Loving God, we often get impatient, taking things into our own hands rather than trusting in you.  Continue to teach us how to live by faith, trusting in your love and mercy in all circumstances, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

         The Israelites have experienced quite a few changes since last week when they were observing the first Passover.  They have left Egypt in a hurry, saw Pharaoh’s army pursuing them, and then witnessed a miracle as God divided the waters and led them across the Red Sea.  They have traveled along the other side of the sea, making their way towards Mount Sinai.  Along the way, they have seen water provided for them out of a rock and have eaten bread from heaven and quails.

         Now, however, they are camped near Mount Sinai, and Moses seems to have disappeared.  They haven’t seen God lately, either, although occasionally they have witnessed thunder and lightning around the top of the mountain.  And so, here they are, out in the wilderness, uncertain of what is going to happen next.  They are not content to wait for Moses to reappear and tell them what to do.  They also wonder if maybe God has brought them out and left them there.  And so, they start a project to give themselves something a little more tangible to hang onto.

         While making a golden calf to worship might seem to us like a strange thing to do, idols do have certain advantages.  For one thing, you always know where they are.  They are not about to get up and wander off or to disappear on you.  In fact, you can pick them up and take them with you (RevGalBlogPals.org).  With an idol, you are in charge, and not the other way around.  At the same time, you can also see and touch a golden calf.  There is something tangible there to comfort you, and you don’t need to wonder whether God is really there or not.

         However, the insidious thing about idols is that it is always a false sense of security.  Even though we might think they are permanent and strong, they can always be destroyed.  In fact, when it comes to matters of life and death, they have no real power.  A golden calf isn’t going to save you when you are in danger or feed you when you are hungry.  However, it might distract you from your own anxiety.

         One of the things that set the Israelites apart from all of the other nations is that they were to have no graven images or idols.  They were the only ones who worshiped the invisible God who created heaven and earth.  They were not to turn things around in order to worship and serve “the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25).  When human beings take it upon themselves to make an idol, they (or we) have now become the creators.  We then end up worshiping what we ourselves have made.  In effect, we have put our faith in ourselves rather than in God, which can only have disastrous consequences.

         Moses takes too long, so they make a golden calf to worship.  Samuel takes too long, so King Saul takes matters into his own hands (1 Sam. 13).  People are so eager to have a Messiah that they try to take Jesus and make him king by force (Jn. 6:15).  And even today there are those who think the Second Coming is taking too long and that if they just go and do certain things, they can help bring it about.

         How many times along the way has God considered just starting all over again?  How many times has God been grieved by our failure to trust and to love?  How many times has God watched us exchange the truth for lies in order to pursue gods of our own making?  While many of us would have given up a long time ago, our God’s love and mercy are too strong for that.

         In many ways, our reading today about the golden calf takes our own impatience and puts it right there alongside of God’s patience.  Over and over again, the Israelites rebel against God during their time in the wilderness.  And over and over again, God forgives them, often with Moses interceding for them just like we heard today.  This is not to say, however, that there are no consequences to their rebellion.  They are disciplined at times (as often happens with children), and sometimes they even bring plagues upon themselves.  Yet, God’s underlying love and mercy are always there.

         In the same way, God also allows us to make our own decisions and suffer the consequences.  When we make ourselves sick, there is not always an immediate cure to make us better.  When we put our trust in material things to give us security, we will experience incredible anxiety and loss when those things disappear or are destroyed.  When we break trust with others, heartache and alienation are sure to follow.  And, when we put idols in the place of God, we will eventually find out that they are death-dealing rather than live-giving.

         Yet, for us, too, God’s love never fails.  Whenever we repent and turn back to God, confessing our sins and seeking God’s forgiveness, we are forgiven.  We are forgiven because of Jesus, who gave his life for ours, breaking the power of sin and death.  And so, today we give thanks.

         We give thanks for the salvation that is ours through Jesus.  We give thanks for the goodness of God’s creation.  We give thanks for the fruits of the earth and for all gifts of food and drink.  We give thanks for the Holy Spirit, who can even work through things like the internet.  And, we give thanks for the God who is with us, even in the wilderness, giving us peace through Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Pentecost 19 / Thanksgiving (NL 3)         Exodus 32:1-14

October 11, 2020

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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