Exodus 32:5
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."
When Aaron saw this
The phrase indicates Aaron's reaction to the people's idolatrous actions. The Hebrew root for "saw" is "ra'ah," which implies not just physical sight but also perception and understanding. Aaron's observation led to a critical decision, reflecting a moment of weakness and compromise. Historically, Aaron's role as a leader is tested here, as he succumbs to the pressure of the people rather than standing firm in faith. This moment serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of leadership that prioritizes human approval over divine command.

he built an altar
The act of building an altar is significant in biblical history, often symbolizing worship and sacrifice. The Hebrew word for "altar" is "mizbeach," which is derived from a root meaning "to slaughter" or "sacrifice." This altar, however, is built before an idol, representing a grave deviation from true worship. Archaeologically, altars were central to ancient Near Eastern religious practices, but this particular altar signifies a distortion of worship, blending pagan practices with the worship of Yahweh, which is strictly forbidden in the commandments given to Israel.

before the calf
The "calf" here refers to the golden calf, an idol made by the Israelites during Moses' absence. The Hebrew word for "calf" is "egel," which denotes a young bull, often associated with strength and fertility in ancient cultures. This idol represents a direct violation of the second commandment, which prohibits the making of graven images. The historical context reveals the Israelites' struggle with idolatry, influenced by Egyptian religious practices they had witnessed during their captivity.

and proclaimed
The act of proclaiming indicates a public declaration or announcement. The Hebrew root "qara" means to call out or announce. Aaron's proclamation is a pivotal moment, as it formalizes the idolatrous act and misleads the people into thinking they are worshiping the LORD. This highlights the power of words and leadership in shaping communal beliefs and actions, serving as a reminder of the responsibility leaders have to guide their followers in truth.

Tomorrow shall be a feast
The declaration of a "feast" suggests a celebration or festival. The Hebrew word "chag" is used for religious festivals, which were meant to honor God. However, this feast is misguided, as it is centered around an idol. The historical context of Israel's feasts was to commemorate God's deliverance and provision, yet this feast distorts that purpose, illustrating how easily true worship can be corrupted when not grounded in God's commandments.

to the LORD
The use of "the LORD" (Yahweh) in this context is particularly striking, as it attempts to syncretize the worship of Yahweh with idolatrous practices. The Hebrew name "Yahweh" is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature. This misuse of God's name in association with idol worship underscores the severity of Israel's sin. Scripturally, it serves as a warning against the blending of true faith with cultural or pagan practices, reminding believers of the importance of purity in worship and devotion to God alone.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Aaron
The brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel. In this passage, he plays a pivotal role in the creation of the golden calf and the subsequent idolatrous worship.

2. The Golden Calf
An idol made by the Israelites while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. It represents a significant act of disobedience and idolatry.

3. Mount Sinai
The mountain where Moses received the Law from God. It is a place of divine revelation and covenant.

4. The Israelites
The people of God who were delivered from Egypt. At this point, they are demonstrating a lack of faith and patience, leading to idolatry.

5. The Feast
Aaron declares a feast to the LORD, which is a misguided attempt to blend the worship of Yahweh with idolatrous practices.
Teaching Points
The Danger of Impatience
The Israelites' impatience led them to idolatry. We must learn to wait on God's timing and trust His plans.

Compromise in Worship
Aaron's attempt to mix true worship with idolatry shows the danger of compromising our faith. True worship requires purity and devotion to God alone.

Leadership Responsibility
Aaron's failure as a leader highlights the importance of strong, godly leadership. Leaders must guide their people in truth and righteousness.

The Deceptiveness of Idolatry
Idolatry can take many forms, not just physical idols. We must guard our hearts against anything that takes the place of God in our lives.

Repentance and Restoration
Despite their sin, God offers forgiveness and restoration. We must be willing to repent and turn back to Him when we fall.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does Aaron's decision to build an altar before the calf reveal about his leadership and understanding of worship?

2. How does the Israelites' impatience reflect our own struggles with waiting on God's timing in our lives?

3. In what ways might we be tempted to compromise our worship of God today, and how can we guard against this?

4. How does the account of the golden calf connect with other instances of idolatry in the Bible, and what lessons can we learn from these connections?

5. What steps can we take to ensure that our hearts remain devoted to God, avoiding modern forms of idolatry?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:3-4
The commandment against idolatry, which the Israelites violate by creating and worshiping the golden calf.

1 Kings 12:28-30
The sin of Jeroboam, who also made golden calves, showing a recurring theme of idolatry in Israel's history.

Romans 1:21-23
Paul discusses humanity's tendency to exchange the glory of God for images, reflecting the Israelites' actions in Exodus 32.
A Disappointing Development of CharacterScientific Illustrations, etcExodus 32:1-6
A Sermon on PlayA. Macleod, D. D.Exodus 32:1-6
Aaron's Flexible DispositionW. M. Taylor, D. D.Exodus 32:1-6
Aaron's SinGeorge Breay, B. A.Exodus 32:1-6
Epicurism Described and DisgracedT. Taylor, D. D.Exodus 32:1-6
IdolatryJ. B. Brown, B. A.Exodus 32:1-6
Lack of Decision of CharacterExodus 32:1-6
Lessons from the Worship of the CalfW. Whale.Exodus 32:1-6
MakeshiftsW. Birch.Exodus 32:1-6
On RecreationT. Taylor, D. D.Exodus 32:1-6
That Most Men have Their Weaknesses, by Which They May be TakenOwen Felltham.Exodus 32:1-6
The Golden CalfE. N. Packard.Exodus 32:1-6
The Golden CalfD. Young Exodus 32:1-6
The Golden Calf of Aaron and the Lamb of GodHomiletic MonthlyExodus 32:1-6
The Right Use of AmusementsT. De Witt Talmage, D. D.Exodus 32:1-6
We Must not be Persuaded to SinExodus 32:1-6
The Sin of the Golden CalfJ. Orr Exodus 32:1-7
People
Aaron, Egyptians, Isaac, Israelites, Joshua, Levi, Levites, Moses
Places
Egypt, Sinai
Topics
Aaron, Altar, Announced, Buildeth, Built, Calf, Calleth, Feast, Festival, Front, Morrow, Proclamation, Public, Saying, Statement, Tomorrow, To-morrow
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 32:5

