There are people who wonder in all sincerity how it was possible that the nation of Israel fell into such deep sin as to make themselves a golden calf. Yet, it is not so strange at all. For most of us also make ourselves ‘golden calves’...
When Moses - the only one in real communion with God - had been absent for forty days, people became restless: they wanted a god, now, to guide them! After they had brought great sacrifices, they made a beautiful statue and when it was ready, they said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt!’ (Exodus 32:4b).
Whether one says this to a beautiful golden calf or to the Christian doctrine… it is all idol-worship. Indeed, even the Bible has often become an abominable idol, for the Bible is not God, but the God of the Bible is Lord!
Israel had sinned gravely and rightly God wanted to destroy them, but Moses stood up for them. ‘But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book You have written’ (Exodus 32:32).
Are there still such priests among us, who pray for forgiveness for other people’s sins? Priests who are willing to lay down their lives for just that?
The camp had become too sinful to meet God there. So Moses pitched a tent outside the camp, some distance away, to meet God there on behalf of the nation of Israel. What a priestly heart! There - in the tent, away from the camp - Moses could plead with God, face to face, for the people in the camp.
How badly does our deteriorating Christianity need such pitchers of tents.