The Golden Calf

Read Exodus 32:1-6 and consider this question...

Question: In the minds of the Israelites (v. 1) and in the mind of Aaron (v. 4-5), what did the golden calf represent?

Answer: Verse 1 (Elohim), Verse 4 (Elohim), Verse 5 (Jehovah)

Jason Cicero

Ear, Hand and Foot

"Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar." (Exodus 29:20; NKJV)

1. Ear - to hear the word of Jehovah

2. Hand - to do the work of Jehovah

3. Foot - to walk in Jehovah's way

As Christians, we are to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."(Colossians 3:2; NKJV)

Jehovah's Covenant With Israel

3 And Moses went up unto God, and Jehovah called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine:

6 and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Jehovah commanded him.

Exodus 19:3-7; ASV

At Sinai, Jehovah offered the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a bilateral, conditional covenant, contingent on their obedience.

In Christ, Jehovah offers us the same:

16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."

17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."

18 'I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1; NKJV

Jason Cicero

Three Days Later

So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" (Exodus 15:22-24; NKJV)

Three days after the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob experienced the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground, the overthrowing of the Egyptian armies, and the Song of Moses, they "complained."

Complaining does not glorify Jehovah. "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain" (Philippians 2:14-16; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

On to Canaan or Back to Egypt

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto Jehovah. And they said unto Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." (Exodus 14:10-12; ASV).

What the children of Israel had "begun in the Spirit," they were now attempting to be "made perfect in the flesh" (Galatians 3:3; NKJV). They were faced with the dilemma of going back to Egypt in the flesh, or going forth to Canaan in the Spirit. Moses commanded them to do three things.

And Moses said unto the people, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will work for you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Jehovah will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:13-14; ASV).

Fear not. Stand still. See the salvation of Jehovah. Seeing Jehovah fight for us will give us peace and keeping us going forward to the promised land.

Jason Cicero

The Passover and Christ

"Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:13; NKJV)

The Passover is a "type," a historical fact that illustrates a spiritual truth (The Open Bible, p. 2). It is a "figure, representation, or symbol of something to come" (Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary). As you read the rest of GOD'S word watch His eternal purpose unfold and find its fulfillment in the person and the work of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of Jehovah.

"For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." (1 Corinthians 5:7; NKJV)

Jason Cicero