41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made.
It is amazing that we are willing to rejoice in the things we do ourselves, but so often unwilling to rejoice in the things God has done. As Stephen retells the story of Israel’s rebellion shortly after the miraculous deliverance from Egypt he points out how shallow their trust was in the God who delivered them. In fact, they know very little about the God of Deliverance. They know so little that they are willing to make a casting of a calf and pretend it is the god who brought them out. They are so shallow in their faith that they must have a visible symbol right in front of them. The funny thing is that while they are making this idol, Moses is meeting with God on the top of the mountain. The mountaintop is covered with clouds and the people are fearful of even touching the mountain’s base. If they would just lift up their eyes they could see God’s hand at work, but they would rather go with what is familiar. So they revert to the representations of gods that they saw in Egypt. Their minds miss what is happening on the mountain. They get stuck in the past. They are willing to be fools in front of something they have made. We as a culture are willing to cheer at fireworks shows and circus trapeze acts, but unwilling to cheer at the beauty of a cloud formation or the changing of a human heart. We celebrate the insignificant and miss the eternal. My wife and I were driving yesterday and saw the most beautiful cloud formations. They were the most spectacular clouds I had seen all summer. My breath was taken away as I observed their beauty. And yet I realized we were some of the only people to notice their beauty. Others were too busy watching their DVD’s on their TV screens conveniently hung at three locations in their vehicles. They were zooming through traffic so as to avoid spending time together. They were so obsessed with getting to their destination that they missed the journey. Notice the journey today, your journey with people and your journey with the Lord. It will enrich your life in ways you can’t imagine. Lift up your eyes and see God at work.
The Arnold Journey 