of what aaron says after melting down the peoples jewelry and coins to make the calf tomorrow will be a feast to yahweh 32. However, it is a rather unique chiasm because it not only conveys individual thoughts in individual verses, but it. Aaron complies which is surprising given that he has been involved in the exodus since the beginning, supporting moses. Aaron s response, in verses 2224, is to blame the israelites and not take responsibility for his part in the golden calf episode. The story of the golden calf, the greatest scandal of the wilderness period, is recalled in deuteronomy 9.
Aaron was set apart by the divine appointment to the office of the priesthood. In the pentateuch, the contrast between legal or instructional material, on the. Do aarons actions seem to be a natural byproduct of a tense situation. Jan 12, 2015 aaron, instead of refusing the request of the people, makes an idol, in the shape of a calf, out of the gold earrings that they had received from the egyptians. Images of bulls and calves were common in near eastern religions. Working preacher is a ministry brought to you by luther seminary. Many times, god uses the least likely to accomplish tasks for his glory. After aaron made the golden calf, his life included many. It shows how even the righteous could felt but find forgiveness. And when the people saw that moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto aaron, and said unto him, up, make us gods, which shall go before us, for as for this moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of egypt, we wot not what is become of him. At this point, seeing the chaos of pagan worship running rampant among the israelites, moses asks all those who are for the lord to come to him. When the people do so, aaron melts them down and makes a golden calf.
Exodus 32 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. According to the sages, the sin offering that aaron was required to bring during the dedication ceremony of the tabernacle leviticus 9. Exodus 32 commentary matthew henrys concise commentary on. Study guide for exodus 32 by david guzik blue letter bible. Now when the people saw that moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to aaron, and said to him, come, make us gods that shall go before us. Aaron called the people together and told them that the golden calf was the god who delivered them from egypt. Exodus 32 bible commentary matthew henry concise christianity. Study the bible online using commentary on exodus 32 and more. They confront aaron, who has been left in charge, and. Then the israelites have a big party, and worship the golden calf. Commentary on exodus 32 golden calf tough questions answered.
Exodus 32 commentary spurgeons verse expositions of the. The golden calf 1 now when the people saw that moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around aaron and said, come, make us gods who will go before us. Oct 09, 2011 aaron s blunders are a bit more subtle. Jan 02, 2020 aaron called the people together and told them that the golden calf was the god who delivered them from egypt.
At his request, the people give up all their golden jewelry. The sin of israel, and of aaron particularly, in making the golden calf for a god, and worshipping it v. His identity remains unclear in the torah itself, but it is elaborated in rabbinical commentary. This is called the book of the covenant and it includes the ten commandments and.
I had always wondered why aaron had so readily fashioned the golden calf and assumed moses had smashed the tablets in anger, but this teaching has been a revelation. The people offered sacrifices and then engaged in pagan rituals, including orgies exodus 32. If not, i pray, blot me out of your book which you have written. Aaron and the golden calf in the rhetoric of the pentateuch. I dont think the people were dumb enough to think that yaweh didnt exist and that a golden calf led them out of egypt. After the golden calf was made, aaron even went further. Instead, god refuses to remove moses from the book of life, but. In addition, aaron builds an altar in front of the golden calf and then.
In addition, in exodus the people are punished for the golden calf, but in deuteronomy they suffer no punishment at all. Exodus 32 niv the golden calf when the people saw bible. Illustrations of the golden calf story usually include him as wellmost notably in nicolas poussins the adoration of the golden calf ca. A detailed analysis of this portion of scripture with its literalhistoricalpictorial significance. How aaron made a golden calf and what became of it from hurlbuts bible stories for children the bible story of golden calf this golden calf bible story was written in simple words by jesse lyman hurlbut and taken from hurlbuts bible stories for children which was published in 1904. It is worth adding that nowhere does the torah use the phrase golden calf. The golden calf, the idol made by aaron, exodus 32. Similarly, the work of nadabs and abihus hands included offering profane fire leviticus 10.
The episode concerning aaron and the golden calf see exodus 3234 comes as quite a shock. The lesson of the golden calf protecting against the enemy from within. It was bad enough to have a golden calf the people praised for their escape from egypt. Focusing on this latter difference, why doesnt deuteronomy portray god punishing israel. The israelites demanded that aaron make them an idol, a golden calf, in rebellion against the will of god, during the forty days that moses was absent. What should we learn from the golden calf incident in. The working preacher team believes that god uses good biblical preaching to change lives. Why was aaron not punished for making the golden calf. Aaron also endured the loss of two of his adult sons in a judgment from god. Marvelous lessons are to be drawn out of this most famous of passages. Aaron, instead of refusing the request of the people, makes an idol, in the shape of a calf, out of the gold earrings that they had received from the egyptians.
