Aaron instructs them to take their ear rings and jewelry and he melts them down and fashions a golden calf. The people gather around it and acclaim it as their god.
In this story, it is very easy to see the false god. In this story, it is quickly understood that the golden calf has no divine power or divine compassion for the people. It is merely a god fashioned by the people, to serve their own purposes.
This story needs to instruct us. There are lessons here to be learned.
First, we readily see the golden calf as a false god. Is it as easy to identify that which has become a false god in our lives or in our world? We have them; they do exist. Do we recognize them? Notice them? Label them for what they are?
Second, the difficulties in spotting false gods may be related to the way in which they are fashioned. We make them in accordance with our own desires and wishes. In a false god, we are free to mold that god to the shapes and forms we would prefer. A god crafted by our own hands is less likely to identify those parts of our lives which are in need of repentance.
I encourage you to read Exodus 32. And I ask you to spend some time identifying the false gods around you.
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