Passage of the Day:
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[a] 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.” 2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 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,[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 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, Exodus 32:1-6.
Reflection:
Following the introduction of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, Moses spends the next 11 chapters of the Bible with God on Mount Sinai. During this 40-day period, God shares important details, instructions and a vision of how the Lord wants Israel to approach and worship Yahweh. The longer Moses was gone, the more impatient and restless Israel became. Leadership is tested in the absence of other spiritual leaders. As the elders of Israel questioned whether Moses would return, Aaron demonstrates the opposite of fortitude. Rather than hold off peer pressure to conform, Aaron goes with the flow, doing what’s right in his own eyes.
Prayerful Action:
When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. 21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” – Exodus 32:19-21
Developing Spiritual Guts to Press On:
The apostle Paul devotes an entire portion of a letter to the Church at Corinth to help them learn from the mistake of Israel, 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. Meanwhile, the author of one New Testament book reminds first century Christians that God disciplines those whom He loves, Hebrews 12:4-7. Whether you’re competing, serving or working, sometimes you may quit. Or if you clock out early from work each time that you’re facing adversity, you’re missing out on the opportunity to develop fortitude. May today’s passage help you learn from your mistakes so that courage and guts will be conceived the next time trials come your way, James 1:2-4.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
In the final 2 weeks of September, we’ll examine men and women in the Bible who demonstrated courage, guts and or fortitude. As for today, live and learn from the moments when fortitude was absent and missing from your life.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 