Acts 7:1-51 / 40-43 – They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’ 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made. 42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: “‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel? 43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile’ beyond Babylon.
“They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’” The Jews fought, resisted and rebelled against God even as He was rescuing them from the cruel slavery they had been under. This verse is recounting Exodus 32:1. Sure Aaron should not have given in, but he was not just asked, they demanded him to make the golden idol. In the contemptuous remarks of the people concerning Moses it is easy to understand their remarks as a reply to Aaron who called for them wait for Moses to return. In stating “this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt” we see them calling Moses “this fellow” instead of prophet, or deliverer, or man of God. Moses was in front of God on their behalf while the people were calling him “this fellow.” It was an open disregard for Moses who was given by God to lead them out of slavery. This group would rather stay where they don’t belong than to seek out the promise of God to Abraham for them to inhabit the Promised Land. This was showing open contempt to Moses and to God, even to their own Abraham.
They said they don’t even know what happened to Moses and where he is. This was a lie. They had been told and they knew that Moses was with God to receive God’s message to them. They just didn’t want to wait. They didn’t want to obey. They wanted it their own way and not God’s way. Yes, they rebelled with great contempt against Moses, but also great contempt against God. This in spite of the great signs from God through Moses, they turned from God. Or perhaps many of them never had never turned to God?
“That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.” The Israelites turned against Moses and so turned against the will of God. What then? Man was created to fellowship with God and even now it is an innate desire to obey and worship God. It is true that it is impossible for man to cause himself to walk with God due to our fallen nature, but it is through Jesus our Savior that we can. Then, God gave them Moses to lead them in the ways of following God and that way would ultimately lead them to Jesus their Savior, but they rejected Him, they fought the call of God to come to Him. So when one rejects the truth to satisfy the call of God, but the call of God still pulses within, what next? If one rejects the truth they turn to lies. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 “and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” See also how Paul describes people who know God exists, who know who He is, how despite what they know they turn to what they want, and so deceive themselves. Romans 1:21-23 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.” Romans 1:28 further states “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” Family, all people know that God is. They are born with the knowledge and the proof surrounds them. Rejecting God, rejecting the one true God is a forced act of the human will. But no-one can fully rid themselves of the call of God and so idols are made to replace Him and to hopefully appease this call that is within. Idol making is man calling himself God. Man creates gods in his own image (or of his own imagination), or religions (not from God), again to create God. They force from their minds that God created man and not vice-a-versa. All idolatry is a rejection of God to please one’s own God, themselves.
“42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: “‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel? 43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile’ beyond Babylon.” All these are idols. Some idols are manmade and some idols are creations of God embraced as divine. It really doesn’t matter whether one bows to a manmade image, or a false religion (all religions but Christianity) because there is only on Truth and all the rest are a lie.
Amos 5:25-27 is a clear reference to these verses. As we read these verses and Stephen’s statements we see that, these rebellious people, even in their punishment of wandering through the wilderness did not repent. They continued to make and worship idols and false religions. How incredibly stubborn! Yet and again, let us see ourselves in them. The day is coming that even in the midst of the Great Tribulation the hearts of people will remain hard, not repent, and cling to the idols of their minds (Revelation 16:8-11). Men have not changed. Some will submit to God. Others will demand that God submit to their will. They will not repent and they will refuse to let God save them. Family, they live amongst us and we are called to love and pray for them so that the name of Jesus will be honored. Let’s pray for the lost and for each other. It is the will of God. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.