“All the LORD commands us, we will do.” I’ve heard people say it’s easy to obey God. Maybe they don’t realize how easy it is to think they’re obeying God, while they’re really obeying their own insights and personal revelations.
True obedience begins with true worship. “You shall have no other gods before me” is not just about 
graven images to some fertility deity, or even a well-meant stand-in for Yahweh when he seems to be occupied elsewhere. It’s also about bowing down before your own ideas about him; casting him in your image, rather than the reverse.
Aaron’s intentions might actually have been good, or what we would consider “good.” Maybe he knew better, but was trying to keep the situation from getting out of hand. But guess what? The situation got out of hand anyway. Before judging him too harshly, I need to think about myself. With all the advantages of insight and knowledge I have (which Aaron and the primitive Israelites did not) how many times have I failed to worship the true God?
Click here for the printable download of this week’s challenge:
(This is a continuation of a series of posts about the “whole story” of the Bible. I plan to run one every week, on Tuesdays, with a printable PDF. The printable includes a brief 2-3 paragraph introduction, Bible passages to read, a key verse, 5-7 thought/discussion questions, and 2-3 activities for the kids. Here’s the Overview of the entire Bible series.)
Previous: Week 11: The People – Sinai
Next: Week 13: The People – Tabernacle
meeting with God on Mt. Sinai. Did you know it was the same mountain? Moses has become the mediator of a covenant, and now the people are called to a covenant ceremony similar to Abraham’s in Genesis chapter 15–but bigger. Much bigger.