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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 3 February 2025:
Exodus 32:1 – When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us.”
Waiting upon the Lord to lead is an essential act of faith. If you are not being led by God, you are being led by an idol. We become idolatrous when we lose patience and act on our own volition rather than by the Spirit’s counsel.
- 1 Samuel 15:23 — …presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
How long are you willing to wait confidently, joyfully, and faithfully for the Lord to work faithfully in your life in accordance with His perfect will on His perfect timeline? Remaining patiently obedient and faithful, particularly when God is silent, is a test of character.
“…we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:1) Uncertainty led the people to sin. When God’s love and faithfulness is certain to you, all other uncertainly is irrelevant. What do you do when you face uncertainty?
Exodus 32:4 – And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
Idolatry gives credit for God’s blessings to something or to someone else rather than to God Himself. The most common form of idolatry is pride, giving credit to self – “I did [this]; I did [that].” God will not share His glory with another.
- 1 John 2:16 — For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
- Proverbs 16:5 — Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
- Romans 1:21-23 — For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Exodus 32:8 – They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.
Moses was called to lead spiritually weak people with hardly any faith, no self-control, and no discipline. As the leader, Moses provided external discipline to those who lacked internal discipline. As soon as he wasn’t there, the people displayed their immaturity and infidelity. Leaders are the leaders for a reason. If God calls you to lead, you must not lose sight of the fact that those who you lead will not, by definition, measure up to your standard (more importantly to God’s standard) – that is why they need you to be an example of fidelity and strength. Leaders must have incredible patience – “If you can’t stand the smell of sheep, don’t be a shepherd.” If you are frustrated by their weakness and immaturity, you are revealing your own weakness and immaturity – you are revealing your own self-centeredness.
Exodus 32:11 – But Moses implored the Lord his God.
Leaders engage in intercessory prayer for those they lead because they have a genuine heart for the sinner and truly desire their reconciliation with God.
Exodus 32:25 – “And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose….)”
Aaron failed as a leader because he failed to be strong while others were weak. He surrendered his integrity due to fear and lost his moral authority to lead. Leaders know where to go and are willing to lead others there (literally or figuratively, tangibly or ethically). Leaders often must take people where they don’t want to go for all the right reasons – this takes moral courage. Aaron lacked the inner strength to lead, and his failure resulted in thousands of needless deaths. Had Moses been there, the people would not have gone astray because he would have given them external discipline, guidance, and direction. A leader must possess the strength needed by the led or they are not really the leader at all.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 3 February 2025: Today, focus on remaining wholly obedient to God, despite the upfront cost of obedience, and lead others to do the same. Don’t compromise your integrity for anything. Wait for God’s perfect blessings in His perfect timing.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 