Thematic Bible: Calf of gold


Thematic Bible



So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Verse ConceptsGluttonyFellowship OfferingFeastingAmusementsBurnt offeringPagansSittingRising EarlyRecreationRevelrySitting In FellowshipThose Who Rose EarlyEating And DrinkingFood Offered To IdolsEarly RisingRoses

Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies— Verse ConceptsAmusementsdisgraceShameDegradationPeople Stripping PeopleShame Of Bad Conductvulnerability


But he said, "It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear." It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain.

On the next day Moses said to the people, "You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. "But now, if You will, forgive their sin--and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!" read more.
The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. "But go now, lead the people where I told you Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin."

Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? "Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" read more.
So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

"I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger. "For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the LORD was wrathful against you in order to destroy you, but the LORD listened to me that time also. "The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him; so I also prayed for Aaron at the same time.

Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Verse ConceptsGod Will Be AngryIsrael Hardened

Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’ Verse ConceptsOblivionGod Might Kill His People

For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the Lord was wrathful against you in order to destroy you, but the Lord listened to me that time also. Verse ConceptsDispleasureGod Might Kill His PeopleGod Will Be AngryThose Frightened Of God

They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” Verse ConceptsBowingRenunciationWhat Is Not GodBringing Israel Out Of EgyptOthers Bringing Israel Out Of EgyptWork Soon DoneWorshipping Material Things

And I saw that you had indeed sinned against the Lord your God. You had made for yourselves a molten calf; you had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. Verse ConceptsGolden CalvesGod's People Sinning

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made a molten image for themselves.’ Verse ConceptsConversion, God's demands forSin, Nature OfMan Going Down


I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands and smashed them before your eyes. Verse ConceptsSplitting RocksTwo Stone Tablets

He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it. Verse ConceptsRepulsive FoodBurning Idolatrous ThingsWaters DividedGrandmothers

I took your sinful thing, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that came down from the mountain. Verse ConceptsCrushingGrindingDestruction Of Satan's WorksBurning Idolatrous Things

Then the Lord smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made. Verse ConceptsAaron, Life EventsCalf worshipAngels as agents of judgmentRetributionAnger Of God, Examples OfGod Harmed Them

then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. He said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.'" So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. read more.
Then Moses said, "Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD--for every man has been against his son and against his brother--in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today."

Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” Verse ConceptsAaron, Sins OfThe Saints, Without OffenceWhat Do They Do?

On the next day Moses said to the people, "You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves.

He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Verse ConceptsAaron, Life EventsArts And Crafts, Types ofMaterialism, As An Aspect Of SinSculptureToolsIdolsWorldly Pleasures, Nature OfProclaimingGolden CalvesWhat Is Not GodBringing Israel Out Of EgyptOthers Bringing Israel Out Of Egypt

They made a calf in Horeb
And worshiped a molten image.

So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Verse ConceptsGluttonyFellowship OfferingFeastingAmusementsBurnt offeringPagansSittingRising EarlyRecreationRevelrySitting In FellowshipThose Who Rose EarlyEating And DrinkingFood Offered To IdolsEarly RisingRoses

At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. Verse ConceptsCalf worshipCalvesIdolatry Consists OfGolden CalvesRejoicing In Evil

Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, Verse ConceptsConversion, God's demands forReturning to the oldDesires Of The Heart

At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. Verse ConceptsCalf worshipCalvesIdolatry Consists OfGolden CalvesRejoicing In Evil

Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY."

The Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him; so I also prayed for Aaron at the same time. Verse ConceptsAaron, Life EventsGod Might Kill His PeoplePraying For SinnersGod Angry With Individuals

Aaron said to them, "Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."

They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Verse ConceptsGoadsdoubt, results ofImpatienceMonotonyAaron, Sins OfAaron, CharacterGod Going BeforePeople Who DelayedBringing Israel Out Of EgyptOthers Bringing Israel Out Of EgyptWaiting For God's Timingcats

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Verse ConceptsGoadsdoubt, results ofImpatienceMonotonyAaron, Sins OfAaron, CharacterGod Going BeforePeople Who DelayedBringing Israel Out Of EgyptOthers Bringing Israel Out Of EgyptWaiting For God's Timingcats

He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Verse ConceptsAaron, Life EventsArts And Crafts, Types ofMaterialism, As An Aspect Of SinSculptureToolsIdolsWorldly Pleasures, Nature OfProclaimingGolden CalvesWhat Is Not GodBringing Israel Out Of EgyptOthers Bringing Israel Out Of Egypt

Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” Verse ConceptsProclamationsMan's Action TomorrowBuilding AltarsFestivals Observed