Post by Woody Williams on Sept 4, 2006 7:21:52 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Exodus 32:1-7
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When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the
mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, 'Come,
make gods for us, 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.' Aaron said to them, 'Take off the gold rings that are
on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring
them to me.' So all the people took off the gold rings from their
ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed
it in a mould, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, 'These are
your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made
proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.'
They rose early the next day, and offered burnt-offerings and brought
sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink,
and rose up to revel.
The Lord said to Moses, 'Go down at once! Your people, whom you
brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely.'
Devotional
----------
The people of Israel broke the covenant with God as soon as they were
alone. Moses had gone up to the mountain. They created an idol to
worship. The temptation for those who worship an unseen God is that
they are always tempted to give shape to God. Such a shape becomes an
idol which is the expression of the human imagination. It is
possible for humans to create a religion. It is usually self serving.
The God we know through the Scriptures is a far cry from that.
Prayer
--------------
Keep me from idolatry, O Lord. Amen
----------
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the
mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, 'Come,
make gods for us, 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.' Aaron said to them, 'Take off the gold rings that are
on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring
them to me.' So all the people took off the gold rings from their
ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed
it in a mould, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, 'These are
your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made
proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.'
They rose early the next day, and offered burnt-offerings and brought
sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink,
and rose up to revel.
The Lord said to Moses, 'Go down at once! Your people, whom you
brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely.'
Devotional
----------
The people of Israel broke the covenant with God as soon as they were
alone. Moses had gone up to the mountain. They created an idol to
worship. The temptation for those who worship an unseen God is that
they are always tempted to give shape to God. Such a shape becomes an
idol which is the expression of the human imagination. It is
possible for humans to create a religion. It is usually self serving.
The God we know through the Scriptures is a far cry from that.
Prayer
--------------
Keep me from idolatry, O Lord. Amen