[Golden] Calf Down the River!

I live by a philosophy that taking in a lot of Old Testament with the New Testament is a good thing. Years ago, at a Lamb concert, I remember one of them (Coghill or Chernoff, I can’t remember who) comparing the Bible to a cake. He said the New Testament is the icing on the cake, but you’re expected to eat the cake (i.e. the Old Testament) under the icing as well. And there’s a whole lot more cake than icing!

Anyway...

That brings me to this one passage in Deuteronomy:

And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.
Deuteronomy 9:21

After the Israelites had sinned against the Lord with the golden calf, Moses was angry and broke the original Ten Commandments tablets in their sight. He also took direct action with the object of their sin, the golden calf. In the first account, in the book of Exodus, we read, “And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.” (Ex. 32:20 ASV)

Now, this verse taken all on its own, may sound weird or even mean. I have seen old woodcut illustrations of this scene, with Moses pouring the dust of the golden calf into a pool of water and the disobedient Israelites surrounding it and being forced to drink this now gold dust-polluted water. And that would almost be a death sentence right there, because gold dust is poisonous to the human body. Or at best, these Israelites would have gotten very sick.

Well, after all, they deserved it! They had just sinned a great sin, one that virtually broke God’s heart so much, He was thinking of destroying them all and starting the redemption process for a Messianic line all over. “Leave me alone,” He said to Moses, like a wounded lover.

However, now that I read this line in Deuteronomy there is a different angle to think through, a different reason, perhaps.

First of all, there’s this water source to consider...

Where did it come from? This verse says it flowed from the mountain, Mount Horeb, or Sinai as we know it. Was it always there? Actually, in Exodus 17, there was water provided for the people from a rock at the base of Horeb early on in their desert journey, before the giving of the Ten Commandments. The elders of Israel went with Moses all the way to the base of Horeb and struck a rock there and the water flowed out from there to the camp of the people. This first camp for Israel must have been within sight of Horeb, so it wasn’t a far journey to get there.

So, anyway, the water that flowed from Sinai was from some kind of spring or stream. It was not standing water. Now what happens when something as “small as dust” lands in water running downstream—and the downstream speed needn’t even be very fast? You’re right! That stuff will flow out of sight within seconds. By the time the Israelites got down to lap up water from the stream, they would only be drinking fresh water flowing from the mouth of the rock, the source of the stream. In my mind, no dust from that Calf would have been left swirling at that spot.

An Object Lesson

So what was Moses’ reason for casting the dust of the Golden Calf into the water, and then making the Israelites drink from the stream? After all, if it was just to give them a time of refreshment, they could’ve gotten a drink at any time.

I believe Moses (or God via Moses) was trying to teach the people something very important: and that was a very big part of the whole idea of forgiveness. This event was a teaching opportunity, or object lesson, to show the Israelites that they needed to receive God’s provision for their forgiveness.

You see, their “sin,” as Moses called the Golden Calf, he ground down to powder, so that there would be no visible remembrance of that thing left for them. Are we keeping any “remnants” of our old sins around to give nostalgia or “take us back” to those events or practices? God is saying, here in His Word, to get rid of that. Another way to put this: Is our repentance complete? Have we renounced all known sin? Have we left anything around in our hearts in reserve, just in case this thing with Jesus doesn’t pan out, or just to keep a “little something” for ourselves? Is there something in our lives we know God is not happy seeing still hanging around?

Then Moses threw that dust into the stream so that it would flow away from the Israelite camp forever. You see, we need that kind of spiritual water that will wash our sins downstream, never to return! And what do you think that “water” is?

Here are a few possibilities:

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 4:14

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:38

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesian 5:26

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
I Corinthians 10:4

Love is the Key

God, whose primary disposition is love, aims more at reconciling us to himself than to see that we suffer for our sin and rebellion. But our part is to acknowledge our sin with true repentance, and come to his source of forgiveness, which is through his Son, Jesus Christ. His invitation is true and sure:

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Authority

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Matthew 7:28-29

The events on which Matthew focuses in the 8th chapter of his Gospel are many early miracles Jesus performed in his Galilean ministry. He heals a leper, a centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law (who knew?) and many other people afflicted with diseases and demons. (Notice that both sickness and demons are mentioned as being healed or cast out. I think it goes both ways in saying that they are real things that happen to people.)

So Jesus’ power for healing and miracles are the topic here. However, Matthew’s theme that under-girds these accounts is His authority to do these things.

Very many people have power. How many really have authority to exercise it? Having authority implies legitimacy and qualification fit for the position or task. There was something giving legitimacy to what Jesus did, whether teaching or miracle-working. Its true nature came from who He was and where He came from.

The centurion did indeed recognize this authority. From the account Luke gives us of this event, the centurion communicated to Jesus through servants and friends, and apparently, he had thought through everything he would say to Jesus. He understood the implications of Jesus’ authority because he himself was in the middle of an unbreakable chain of command. He knew if he told someone under him something to do, it would get done. His concern and focus was not Jesus’ power, but His authority.

We get more excitement from seeing a demonstration of power. And perhaps as Christians we may put more trust in in God for the benefits of His power, rather than in His authority to reign over our lives.

So, do I submit to Jesus’ authority? The centurion did. He only needed the word, the OK, from Him and he knew that his servant would be healed. What if Jesus says I need to relinquish some area of my life to His authority, because I now see it exposed for what it is? Will I submit? Before, I said that Jesus’ authority also implies He is worthy to exercise it. This makes submission a part of worship as well, ascribing that worthiness to Him which He deserves.

