Moses went up the mountain to meet with God to receive from God the Ten Commandments, along with other instructions for how the Israelites, as God’s people, should live. Bear in mind that this was just three months from the time they had left slavery in Egypt. They had seen God convince Pharaoh to let them go, the parting of the Red Sea, water and manna, the defeat of the Amalekites and now, at Mount Sinai, the amazing spectacle of smoke, fire, and earthquakes as God had descended on the mountain. The account of God’s instructions can be found in Exodus 19-32.

But while Moses communed with God, not all was well at the foot of the mountain where the Israelites were camped. Exodus 32:1-6. 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, 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.

This is an amazing turn of events, especially as Moses is with God at the top of the mountain where the first commandment He gave was, “You shall have no other gods before me,” as the Israelites were doing that very thing.

Why is it that we have a need to create other gods and place them before the true God? Yes, we do this too. We chase after money, jobs, success, our toys, our addictions, and all sorts of things that supplant our primary relationship with the true God. In our country, materialism has become the predominant God. As if meaning can be found in stuff. It would be laughable if it were not so common and if we didn’t also get caught up in it. Whatever we place ultimate importance in becomes a God. It can be a relationship, a bank account, a job, a hobby, or any other person or thing that we elevate in our lives above the true God.

If you want to know what your gods are, pay attention to what you pay attention to. To what you count as most important in your life. Those are your gods. The insanity of all this is that the gods we create cannot give life or meaning or significance. Only the true God can do that.

If you read Exodus 32 you will see that the day did not end well for the people of Israel. Many died in God’s judgment on them for their disobedience. Our lives are diminished by our false gods and enhanced by the one true God.

Father, help me not to have any other gods before you. It is so easy to do and it diminishes my life. Give me discernment to know when I am elevating something above you. You are my one true God. Amen.

If you are reading through the book of Exodus during this Exodus series, read chapters 22 and 23 for tomorrow.