Out of the Melting Pot
Between the Waters: Part 4
October 5, 2025
The people saw that Moses was taking a long time to come down from the mountain. They gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come on! Make us gods who can lead us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t have a clue what has happened to him.”
Aaron said to them, “All right, take out the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So, all the people took out the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. He collected them and tied them up in a cloth. Then he made a metal image of a bull calf, and the people declared, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
~ Exodus 32:1-4 (CEB)
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What are we willing to give up for a sense of security?
Moses had been on the mountain for quite some time, amid the fire and smoke, and the people panicked.
If Moses didn’t return, or if this God who led them through the Red Sea changed his mind, they were in trouble. So, they cried out, “Make us gods who can lead us.” They couldn’t turn back to the gods of Egypt, and they barely knew this new God who only goes by “I AM.” They wanted protection and security on their terms.
We like to think we only have one God, but the truth is that we have as many, if not more, gods today than they did in the Ancient Near East. They don’t have names like Baal, El, or Astarte, but we still make tremendous sacrifices upon their altars. We bow to the gods of money, technology, sports, entertainment, fame, political power, image & appearance, relationships, national security, guns, comfort, news media, and the list goes on.
Howard Snyder offers a few questions to help us examen what might be serving as an idol in our own lives:
How much time, devotion & unquestioned loyalty do I give this “diversion”?
Am I willing to question or evaluate my loyalty?
What public symbols or displays show my devotion (social media, clothing, flags etc.)?
How does the time, money and energy I spend compare to the intensity of attention to God?
How does it affect my values, attitudes and behavior toward others?
The people of Israel poured all their gold into the melting pot, and as Aaron said, “out came this bull calf,” as if by magic (Exodus 32:24). That’s the thing about idols: they consume everything we have. They shift our priorities and our core values. They capture our constant attention. They keep us fixated on them above all else.
We are out of control, and we are literally killing ourselves and each other at the whims of our idols. These idols are merely tools of the rich and powerful, keeping us enslaved.
They cannot save us. They do not bring freedom; they blind us to what is good and true.
Lord, have mercy. Set us free.
What is one idol in my life that keeps me from God’s freedom?