Calf of Gold.

• 1 min. read • grade level: 12

Made on account of the delay of Moses in the mount. Exo. 32:1¹And 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. (Exodus 32:1).

WAS MADE

Of the ornaments of the women, &c. 32:2, 3.

To represent God. Exo. 32:4, 5⁴And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. ⁵And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. (Exodus 32:4‑5). with Psa. 106:20²⁰Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. (Psalm 106:20).

After an Egyptian model. Acts 7: 39, 41.

To go before the congregation. Exo. 32:1¹And 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. (Exodus 32:1).

Molten in the fire. Exo. 32:4⁴And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (Exodus 32:4). Psa. 106:19¹⁹They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. (Psalm 106:19).

Fashioned with a graven tool. Exo. 32:4⁴And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (Exodus 32:4).

An altar built before. Exo. 32.5.

Sacrifices offered to. Exo. 32:6⁶And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. (Exodus 32:6). Acts 7:41⁴¹And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. (Acts 7:41).

Worshipped with profane revelry. Exo. 32:6, 18, 19, 25⁶And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. (Exodus 32:6)
¹⁸And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. ¹⁹And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. (Exodus 32:18‑19)
²⁵And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) (Exodus 32:25). 1 Cor. 10:7⁷Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. (1 Corinthians 10:7).

MAKING OF

A very great sin. Exo. 32:21, 30, 31²¹And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? (Exodus 32:21)
³⁰And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. ³¹And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. (Exodus 32:30‑31).

A forgetting of God. Psa. 106:21²¹They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; (Psalm 106:21),

A turning aside from the divine command. Exo. 32:8⁸They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (Exodus 32:8). Deu. 9:12, 16.

Excited wrath against Aaron. Deu. 9:20.

Excited wrath against Israel. Exo. 32:10¹⁰Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. (Exodus 32:10). Deu. 9:14, 19.

Caused Moses to break the tables of the testimony. Exo. 32:19¹⁹And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. (Exodus 32:19). Deu. 9:17.

Israel punished for. Exo. 32:26, 29, 35²⁶Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. (Exodus 32:26)
²⁹For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day. (Exodus 32:29)
³⁵And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. (Exodus 32:35).

Moses interceded for those who worshipped. Exo. 32:11-14, 30-34¹¹And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? ¹²Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. ¹³Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. ¹⁴And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. (Exodus 32:11‑14)
³⁰And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. ³¹And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. ³²Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. ³³And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. ³⁴Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. (Exodus 32:30‑34). Deu. 9:18-20.

Destroyed by Moses. Exo. 32:20²⁰And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. (Exodus 32:20). Deu. 9:21.

Punishment of those who worshipped a warning to others. 1 Cor. 10:5-7⁵But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. ⁶Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. ⁷Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. (1 Corinthians 10:5‑7).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Boldness, Holy.

• Bondage, Spiritual.

• Burnt Offering, the.

• Busy-Bodies

• Calf of Gold.

• Calf, the.

• Call of God, the.

• Calves of Jeroboam.

• Character of Saints.

• Character of the Wicked.