Christ's Character

“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." So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” Exodus 32:1-6

This was a violation of the first three commands that the people heard in person, not long before and which Moses was bringing down from the mountain carved in stone.

I want to draw your attention to this sentence “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.”

About five hundred years later Jereboam did the same thing.

“After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 1 Kings 12:28

No one could deny the Exodus from Egypt. Many miracles happened during this time. People couldn’t say it did not happen. They could and did attribute the miracle to golden calves. In the second instance every single king in Israel for two hundred more years worshipped these golden calves.

It is the same today. People have not been successful in denying Jesus so they change his character or attribute his work to something that is false. And people follow the lies eagerly.

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Roots by the River

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