Make Us Gods — Joseph Hall on Exodus 32

Make Us Gods

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to 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 know not what is become of him.

Exodus chapter 32 verse 1

It was not much above a month since Israel made their covenant with God, since they trembled to hear him say, "You shall have no other Gods but me;" since they saw Moses part from them, and climb up the hill to God: and now they say, "Make us gods: we know not what is become of this Moses." O you mad Israelites, have you so soon forgotten that fire and thunder, which you heard and saw?

Is that smoke vanished out of your mind, as soon as out of your sight? Could your hearts cease to tremble with the earth? Can you, in the very sight of Sinai, call for other gods? And for Moses, was it not for your sakes that he thrust himself into the midst of that smoke and fire, which you feared to see afar off? Was he not now gone, after so many sudden embassages, to be your ambassador with God?

If you had seen him take to his heels, and run away from you into the wilderness, what could you have said, or done more? Behold our better Moses was with us awhile upon earth; he is now ascended into the mount of heaven to mediate for us: shall we now think of another Saviour? Shall we not hold it our happiness, that he is for our sakes above?

And what if your Moses had been gone for ever? Must you therefore have gods made? If you had said, Choose us another governor, it had been a wicked and unthankful motion; you were too unworthy of a Moses, that could so soon forget him. But to say, "Make us gods," was absurdly impious. Moses was not your God, but your governor: neither was the presence of God tied to Moses. You saw God still, when he was gone, in his pillar, and in his manna; and yet you say, "Make us gods."

Every word is full of senseless wickedness. How many gods would you have? Or what gods are those that can be made? Or, whatever the idolatrous Egyptians did, with what face can ye, after so many miraculous obligations, speak of another God? Had the voice of God scarce done thundering in your ears? Did you so lately hear and see him to be an infinite God? Did you quake to hear him say out of the midst of the flames, "I am Jehovah thy God; thou shalt have no gods but me?"

Did you acknowledge God your Maker; and do you now speak of making of gods? If you had said, Make us another man to go before us, it had been an impossible suit. Aaron might help to mar you and himself; he could not make one hair of a man: and do you say, "Make us gods?" And what should those gods do? "Go before you." How could they go before you, that cannot stand alone?

Your help makes them to stand, and yet they must conduct you. O the impatient ingratitude of carnal minds! O the sottishness of idolatry! Who would not have said, Moses is not with us; but he is with God for us? He stays long. He that called him, withholds him. His delay is for our sakes, as well as his ascent. Though we see him not, we will hope for him. His favours to us have deserved not to be rejected: or, if God will keep him from us, he that withholds him, can supply him.

He that sent him, can lead us without him; his fire and cloud are all-sufficient. God has said, and done enough for us, to make us trust him. We will, we can, have no other God; we care not for any other guide. But behold here is none of this. Moses stays but some five and thirty days, and now he is forgotten, and is become but "this Moses:" yea, God is forgotten with him; and, as if God and Moses had been lost at once they say, "Make us gods."

Natural men must have God at their bent; and if he come not at a call, he is cast off, and they take themselves to their own devices; like as the Chinese whip their gods when they answer them not; whereas his holy ones wait long, and seek him: and not only in their sinking, but, from the bottom of the deeps, call upon him; "And though he kill them, will trust him."

Superstition besots the minds of men, and blinds the eye of reason; and first makes them not men, ere it makes them idolaters. How else could he, that is the image of God, fall down to the images of creatures? How could our forefathers have so doated upon stocks and stones, if they had been themselves? As the Syrians were first blinded, and then led into the midst of Samaria; so are idolaters first bereaved of their wits and common sense, and afterwards are carried brutishly into all palpable impiety.

Who would not have been ashamed to hear this answer from the brother of Moses, "Pluck off your ear-rings?" He should have said, “Pluck this idolatrous thought out of your hearts." And now, instead of chiding, he soothes them. And, as if he had been no kin to Moses, he helps to lead them back again from God to Egypt. The people importuned him, perhaps with threats. He that had waded through all the menaces of Pharaoh, does he now shrink at the threats of his own?

Moses is not afraid of the terrors of God: his faith, that carried him through the water, led him up to the fire of God's presence, whilst his brother Aaron fears the faces of those men, which he lately saw pale with the fear of their glorious Lawgiver. As if he that forbade other gods could not have maintained his own act and agent against men. Sudden fears, when they have possessed weak minds, lead them to shameful errors.

Importunity or violence may lessen, but they cannot excuse a fault. Wherefore was he a governor, but to depress their disordered motions? Facility of yielding to a sin, or wooing it with our voluntary suit, is a higher step of evil; but even at last to be won to sin is damnable. It is good to resist any onset of sin; but one condescent loses all the thanks of our opposition. What will it avail a man, that others are plagued for soliciting him, while he smarts for yielding?

If both be in hell, what ease is it to him, that another is deeper in the pit?

What now did Aaron? Behold he that alone was allowed to climb up the trembling and fiery hill of Sinai with Moses, and heard God say, "Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, for I am a jealous God:" as if he meant particularly to prevent this act, within one month calls for their ear-rings, makes the graven image of a calf, erects an altar, consecrates a day to it, calls it their god, and weeps not to see them dance before it.

It is a miserable thing, when governors humour the people in their sins, and instead of making up the breach, enlarge it. Sin will take heart by the approbation of the meanest looker on: but, if authority once second it, it grows impudent. As contrarily, where the public government opposes evil, though it be under-hand practised, not without fear, there is life in that state.

Aaron might have learned better counsel of his brother's example. When they came to him with stones in their hands, and said, "Give us water," he ran as roundly to God with prayers in his mouth; so should Aaron have done, when they said, "Give us gods:" but he weakly runs to their ear-rings, that which should be made their god, not to the true God which they had, and forsook. Who can promise to himself freedom from gross infirmities, when he that went up into the mount comes down, and does that in the valley, which he heard forbidden in the hill?