This authority also reaches to our motivation to share and spread the Gospel. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” the ending of Matthew’s Gospel quotes Jesus saying. “Therefore go,” He says. The one thing this command shows us is there is no earthly authority that supersedes Jesus. If any government, PAC or non-profit celebrity-led group says the Gospel is illegal to share or promote, they are going against Christ's authority, and that kind of edict is not legitimate and is usurping God's authority.

If we seek to walk in Jesus’ authority, He will make the way we need to accomplish His call to bring the Gospel to our friends, neighbors and the world. That's at least, what our submission to Jesus should lead us to.

Favorite Preachers

Sometimes we need some help feeding ourselves with the meat of God’s Word. And how we can find some is in reading or listening to good—and hopefully great—preaching. I know we can easily fill ourselves with music (good and worshipful music is really good, too!) and other things. But there is something God can do through the anointed preaching of men, and women, who God has used and is using today to buid up the kingdom.

Who are some of your favorite preachers and teachers? I can quickly think of mine. So here are most of them, in no particular order:

Albert Barnes
Ravi Zacharias
Leonard Ravenhill
John Wesley
Charles Finney
Art Katz
Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
Paris Reidhead
Ireneus
Josh McDowell
Winkey Pratney

Desire for God

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
so pants my soul for You, O God.
Psalm 42:1 NKJV

Here's a thought that came to me in the midst of meditating during my morning commute. This wasn't even any part of my Bible reading for this morning, or last night. I can't even remember how this one came to me at first. But let's say it has overtaken my thoughts today.

This is a simple and short sentence, but it speaks tons. David writes of an urgent and driving desire to be in God's presence. As the deer pants for the water brooks. You know, deer have this insatiable desire for the water they need to drink. When it comes on them, they must get to where the water is, and they don't care what's in their way. They'll jump fences along freeways if they can.

Now being in the presence of God in prayer and worship, and I write about personal prayer and worship, is what God has designed us for. It is the only thing that really fulfills our inner being. When we sincerely seek God in private prayer, God reciprocates, or answers back, with an experience of His presence. That response from God is something we then desire again and again.

Since I work a lot in the marketing realm, I tend to relate to things like commercials. I know that sounds dumb, but it's true. A sign of my upbringing. You know those cereal commercials where the kids basically turn into monsters, or what not, to illustrate how much they "need" or desire those Corn Pops? "I gotta have my Pops!" they say. Or when the Chef Boy-ar-dee can comes around, the kids chase after it with reckless abandon. This is kind of like what David was experiencing. He just had to have his time with God.

After ruling the kingdom for a long day, he just needed to get away and into the presence of God. Do you have some time after your responsibilities are over, so you can do this? Back in my single days, I remember making my closet literally a prayer closet. Making a mat out of some old blanket, getting inside and crouching in the darkness to pour out my heart before the Lord. I knew if someone was looking for me, they wouldn't think of looking there.

At another time, when I had no closet, or similar space, my bed was high enough for me to slide under, clasp my hands over my face and take my time to be with God. Have you ever come out of some time like that, maybe after a solid half hour, or hour, with the sweetness of the presence of God on you? Is this the kind of thing that is greatly lacking in our day? I know I have made many other busy things pull me away from this over the past few years.

One other important thing about this drive for the water the deer have: it occurs every day, and twice a day, in fact. In the early morning and early twilight. And of course, we morning commuters are well aware of this fact.

So, will we nurture this today? If we desire more sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, more fellowship with our Savior, and just being more used of God, we urgently need this.

Immersion in God’s Word

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Deut. 6:4-9

This is the grand introduction to the final exhortation Moses gave the Israelites before they went into the promised land. He gives an impassioned imperative for them to love the Lord God and to keep His commands in sight in every aspect of life.

What strikes me here today is not so much the exhortation to love God, but something we might usually speed over: the call to keep our minds dwelling on God's word.

Our greatest danger is getting distracted, or preoccupied with other things. The pressures of life are very urgent in today's world. Not only that, we have the constant noise of entertainment and marketing all around us. We cannot avoid it; we need to be able to "block" it out, if you will.

I can imagine there were certain distractions in the desert, and more were coming with the new Promised Land before them, ready for planting, harvesting and building. But today, there are manifold more, I think. The marketing and advertising research gurus have estimated we are bombarded with somewhere between two to three thousand marketing messages a day! Imagine that. We need to make sure we get our best message, and the one with the most staying power, from God.

That's why God, through Moses, tells us to keep God's commands in our heart. Why we should make them an important part of our conversations, and keep them before our eyes. I think the practical idea here is for us to keep God's word in the midst of our imagination and most forward thoughts.

So with that in mind, here's some questions for ourselves:

Do we firstly, read the Bible, regularly? A few minutes a day still can keep it available in our minds. Hey, guys! If you think your life is too busy, then put it where you know you can grab it for a few minutes. Yes, that's right; the top of the toilet tank is not unbecoming for a copy of the Bible, if your intention is to make it available, IMO.

Do we memorize verses? We all can memorize phone numbers, passwords and such. We certainly can memorize a verse that God wants us to make a part of our lives. Making God's word available in our hearts allows Him to bring it back to us when we need it.

Do we meditate on God's word? God made a point blank promise that if we make it a habit to meditate on his word we will be successful and prosper in all we do, in God's eyes anyway. And that's what matters.

To follow these points and thus fulfill what the Lord wants us to do here takes effort and time. It need be only a few minutes out of every busy day. But it is our key, or at least it is my key, to staying in victorious fellowship with God.