When the people arrived at sinai, moses summoned the elders of the people and told them that god was establishing his covenant with israel. The book of exodus, then, told the story of the golden calf in language that evoked jeroboams action, further magnifying what he did by turning it into a reenactment of that primordial sin. How we were all blinded by the golden calf financial times. The story of the golden calf is told twice in the torah. Even in our time the image continues to hold power. 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 before me. The golden calf the narrative of the golden calf in exodus 32 and the events that followed this incident happened at a critical time in the relationship between god and israel. The story of the golden calf is widely regarded as one of the most disgraceful moments in jewish history. In this study, we are going to study the golden calf exod. Instructions for the construction of gods sanctuary and holy items exodus chapters 25 to 31 the golden calf exodus chapter 32 moses further meetings with god exodus chapters 33 and 34 contributions for the sanctuary exodus chapters 35 and 36 the construction of the sanctuary and the holy items exodus chapters 36 to 39. Verse 6 says, the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Exodus 32 the golden calf when the people saw bible gateway. Golden calf of exodus and the tie to revelation 17 blogger. When moses speaks to god, he offers to have his name removed from the book book of life god has written, along with the rest of the israelites, even though moses did not sin.
Jul 22, 2016 in this study, we are going to study the golden calf exod. This is thy god, o israel, which brought thee up out of the land of egypt. As for this fellow moses who brought us up out of egypt, we dont know what has happened to him. Read the full story of the golden calf in scripture text below and find articles, videos and audio sermons relating to this inspiring story. The story of the golden calf is found in exodus 32.
Exodus 32 1 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 who will go before us. What was the golden calf all about in the book of exodus. In egypt, whence according to the exodus narrative the hebrews had recently come, the apis bull was a comparable object of worship, which some believe the hebrews were reviving in the wilderness. When you worship another god other than the one true god, then god burned with anger and sworn to visit their sin upon them. Exodus 32, told through the voice of the omniscient narrator, is the version that is read in synagogue in the aforementioned days. The account of the ancient israelites rebelling against god and worshipping the golden calf is a story that many people are familiar with, but as i was reading i thought to myself, why did the israelites decide. Chapters 2531 give instructions about the tabernacle, chapters 3234 recount the problem of the golden calf, and chapters 3540 return to the topic of the tabernacle. As long as it has a head, body, 2 ears, and four legs, it is a calf. In exodus 32 moses returns from talking with the lord on the mountain and finds that the israelites have turned to sinful actions. The book of exodus recounts that some of moses followers rebelled after he was on mount sinai longer than expected. With moses on top of the mountain for forty days and forty nights to receive the inscribed tablets of.
Commentary on exodus 32 golden calf tough questions. God informs moses of their apostasy and threatens to kill them all, but relents when moses pleads for them. May 17, 2014 have student draw a calf with black crayon. Israels works nearly condemned the nation to obliteration. 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. Nicolas poussin, the adoration of the golden calf the account in the book of exodus that describes how the israelites made and worshiped the golden calf does leave us with the impression, at least at first, that only men were killed in punishment. Exodus is the second book of the pentateuch, and it continues the narrative of how the nation of israel came to be. The people offered sacrifices and then engaged in pagan rituals, including orgies exodus 32. No matter how he tried to pass it off, he deliberately fashioned an idol out of gold, something he had to work at. This analysis has significant implications for understanding the story of the golden calf in the book of exodus.
But then a new pharaoh comes to power, and he starts enslaving the israelites. 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. Reading the golden calves of sinai and northern israel in. The levites side with moses and kill three thousand of the other israelites. Exodus 32 niv bible when the people saw that moses was so. The golden calf, old testament seminary student study guide 2002, 5455.
In exodus, chapters 32, the a mere 40 days after receiving the torah, the jewish people created an idol torah tells how three months after leaving egypt, and a mere 40 days after receiving the torah at mount sinai, the jewish people created an idol and worshipped it. Alternatively it could be said that there is no golden calf story in the j source, and if it is correct that the jeroboam story was the original as stated by friedman, then it is unlikely that the golden calf events as described in exodus occurred at all. The story of the golden calf is literarily and literally in the middle of gods torah on tabernacle, and, within that context, the problem becomes even more serious. While moses is with god, aaron makes a golden calf, which the people worship. Were any women killed for worshiping the golden calf. Playdoh, grey and brown construction paper, scissors, markers, index cards with books of the bible on them lesson opening get the kids attention as you use the playdoh to fashion some type. A relief from asia minor shows two individuals worshiping at an altar before a bull. Similarly, the work of nadabs and abihus hands included offering profane fire leviticus 10.
Oct 17, 2016 the israelites start worshiping the golden calf instead of waiting for moses instructions from god. The people having been punished for their disobedienceboth. The goal of this piece is to highlight some of the more striking differences. What should we learn from the golden calf incident in. Exodus 32 niv the golden calf when the people saw bible. The story of the golden calf, the greatest scandal of the wilderness period, is recalled in deuteronomy 9. It can become in any age and time the safe gods we choose instead of the lord the god of israel that exodus presents us with. The golden calf i book of exodus i animated childrens. The golden calf what does this story mean and how does it apply to my life. What sort of pagan revelry did the israelites indulge in. Didnt they contribute their gold to make the image and engage in the same behavior as the men. Mentioned in exodus 32 and i kings 12 in the old testament, worship of the golden calf is seen as a supreme act of.
