What is the story about the golden calf in the Bible?
Biblical narrative When Moses went up into Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:12–18), he left the Israelites for forty days and nights. Moses burnt the golden calf in a fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on water, and forced the Israelites to drink it.
What is the lesson of the golden calf?
The Bible tells us that after the Israelites make the golden calf, God tells Moses to “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.” God doesn’t say my people, but your people.
What did God tell Moses on the mountain?
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.
What is Exodus chapter 32?
When God is furious with the rebellious Israelites, Moses argues on the people’s behalf. He does so on the basis of what God himself had already promised—to deliver Israel from Egypt out of faithfulness to his covenant with Abraham, and to show that he is truly God.
Why did the Israelites worship the golden calf?
It was a symbol of virility and strength associated with the Canaanite god El, and such idolatry would persist into the period of the divided monarchy. King Jeroboam I of the Northern Kingdom of Israel commissioned two golden calves for the sanctuaries of Yahweh in Bethel and Dan, to serve as the Lord’s attendants.
What is the Ark of the Lord?
What is the Ark of the Covenant? The Ark of the Covenant is a gold-plated wooden chest that, in Jewish and Christian tradition, houses the two tablets bearing the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses by God.
How long did Moses stay on the mountain?
40 days
The Bible says Moses made two sojourns here to receive the tablets, spending 40 days on the mountain each time, but we would be up and down in 4 1/2 hours.
Why did Aaron make golden calf?
He ordered the people to collect all the gold in their possession, and used it to create a golden calf for worship. Some scholars believe that Aaron’s golden calf was not meant to displace God, but to make him more tangible to the Israelites, using Canaanite iconography that would become known throughout Israel.
What is Exodus 33 about?
Moses tells the LORD that before leading the people to the promised land, he wants to see God’s ways, so that he may know God and find favor with him. He will cause his goodness to pass before Moses, but he will not let Moses see his face, because nobody can see it and live.