“GOD GIVES RULES TO LIVE BY”
Season 2: Heroes of the Bible
Episode 31: “God Gives Rules to Live By”
Today’s Bible Bite: Exodus 20:1-17 (Ten Commandments); 24:15-18, 32:1-30 (The Golden Calf)
Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX28nAB4S7A&safe=true (God’s Story)
“If you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. 6 And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.” (Exodus 19:5-6)
God knew that the Israelites, even though He had shown them He planned to take care of them, would have trouble behaving themselves. So, He gave them some rules to help them—rules for respecting Him and rules for respecting one another. He even gave Moses two stone tablets with these rules, the Ten Commandments, engraved on them. Moses had been up on the mountain talking with God for forty days, but the people began doubting he would ever come back. Maybe something had happened to him. They went to Aaron, Moses’ brother, and told him to make them gods…one of the very things they had been told not to do. But, for whatever reason, Aaron did it. He told them to give him gold jewelry, then he made a golden calf statue. The people had a party to celebrate their new god.
God told Moses what was going on and told him to go back down the mountain and deal with the people. Moses was so mad at the people, he smashed the special stone tablets that God had written on. The he smashed the statue, ground it up, dumped it in the water and made everyone drink it. He was very angry with Aaron too, who claimed that he hadn’t really done anything wrong…he had only collected the jewelry and throne it into the fire and out popped the statue. He wasn’t prepared to admit he was as guilty as the people for this great disobedience. The Israelites continued to struggle to obey God and He continued to forgive them until they finally reached the promised land.
Think about it...
• Laws help us to know what is right and wrong. What were the Laws God gave the Israelites called?
• Moses went up on the mountain and talked with God. What special gift did God give Moses to give the people?
• But Moses was gone for a long time—longer than a full month. What did the people ask Aaron to do?
• Aaron made the idol statue for the people to worship. What excuse did he give Moses?
Prayer: Thank you, God, for giving us rules so that we can know how to obey you—we make lots of big mistakes when we don’t listen to you. Thank you that we can know that you’re the only God and nothing else can do what you can. Thanks for taking care of us!