Golden Calf Syndrome
Exodus 32:8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’
Psalm 106:20 They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
When we look at the Israelites, we likely wonder to ourselves, “How on earth could they have turned from God to chase after idols?” “For goodness sake, He traveled with them as a cloud of protection during the day and a pillar of fire at night?! Didn’t they see Him part the Sea?” Yet, they did turn away, and fast. While Moses was on Mt Sinai meeting with God and getting the tablets with the 10 commandments, the Israelites got restless and decided to take matters into their own hands. Despite the fact that they had experienced the very glory of God...they exchanged their loyalty to Him for the image of a calf they made themselves. To add to the offense, the gold was likely from the jewelry that the Egyptians lavished on them as they fled from Pharaoh- a promise from God that He would ensure they were well-supplied when they departed. They used His blessings to curse Him.
The Israelites took their eyes off of God and allowed other things to grab their attention. They fell into idol worship and deceived themselves into believing it would bring blessing, satisfaction and fulfillment. And they encouraged one another in the wrong direction, men, women and children. And no one had the integrity to take a stand for the Lord.
~Pause~
Now, remember trying to correct our kids when they were little? Maybe we took their little face in our hands to hold their attention, yet their eyes darted to the very things we were trying to pull them from. We could hold their head, but we couldn’t control their eyes. The lure of those things was strong.
~Back to the Israelites~
We look at their act of disobedience and think we would never be so ignorant as to bow to a golden calf. Why would someone make something themselves and then worship it?. Oh, friends, our golden calf may not be made out of jewelry, but it may bear a brand, a hood ornament, a name or an account number- all things that we worked for and ‘made’. The golden calves of the 21st century are just as enticing and just as dangerous. The Enemy lures us, teases us with ‘good things’ and we begin a short sprint that turns into a marathon of pursuing things rather than Jesus. And those surrounding us will likely cheer us on to the pursuit of emptiness, because they, too, are deceived. Our eyes become so distracted by what’s around us that we lose sight of the Savior. The lure of this world is strong.
Here’s the thing, the Israelites didn’t just make an idol. No, they had quite a few heart conditions that led to their decision. They were::
Impatient- they wanted what they wanted immediately
Selfish- they expected God to fulfill their needs and wants on their terms
Rebellious- they refused to submit to the leadership God put in place for them
Ungrateful- they grumbled against God and His provision and plan
Arrogant- they put themselves above God and His will for them
The list could go on. God wanted all of them, yet they were too busy looking around and pursuing lesser gods which they mistakenly believed would fulfill them. They left their first love.
Friends, we need to seriously pray for our sons and daughters to be immune to ‘golden calf syndrome’. As the days grow darker, the allure of this world will grow stronger. We must pray that they will not get distracted by things…even good things, and put them first, valuing them and loving them more than they love God. We need to pray that our sons and daughters would always keep their eyes on the Lord and wouldn’t look away. Pray that they will fan the flame of their first love and worship Him only. Pray that they will take a stand even when others are celebrating and chasing the idols.
Pray without ceasing.