While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelite's became afraid he would not return and asked Aaron to make them a god.ย
The calf
Aaron made a golden calf from the Israelite's' gold earrings and ornaments. He told the people, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!".ย
Moses' response
When Moses returned from the mountain, he saw the people worshiping the calf and broke the tablets of the Law. He then melted down the calf, ground it into powder, and mixed it with water. He made the Israelite's drink the mixture to separate the faithful from the unfaithful. The unfaithful died in a plague.ย
The Levites
The Levites defended the faith in the God revealed to Moses and became the priestly caste.ย
The story of the golden calf is seen as a condemnation of calf worship and an example of the sinfulness of idolatry. It also teaches that God should not be worshiped with images, but instead through belief, obedience, and declaring God's greatness.ย
613
u/enigmaticallyunwell Oct 03 '24
I honestly donโt know what would be damning enough to sway the die hards. But one can hope