So moses tells some of the men to take their swords. Feb 08, 2015 but israel rebels by making an idol of the golden calf, which is just a really bad idea. But if you will not, then blot me out of the book that you have written. Some of the israelites made sacrifices on the altar. What sort of pagan revelry did the israelites indulge in exodus 32. The israelites are right where we left them in genesis, hanging out in egypt and multiplying. Golden calf scripture do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on the earth or in the waters. The story youre thinking about is the story of the golden calf, recorded in the book of exodus, chapter 32.
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. The golden calf i book of exodus i animated childrens bible. Aaron called the people together and told them that the golden calf was the god who delivered them from egypt. Paper plate golden calf craft for the ten commandments thou shalt not make for yourself a graven image exodus. Archeologists unearth golden calf in israel the new. Exodus 32 new international version niv the golden calf. The children of israel had been in bondage in egypt for over two hundred years.
Book of exodus, session 8 the golden calf exodus 32 34. The golden calf is an animated childrens bible story about how the people of israel strayed from following the ten commandments. Apparently believing that moses died or gone missing, they pressured aaron into creating a golden calf to worship as a representation of god. The golden calf, old testament seminary student study guide 2002, 5455 exodus 24 tells how moses went up mount sinai and communed with the lord for forty days. In particular, the golden calf was a work of aarons hands exodus 32. While reading in the book of exodus recently, i came upon exodus 32, the golden calf. What should we learn from the golden calf incident in exodus 32.
Where sin is great, gods grace is greater supplies. The golden calf was just going to be the base of a throne, to which pagan deities would be. In exodus, chapters 32, thea mere 40 days after receiving the torah, the jewish people created an idol torah tells how three months after leaving egypt, and a. The book of exodus is the second book of the bible and describes the exodus. 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. Draw a box under the calf like he is standing on it. Exodus 32, new international version niv the bible app.
Golden calf, idol worshipped by the hebrews during the period of the exodus from egypt. What should we learn from the golden calf incident in exodus. Commentary on exodus 32 golden calf january 12, 2015 bill pratt leave a comment. As students answer questions from the story, allow them to pull down one puzzle piece at a time, to take down the golden calf idol. God called moses, the deliverer, and told him that he had heard their cries and was about to deliver them exodus 3. Exodus 32 revised standard version catholic edition rsvce the golden calf. Exodus 3334 the story of the golden calf continues in exodus 34, with the making of a new set of tablets and a second trip up the mountain for moses, complete with the fortydayandnight stay but without any calf this time. The golden calf 1 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. Golden calf time image in book of exodus slideshow.
The account in the book of exodus that describes how the israelites made and worshiped the golden calf does leave us with the impression. Moses was on sinai receiving the law from god, and the people grew concerned that he was not coming back down. The incidents related in this chapter disclose a state of popular sentiment and feeling. In exodus, chapters 32, the a mere 40 days after receiving the torah, the jewish people created an idol torah tells how three months after leaving egypt, and a mere 40 days after receiving the torah at mount sinai, the jewish people created an idol and. But israel rebels by making an idol of the golden calf, which is just a really bad idea. Whoever has sinned against me i will blot out of my book. Behind the pages of this index are a rich library of printable resources for your childrens church. But exodus 32 is also a commentary on gods grace, patience and sovereignty.
The book picks up in egypt at josephs death, then carries us through the story of the israelites oppression in and removal from egypt. The people sat to eat and drink and they rose up to licentious behavior exodus 32. Images of bulls and calves were common in near eastern religions. A lot goes down in exodus, so lets break it down into five sections. According to this theory, the story of aarons golden calf originated as a legend about the origin of one of jeroboams calves, and originally described its manufacture approvingly, comparable to the account in exodus about how the people contributed raw materials with which bezalel and his staff fashioned the ark and cherubs and the rest of the tabernacle, following designs provided by god exodus 2527, 3539. According to the bible, the golden calf was an idol made by the israelites when moses went up to mount sinai. Moses consequently received the revelations found in exodus 2531. Golden calf, idol worshipped by the hebrews during the period of the exodus from egypt in the th century bc and during the age of jeroboam i, king of israel, in the 10th century bc. A third link between the two episodes is that both involved eating and drinking in an extremely impious fashion, as the torah recounts, they arose early the next day and offered up elevation offerings and they brought peace offerings to the golden calf. This page will help you prepare your sunday school lessons and childrens church lessons from the book of exodus.
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. Exodus 32 commentary commentary critical and explanatory. Exodus 32why did the israelites worship the golden calf. The golden calf is believed to have been the central object of worship for the canaanites for 1,000 years or longer. The golden calf sunday school lesson exodus 32 ministry. The golden calf worship site doubting thomas research. Exodus chapter 32 kjv king james version god must have been talking about the golden calf idolatry. But that is not what is written in the book of exodus. Books of kings, two books of the hebrew bible or the protestant old.
1296 1641 48 20 12 768 1559 480 1030 1110 558 41 1559 966 858 698 594 133 339 22 355 196 1393 85 8 428 509 1624 810 778 153 887 1583 1379 1532 1430 1430 286 1109 927 1427 475 306 1092