There are many Old Testament stories that are instructive for us today. One of those stories is the one we find in Exodus 32.

Let’s take a close look at the chapter and see what we can learn from it.

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. Exodus 32:1

Some Christians today have become tired of waiting for the return of Christ. We have become weary in well doing.

Now what did the people do? How were they dressed? They had started wearing the jewelry that they had been given by the Egyptians when they left Egypt. What the Lord gave them for the use of building His temple they had started using for their own selfish adornment. They didn’t give up some of it for that purpose but when the opportunity to give it to a false god came along they were ready and willing to give.

And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: Exodus 32:2-4

They then denied the God of heaven that had brought them out of bondage and they gave the glory of their deliverance to a god that they had made.

and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 32:4

How many people today are making a god of their own choosing. They fashion God into their idea of what he should be like rather than worship Him as he is. They are not satisfied with who He is so they make their own god.

And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. And 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 32:5-6

Now this was suppose to be a religious service. They were making a day of worship to their god. What were they doing? They were eating, drinking and playing. It is interesting that they had no problem with getting up early for the meeting. They rose up early and began worshipping their god. But what was the result?

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: Exodus 32:7

Here we can see that God rejected them. He called them, "thy people, which thou broughtest". When we reject the true God he rejects us. Their form of worship was not pleasing to God.

They 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. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now 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 32:8-10

Why did God not destroy them at that moment? Not because they were such good people but rather for His mercy’s sake. He valued the on looking world and wanted to reveal His character to them. He didn’t want the rest of the world to think that He was a God who could not save or that was unmerciful.

And 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? Wherefore 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. Remember 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. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. Exodus 32:11-14

The Lord endured long with these people. Though they did eventually die in the wilderness of Sin because of their insubordination God dealt patiently with them. These people never saw the promised land. How many of today's Christian community will never see heaven because they have rejected the Lord?

And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And 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. Exodus 32:17-18

Notice here that the noise was great. It sounded to Joshua like the sound of war but it was the "noise of them that sing". Have you ever heard religious music that sounded like the noise of fighting? Have you heard Christian music that was loud and angry sounding? This music was being sung to a false god. It isn’t what is being sung to the true God.

And 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

This religious church service had dancing. Did it please God? No! Did it please God’s prophet? No!

And 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

Their god was powerless to help them. Their god was ground to powder.

And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, 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. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. Exodus 32:21-24

Aaron then began to justify himself with a lie. He lead the people into wickedness and then rather than confess his error and repent he makes up a story about this idol making itself. It couldn’t save itself when Moses crushed it.

And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Exodus 32:25

Notice here that one thing that happened is the people took of their clothes. They lost their sense of modesty. Have we seen a loss of modesty in the Christian community today? I think so. What do we see in churches today? Mini skirts, loud music, dancing, feasting, playing and a false god that has been created in our image that is powerless to save.

Then 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

Are you on the Lord’s side, friend? Will you stand for God.

For 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

Praise the Lord we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. He, like Moses did, is pleading for us. He wants us to turn to God and do His will and be saved.