S) "20 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."
Exodus 32:20 (NASB)
O) Moses took a little longer than expected, to return from the mountain top with the Ten Commandments. The impatient people had Aaron make them an idol to worship, which he willingly did by melting down their golden earrings and fashioning a calf (see v.4), despite claiming it was some kind of accidental outcome (see v.24). In the meantime, God was ready to destroy His people and start a new nation from Moses, but the man of God went down the mountain to make things right on their behalf. The above verse is a picture of repentance (albeit a sort of forced repentance). There is no real biblical explanation for why the Israelites were made to drink the gold they had made into an idol. Maybe to prove its worthlessness, maybe to so it would eventually be eliminated from the body as literally and symbolically unclean. What is clear, however, is that this action was irreversible. It was not possible for them to take this gold and make it something new. It was not possible to go back and reclaim this gold. There was no fence-walking or wavering.
A) Sometimes, a drastic problem requires a drastic solution. I have been there. I try not to lead a life of extreme behaviors, but sometimes (especially as it pertains to sin), there is a level of seriousness that is completely justified. There are sometimes stigmas about drastic behaviors (or at least, behaviors that people view as extreme), but I cannot let the opinions of others, or how they will perceive me, affect what I know is right. Jesus described that it's better for a person to enter eternal life while missing a hand, than for them to enter into eternal death with both hands in tact - if the hand causes a sin, cut it off (see Matthew 18:8). While its certainly possible that Jesus was speaking in hyperbole, what we see here in Exodus gives me pause. Now, the other issue was that Exodus story does predate the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon God's people. Because of the Spirit within me, I have the power in Christ Jesus to walk in the righteousness to which I am called. However, a severe repentance seems like it is always justifiable. I would rather throw away my cell phone, get rid of my TV, stop reading the newspaper, talking to specific people - I'd rather take all of these drastic measures than to continue in sin because of them. Sin and repentance are serious business, and should be treated as such.
P) Father, You are holy, and You call me to holiness. You didn't simply call me to an impossible standard, but You also enabled and empowered me to reach that standard. In Jesus Christ, in Your grace, You provided a way for me to live how You require me to live. Forgive me for my sinfulness, and thank You for Your mercy and grace. Give me the courage to be drastic with my repentance, regardless of how it might be viewed. I want to glorify Your name, not concern myself with how others might react to my repentance. Be glorified in my life, Father God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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