     5463   proclamations
     7355   feasts and festivals, nature of

Exodus 32:1-5

     5072   Aaron, spokesman

Exodus 32:1-6

     4269   Sinai, Mount

Exodus 32:1-8

     5377   law, Ten Commandments
     8764   forgetting God

Exodus 32:1-10

     7135   Israel, people of God

Exodus 32:2-6

     5811   compromise
     8142   religion

Exodus 32:2-8

     4618   calf

Library
The Golden Calf
'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. 2. 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. 3. And all the people brake off the golden
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Swift Decay of Love
'And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 16. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. 17. 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. 18. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6

Threefold Repentance
'And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2. Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. 4. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall he overthrown. 5. So the people of Ninoveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood
"That My covenant might be with Levi. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared Me, and was afraid before My name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with Me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity."--MAL. ii. 4-6. ISRAEL was meant by God to be a nation of priests. In the first making of the Covenant this was distinctly stipulated. "If ye will obey My voice, and keep My covenant,
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

How those who Use Food Intemperately and those who Use it Sparingly are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 20.) Differently to be admonished are the gluttonous and the abstinent. For superfluity of speech, levity of conduct, and lechery accompany the former; but the latter often the sin of impatience, and often that of pride. For were it not the case that immoderate loquacity carries away the gluttonous, that rich man who is said to have fared sumptuously every day would not burn more sorely than elsewhere in his tongue, saying, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Letter xix (A. D. 1127) to Suger, Abbot of S. Denis
To Suger, Abbot of S. Denis He praises Suger, who had unexpectedly renounced the pride and luxury of the world to give himself to the modest habits of the religious life. He blames severely the clerk who devotes himself rather to the service of princes than that of God. 1. A piece of good news has reached our district; it cannot fail to do great good to whomsoever it shall have come. For who that fear God, hearing what great things He has done for your soul, do not rejoice and wonder at the great
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Seasons of Covenanting.
The duty is never unsuitable. Men have frequently, improperly esteemed the exercise as one that should be had recourse to, only on some great emergency. But as it is sinful to defer religious exercises till affliction, presenting the prospect of death, constrain to attempt them, so it is wrong to imagine, that the pressure of calamity principally should constrain to make solemn vows. The exercise of personal Covenanting should be practised habitually. The patriot is a patriot still; and the covenanter
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Letter xxii (Circa A. D. 1129) to Simon, Abbot of S. Nicholas
To Simon, Abbot of S. Nicholas Bernard consoles him under the persecution of which he is the object. The most pious endeavours do not always have the desired success. What line of conduct ought to be followed towards his inferiors by a prelate who is desirous of stricter discipline. 1. I have learned with much pain by your letter the persecution that you are enduring for the sake of righteousness, and although the consolation given you by Christ in the promise of His kingdom may suffice amply for
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Ninth Sunday after Trinity Carnal Security and Its vices.
Text: 1 Corinthians 10, 6-13. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither 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. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Instruction for the Ignorant:
BEING A SALVE TO CURE THAT GREAT WANT OF KNOWLEDGE, WHICH SO MUCH REIGNS BOTH IN YOUNG AND OLD. PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO THEM IN A PLAIN AND EASY DIALOGUE, FITTED TO THE CAPACITY OF THE WEAKEST. 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'--Hosea 4:6 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This little catechism is upon a plan perfectly new and unique. It was first published as a pocket volume in 1675, and has been republished in every collection of the author's works; and recently in a separate tract.
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

How those are to be Admonished who Decline the Office of Preaching Out of Too Great Humility, and those who Seize on it with Precipitate Haste.
(Admonition 26.) Differently to be admonished are those who, though able to preach worthily, are afraid by reason of excessive humility, and those whom imperfection or age forbids to preach, and yet precipitancy impells. For those who, though able to preach with profit, still shrink back through excessive humility are to be admonished to gather from consideration of a lesser matter how faulty they are in a greater one. For, if they were to hide from their indigent neighbours money which they possessed
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Purity and Peace in the Present Lord
PHILIPPIANS iv. 1-9 Euodia and Syntyche--Conditions to unanimity--Great uses of small occasions--Connexion to the paragraphs--The fortress and the sentinel--A golden chain of truths--Joy in the Lord--Yieldingness--Prayer in everything--Activities of a heart at rest Ver. 1. +So, my brethren beloved and longed for+, missed indeed, at this long distance from you, +my joy and crown+ of victory (stephanos), +thus+, as having such certainties and such aims, with such a Saviour, and looking for such
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies

How those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 23.) Differently to be admonished are those that are at variance and those that are at peace. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. v. 22). He then that has no care to keep peace refuses to bear the fruit of the Spirit. Hence Paul
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Moses the Type of Christ.
"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken."--Deut. xviii. 15. The history of Moses is valuable to Christians, not only as giving us a pattern of fidelity towards God, of great firmness, and great meekness, but also as affording us a type or figure of our Saviour Christ. No prophet arose in Israel like Moses, till Christ came, when the promise in the text was fulfilled--"The Lord thy God," says Moses, "shall
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate,
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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