Aaron produced the shape of an ox or calf, giving it some finish with a graving tool. The meaning of the golden calf israel institute of. Exodus 32 new international version niv the golden calf. When aaron built a golden calf for the israelites to worship in exodus 32, severe judgment came upon the people. It is unlikely that aaron intended the calf to represent another deity, since he proclaimed a festival in. We have enlisted hundreds of friends biblical scholars, theologians, homileticians and pastors dedicated to the craft of biblical preaching to provide you timely, compelling and trustworthy content. The golden calf and when the people saw that moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto aaron, and said unto him, up, make us gods, which shall go before us. What should we learn from the golden calf incident in exodus. Jan 02, 2020 first, one could make a strong case that aaron was punished for making the golden calf. This makes it very evident why the commandments were needed as people.
Then the israelites have a big party, and worship the. It hardly seems fair that he should escape punishmenthe was the one who made the idol, after allwhile others were judged. Finally, some artists interested in validating later priesthoods have painted the ordination of aaron and his sons leviticus 8. In other words, if we only had the book of deuteronomy, the story would be known as the molten calf story, not the golden calf story, since we would not have any reason to think it was made out of gold.
But its not the way the story of the golden calf describes idolatry. Sep 11, 2016 a detailed analysis of this portion of scripture with its literalhistoricalpictorial significance. He aaron took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. So aaron does, he fashions an idol of gold made from the earrings of the people and in the image a calf, like one of the egyptian gods. By worshiping the golden calf, the jews had revealed their foolish, stubborn, unrepentant, and immoral character ibid. God isnt displaced or replaced with the image of the golden calf. And miriam miriam seems to be first named, because she was the first mover of the sedition. He builds an altar before the calf, and proclaims a feast to jehovah. It is ironic that while moses was on mount sinai, receiving the ten commandments from god, the israelites were breaking the very first commandment thou shall not have any gods. Bible stories for christian young children and toddlers.
Exodus 32 is a sad commentary on the jews, who made and worshiped a golden calf after betraying god, who had freed them from slavery in egypt. Book of exodus, session 8 the golden calf exodus 32 34. Starting with verse 1 of this chapter, a chiasm begins which will span every verse until exodus 34. Not having the courage to meet the demand of the people with a direct negative, he may have aimed at diverting them from their purpose by requiring a sacrifice which they would be unwilling to make, viz. For example, deuteronomy describes god as angry at aaron for his involvement in fashioning the calf 9.
English bible life of moses the golden calf, the idol made by aaron, exodus 32. Aaron, the man who led the israelites astray to worship a golden calf, was the very man god chose to lead israel in worship of the lord. This giddy multitude were weary of waiting for the return of moses. With the golden calf narrative, preachers have an opportunity to explore with their. The lord must be waited for till he comes, and waited for though he tarry. Look what aaron says in verse 5, tomorrow shall be a festival to the lord. Exodus 32 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this one volume concise commentary provides a condensed look at nearly every verse in the bible. And aaron said to them, break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of.
No matter how he tried to pass it off, he deliberately fashioned an idol out of gold, something he had to work at. Exodus 32 relates that the israelites, anxious about moses prolonged absence, demanded that aaron provide a god to lead them. The golden calf 32 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 a who will go before us. Even its position in the scripture record adds to the sense of disbelief as the narrative could be entirely removed without disturbing the flow, with exodus 31 merging almost seamlessly into exodus chapter 35. While moses was in the mount, receiving the law from god, the people made a tumultuous address to aaron. Having set up an image before them, and so changed the truth of god into a lie, their sacrifices were abomination. Deuteronomy with permission of the jewish publication society. At the foot of mount sinai the israelites lose faith in moses and ask aaron to fashion a golden calf. Do aaron s actions seem to be a natural byproduct of a tense situation. Book of exodus, session 8 the golden calf exodus 3234 with moses on top of the mountain for forty days and forty nights to receive the inscribed tablets of the ten commandments and the instructions for the building of the tabernacle, the israelites get restless. This book has to make some sense, and i dont think that its trying to teach a. In particular, the golden calf was a work of aaron s hands exodus 32. Exodus 32 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole.
Commentary on exodus 32 golden calf tough questions. The sin of israel, and of aaron particularly, in making the golden calf for a god v. In addition, aaron builds an altar in front of the golden calf and then announces a festival will be held to make offerings to the calf. It seems the people who worshiped the idol did not repent, while others did not worship like them, including aaron. David guzik commentary on exodus 32, where the israelites sin against god by.
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