Story 12: The Golden Calf Exodus 32 Story 12: The Golden Calf Exodus 32 Moses was on the top of Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights meeting with God. While he was there, he received the 10 Commandments and the instructions of how to build the Tabernacle. But while he was away, the Israelite people became impatient in waiting on him. The people came to Aaron and said, “Your brother Moses is the one who led us out of Egypt, but we don’t know what’s happened to him. Come now, make gods for us who will lead us.” So Aaron told the people, “Take off all your gold earrings and bring them to me.” The people did just as Aaron asked. He took the gold from them, melted it down, and formed it into the image of a calf. After he had finished, the people raised their voices and said, “Israel, these are your gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

The LORD told Moses, “Go down to the people at once! Look how quickly they have turned away from me. They have made for themselves a golden calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.’ Now, leave me, so that my anger may burn against them. I will destroy them for their stubbornness and make you into a great nation.”

But Moses begged God, “LORD, please don’t destroy your people. You brought them out of Egypt with your great power and strength. What if the Egyptians hear about it and say, ‘The LORD brought them out of Egypt to destroy them in the wilderness’? LORD, please remember your promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to make them into a nation and to bring them into the Promised Land.” The LORD heard Moses and changed His mind. God chose not to destroy all the people. Moses came halfway down the mountain and met with Joshua who had been waiting for him. Joshua said, “It sounds like there is a war down in the camp below.” Moses replied, “It’s not the sound of a war; it’s the sound of singing.” When Moses reached the bottom of the mountain, he saw the golden calf and the people dancing. He was so angry that he took the stone tablets containing the 10 Commandments and threw them to the ground, smashing them to pieces.

Moses took the golden calf, burned it up, and ground it into powder. Then, he scattered it on the people’s water and made them drink it. Then, Moses turned to Aaron and said, “What did these people do to you? Why did you lead them to do such a terrible thing?” However, Aaron made excuses and blamed the people. They didn’t know what happened to you, Moses. I took the gold that they gave me, threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said, “Anyone who wants to follow the LORD come to me.” Those who were with the Levite tribe ran to Moses. Moses told them to go all throughout the camp and punish those who had disobeyed the LORD’s command. So the Levites carried out Moses’ order. That day about 3,000 of the Israelites died. When they had finished, Moses said to the Levites, “Today, you have been set apart by God. Since you carried out the difficult task of punishing your own people, you have brought a blessing on yourselves.” The next day, Moses told the people, “You have committed a horrible sin. Now, I will go up to the LORD and see if there is anything I can do so that your sins may be removed.” So Moses returned to the LORD on the top of the mountain. He said to the LORD, “These people have committed a terrible sin against you. Please forgive them! But if you will not forgive them, please erase my name from your book.” The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will erase from my book. I will send a plague on the people for what they have done. Now go and lead my people onward.” Later, the LORD told Moses to make two new stone tablets to replace the first ones. So Moses followed the LORD’s command and climbed to the top of Mt. Sinai. The LORD wrote the 10 Commandments on the two new tablets just as He had before. Then, Moses climbed down the mountain and placed them into the Ark of the Covenant. wants to thank American illustrator Jim Pagett and Sweet Publishing for their free distribution of the pictures used in this book.