The golden calf of today has undergone significant changes in appearance since the times of Moses. It speaks of this calf in (Exodus 32:1-8). These idols now, as they were then, are cheap imitations that disguise themselves as the real thing. Idolatry worship is a direct breach of the 1st Commandment and symbolizes a turning away from the worship of Yahweh, the ONE True God.
The Prophets about the consequences of disobedience and sinful practices has repeatedly warned us and too, we have been urged to return to God. In (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) it speaks of a great rebellion before the return of Christ. A message of redemption, forgiveness, and possibility of returning to God before the cheap imitation arrives.
Only what is pure, can be subjected to high temperatures, and come from the furnace malleable, soft, and easier to shape, the impure forever remains in, and is consumed by fire. The pure does not undergo any significant changes in structure or configuration when heated, but it becomes more refined. This is because it is pure, and not a cheap imitation.
Time has come to remove men off thrones, they are not our source, God is our source, and they are only cheap imitations. Some are people who mean well and are sources of good in our lives, understand however, there is but One Source behind the sources, that works for our good.
God keeps the rabid dogs from turning against us, the kinds of dogs that worship idols, which causes both jealousy and envy, spoken about in (James 3:16). We are freed from their controlling influence over us to accept darkness as light.
God keeps us from being infected with the strange sickness that seems to come with the worship of money. We never want to catch whatever this is infecting the world.
Avoid places where cheap imitations try to possess you for themselves, or bring you into the flock of whatever possesses them. When family and friends become like ferocious dogs, you get an idea of what emotions Jesus felt, right before HIS crucifixion.
There was that one guy, Judas Iscariot, the cheap imitation of a disciple, best known for his betrayal of Jesus, leading to HIS eventual crucifixion. Driven by greed, he accepted thirty pieces of silver in exchange for revealing Jesus’ whereabouts. We get some idea what emotions Jesus may have felt when those we trust betray us.
We are overcomers because Christ overcame death!
Exodus 32:1-8
New International Version
The Golden Calf
32 “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ ”
Exodus 32:1-8
King James Version
32 “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord.
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 32:1-8
Living Bible
32 “When Moses didn’t come back down the mountain right away, the people went to Aaron. “Look,” they said, “make us a god to lead us, for this fellow Moses who brought us here from Egypt has disappeared; something must have happened to him.”
2-3 “Give me your gold earrings,” Aaron replied.
So they all did—men and women, boys and girls. 4 Aaron melted the gold, then molded and tooled it into the form of a calf. The people exclaimed, “O Israel, this is the god that brought you out of Egypt!”
5 When Aaron saw how happy the people were about it, he built an altar before the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a feast to Jehovah!”
6 So they were up early the next morning and began offering burnt offerings and peace offerings to the calf idol; afterwards they sat down to feast and drink at a wild party, followed by sexual immorality.
7 Then the Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go on down, for your people that you brought from Egypt have defiled themselves, 8 and have quickly abandoned all my laws. They have molded themselves a calf, and worshiped it, and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of Egypt.’” ”
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
New International Version
3 “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
King James Version
3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Living Bible
3 “Don’t be carried away and deceived regardless of what they say.
For that day will not come until two things happen: first, there will be a time of great rebellion against God, and then the man of rebellion will come—the son of hell. 4 He will defy every god there is and tear down every other object of adoration and worship. He will go in and sit as God in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.”
James 3:16
New International Version
16 “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
James 3:16
King James Version
16 “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
James 3:16
Living Bible
16 “For wherever there is jealousy or selfish ambition, there will be disorder and every other kind of evil.”