Moses had gone up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. The people came to Aaron and said: “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:1) They did not recognize, know or trust Jehovah who revealed Himself as: I Am and Almighty God. Instead of believing the true living God, they were distracted.
First, the children of Israel thought that Moses created a God and expected his elder brother to create ‘gods’.
Second, Moses had techniques, skills and abilities to create such ‘gods.’
Third, they also misunderstood that the miracles and display of power were works of Moses and not of Jehovah.
Four, Moses was educated and articulate, and they were illiterate, hence thought their knowledge gave them power to create ‘gods’.
Five, As Moses grew up in the Pharaoh’s household, he must have learnt magic secrets. Also, he was in secret place for about 40 years, even Pharaoh was afraid, that means he had some mystic power.
Sadly, the children of Israel could not comprehend an invisible God, whose attributes including his power, love and justice. Moses disappearance made them anxious that they were looking for a representative god who could be deemed as one who brought them from Egypt and take them to Promised Land. Probably, they did not esteem Aaron or his abilities to make him as leader instead of Moses.
Faith based on experience, without proper knowledge was evident in Israelite. Even today, many Christians have faith based on some miraculous experience. Without growth in knowledge of God, such faith could disappear. Faith with misunderstanding is dangerous. They misunderstood God as well as Moses. Today also, there are church goers trust ‘pastors’ and not the Lord. Thus these ‘gurus’ become mediators between them and ‘god’. People are destroyed because of lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)
Is my faith based on the knowledge of the Word of God?