‘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. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” (Exodus 32:1-2)
Aaron is quickly associated with a number of historical events in Israeli history. What are some of the events that you think of when Aaron’s name is mentioned? It could be his going to Pharaoh with Moses to demand the release of Israeli slaves; being the founder of the Priesthood; he and Hur holding up Moses arms in battle; the gold calf incident; etc. What is the one incident with which Aaron is typically identified? It will be the gold calf worship at Sinai (Ex 32) - John L. Kachelman, Jr.
A contemplative analysis of Exodus 32 will reveal that Aaron acted under pressure. Like Aaron, many of us fail God and make the wrong choices when we are under pressure from the Church, family, friends, school mates or work associates. However, the real test of a person’s character comes when the person is in an environment that is very supportive of wrong choices. Many people have behaved in ways that destroyed their future, because of Mob psychology or Herd mentality - where people do things because of the influence of their peers, adopting certain behaviors and following trends that they wouldn’t, if it were left to them alone.
Seneca, the Roman philosopher once said, ‘it is dangerous to attach one's self to the crowd in front, and so long as each one of us is more willing to trust another than to judge for himself, we never show any judgment in the matter of living, but always a blind trust, and a mistake that has been passed on from hand to hand finally involves us and works our destruction. It is the example of other people that is our undoing; let us merely separate ourselves from the crowd…’
Unlike Aaron, Moses’ reaction to this particular situation is an example to every believer. Instead of pleasing the crowd he pleased God and showed spiritual leadership. ‘Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him (Exodus 32:25-26). Moses was able to hold unto his convictions and faith in God when the whole of the nation of Israel was moving in a totally opposite direction. Christians don’t live their lives based upon the feelings of the moment or popular opinion, but by the instruction and guidance of God’s word.
Are you under pressure to make some wrong choices or disobey God? Remember the words of Apostle Paul, "don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you" (Rom 12:2- MSG). Remember, "each of us will give a personal account to God" (Romans 14:12- NLT).
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