While Moses was speaking with God on Mount Sinai, the Israelites wondered where their leader had gone. It did not take long before they set out to find a new leader, even if only as a stopgap. When they asked Aaron to help them build a golden calf, they broke the very first of the ten commandments Moses would bring down from the mountain.
Even though Aaron's leadership ability fell short of Moses', they asked him to take charge. Why? Perhaps because of the Law of Respect. The people sought out the strongest leader available. They did this because...
- People are like sheep without a shepherd. They need a leader. (Mark 6:34)
- People focus on satisfying short-term needs. They struggle with delayed reward.
- People have trouble remembering their mistakes. They ask more often what the leader has done for them lately.
- People are insecure. They start to worry when there are no signs of hope.
Exodus 32:1-6
The golden calf
1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
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