NAVIGATING THE STORMS OF LIFE

"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered round 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 (your) gold earrings... and bring them to me." So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took them and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf... Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."
Exodus 32:1-4

Reflecting on this verse, it is obvious that the Israelite people were a group in distress. Perhaps these feelings were warranted; after all, their leader had apparently disappeared and they were alone in the wilderness! One must remember, however, that these people had been on an extraordinary journey.

The Israelites had been living in Egypt for over four hundred years. When Moses appeared, the people had seemingly forgotten the promise of their homeland and now lived in compliant slavery to the Pharaoh. Through a miraculous process of plagues and death, Pharaoh was eventually convinced to grant the people their freedom (Exodus 4-13). Rallying the troops, Moses convinced the group that their destiny awaited them in another land. The Israelites agreed and set out on their journey.

The road to freedom was not an easy one. Not long after declaring their freedom, Pharaoh changed his mind and hunted down the group. Facing near death, God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, allowing them safe passage from Pharaoh's army (Chapter 14). Some time later, they came near to the point of starvation only to be delivered again by God's provision of heavenly manna (Ch.16). Another problem for the sojourners was finding drinking water. On one occasion they discovered some but found it to be bitter. God's command was for Moses to throw a piece of wood into its midst. The result? The once bitter beverage became wonderfully sweet (15:22-26). In another instance, three days had passed without them having a drink. For his next act, God had Moses strike a rock; a rock which subsequently gushed water forth like a punctured fire hydrant (17:1-7). Later, the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites. Predictably, God delivered them from the crisis (17::8-15). Finally, only moments before Moses would ascend Mt. Sinai, the Israelites witnessed for themselves God's awesome glory. His presence descended upon the mountain, causing it to shake and roar and the people trembled with fear (Chapter 19). Not only had they experienced God's providential faithfulness but they had now truly tasted his very presence!

These people witnessed the intervention of God in such a way as perhaps had never been seen in history before! And all of it in just a few short months! Despite his miraculous acts of faithfulness, his people reached a point where they doubted him, and switched their faith and allegiance to a golden calf!

We may find it ridiculous that anyone could replace a slave freeing, all providing God with an idol cast in the form of a calf! While the Israelites were foolish in their actions, is it not true that we not struggle with the same problem? When we are in distress we are prone not to calf worship, but to an idolatry of a different kind! The tendency for many of us is that when the going gets tough, we look within ourselves to make it through. You see, it is one thing to trust God when times are good but it is an entirely different matter when the tide turns. Our culture is not prone to bowing before images of stone but what we are prone to ignoring God and relying on our own devices. This however, is doing the same thing to God that he endured from the Israelites; He's being shut out! God proved to the people of Israel in the past and continues to show his church today that he is totally faithful. Therefore, let us trust him today; especially if we face difficult times!

What a remarkable turn of events! Here we see the wandering Israelites, delivered from the clutches of Pharaoh crying out as if their God had never helped them. Their leader, Moses, had been up Mount Sinai for forty days and the people were forgetting who it was that had led them out of slavery. Indeed, Moses was the shepherd but could they ignore the miracles they had witnessed God perform in their midst?