Passover Tidbit No. 8

Passover and The Golden Calf

The celebration of the Pesach has many facets and traditions.  An unusual selection is the account of the golden calf.  While we traditionally do not include this dubious and unfortunate event in the Seder celebration, I think it does contain several messages for us.  

The Pesach Magid, or storyteller, would set stage from chapter 19 of the Book of Shemoth (Exodus). "The first day of the third month after the children left Egypt".  Some may argue the exact number of days but in any case it was not long after the children left Egypt.  It was a short time after they had seen the mighty miracles of YHVH done in Egypt on their behalf, after the death angel had passed over, and even fewer days since YHVH had parted the Red Sea and dispatched the Egyptian army. It was on this day, that YHVH called Moshe up to the mountain to meet with Him

Shemoth Chapters 20 through 32 cover the instructions YHVH gave to Moshe, which Moshe passed on the children, a worthwhile read.  Several times we read that the children said "we will do everything Yahuah has commanded: we will obey".  

Based on this agreement Moshe was to go up to the mountain and meet with YHVH personally.  Moshe was gone for 40 days and 40 nights, or the number of tribulation typically sent by YHVH to work something big out.  Upon his return Moshe found the children worshipping a golden calf, an idol it would seem.  You remember the account; Moshe threw down the tables of stone and rebuked the children.

In something less than 40 days the children had decided that Moshe was never going to return, "As for this Moshe we know not what happened to him".  They knew he was with YHVH, they could see the smoke on the mountain, and hear the thundering’s, did they think YHVH could not keep him?  Was he somehow in danger?  Was YHVH not going to share with His children all He had only just promised He would?  

Look, to be clear, the children were not going after other gods, they were doing the only thing they ever knew, and making a representation of their god as a golden calf.  Ahron built an altar of un-hewn stones to worship YHVH and the children were feasting in His honor.  They were worshipping the right guy, but in the wrong way.  They had just 40 days previous promised to obey YHVH, which included not making idols.  As we read the rest of the account we see the anger of Yahuha with these people, and how many perished.  They all, but for the intervention of Moshe, were to be wiped out at the Hand of YHVH so great was His anger.

One of the first and most obvious lessons is that YHVH will only be worshipped the way He asks.  He will not accept worship the way we may want to worship Him.  It did not work for Kah’-yin (Cain), Aw-sawv” (Esau), Nim-rode’ or others, and was not going to work here.   Personally, I think that means meeting Him on the day He ordained, the 14th day of Nisan, rather than the first Sunday after the first Friday after the vernal equinox or whenever Easter happens every year, the correct day is important to YHVH and should be important to us.

Among the instructions YHVH had given the people were to obey the Feasts, keep the Sabbath, and not worship graven images or idols.  Not difficult, complicated, or hard to understand instructions. They were to tear down the Ashtaroth’s and high places of other gods, not to inter-marry people who worshipped different gods, and generally to remain pure and uncompromisingly committed to Him alone, both in mind and actions.  A bit more difficult perhaps but still pretty simple all in all.

Many centuries later both the TaNaKh and the Second Testament would be given chapter numbers, and in an apparent amazing coincidence, (just kidding) this section about the golden calf became chapter 32.  In the TaNaKh, as with most Hebrew books, page numbers, or in this case chapter numbers, are written as letters because each Hebrew letter also has a numerical meaning.  32 is LB lamed bet לנ, which is also the word for heart.  Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 29:13 writes  Wherefore Yahuah said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:  This was repeated later by Matthew, Mark, John, and Y’shua, and appears perhaps a dozen times in Scripture.

The children waiting for Moshe return had said the right things, that they would do all YHVH commanded, we will obey, and I am certain when they said it, they meant it.  But after just a few days, and within a short time of some of the greatest miracles every preformed on Earth the children had already forgotten their promise.  They were found worshiping a calf made of gold, made at the hands of a man.  

It is a little frightening to remember that the children, or at least many of them, were worshipping YHVH the best way they could, certainly they were not intending to follow after another god, and yet Yahuha was so angry He was ready to wipe them off the face of the Earth.  I wonder what He thinks when He see those who call themselves His people worshipping Him this season the way they want to, not the way He ask, on the day of their choosing, not His appointed day.

This year, my prayer is that my heart (LB, lev, 32) will match my words, and my words will follow all YHVH's commands to the greatest extent I can.  I am pretty clear on His desire that I not only keep His feast, but that I not become entangled in what "is taught by the precept of men" no matter how well intentioned. 

Chag Kasher Peasach V'Same'ach

 (Wishing you a happy and kosher Passover holiday)

CB