FAITHLESS WAITING. EXODUS 32 Waiting times that God arranges have a purpose. Guidance from God is always meaningful in our lives as His people. Lessons can be learned from the way the children of Israel responded to Moses being absent from the mountain. They continued to look to Moses, the visible man, instead of directly trusting in God. Despite experiencing the presence of the unseen God and receiving His daily blessings, they still relied on man as their guide.
Even though we have enjoyed fellowship with God and had personal dealings with Him in the past, an enemy nearby is waiting for the right moment to subtly cast doubt on our confidence in God. Faithless waiting shifts our focus away from the Person in whom we trust and onto ourselves and the world around us.
Waiting for what is right is never easy when so much is happening around us. We may think we’ve done something wrong and look for a way to start again. To wait for the “rain” of God’s blessing and trust Him when little seems to be happening requires authentic faith. That means I must wait patiently when I feel like taking action. If I only focus on what is not happening, I will miss what is right when God's work and His will finally become clear to me.
If I am willing to wait in faith, my soul will remember His promises and trust whatever He desires from me. Instead of my own ideas and plans, I will be prepared to follow His divine will, appointed way, and timing. “What God does is forever.” That is the only thing that truly matters.
It may mean that the work I do during waiting times, which seems trivial to me, might have value that I cannot see. I don't realize that the daily, mundane acts of living and focusing on what is in front of me could be training for something in the future. In waiting times, there are risks of doubt and complaining, which can mislead me and make me think I should do something on my own initiative.
Waiting teaches me to trust God and act rightly now, even if it seems small to me. Waiting in faith shows that I believe God speaks to me personally through His word, not just believing in Him. I know that in His own perfect time, He will reveal His will to me and guide me to do it correctly. If we wait in faith, the hope of what God has planned can bring us joy and confidence that taking a willful action never can.
The golden calf that was cast and then "fashioned" by Aaron represented a return to the thinking, interests, and, most regrettably, the worship of Egypt. "This Moses," to those people, quickly became nothing more than a memory despite his godly leadership. Aaron was a talented speaker but a weak and ineffective leader. The gold earrings came from Egypt's treasures, and the gold calf symbolized Egypt's bull and cow idols. Joshua later referred to them as the gods you served “on the other side of the flood.” In a short time, the first three commandments were broken.
It is not always the most eloquent speaker in an assembly who can lead the Lord's people in ways that please God. In a very short time, a single wavering decision by one man can trigger a chain of events that causes pain and suffering for God's people. We must remember that God is fully aware of everything we do, every decision we make, and the consequences of our choices.
Moses was a quiet man, but he was very committed. He knew his God and rejected a kingdom for the second time. "He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter" and the kingdom of Egypt. He also declined the "nation of Moses" because he remembered God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He understood the significance of the testimony of a small, weak people among the nations, watching to see what happens when people follow an unseen God. God's power was in no way diminished because of Israel's sin.
Moses’ prayer of intercession influenced God’s response and plans. We do not grasp how severe sin is in God's eyes because we cannot see the end from the beginning. The effects of sin extend far beyond the grave. If unchecked, no one would have fellowship or communion with God, much less share in a “family life.” Sin deserves death.
When death happens because of sin, people are quick to blame God for what they caused themselves. How God chooses to judge sin is His decision. His holiness is so pure that He cannot look at sin. It’s a human response not only to want to sin but also to love sin and the evil pleasures it offers. No wonder “the wages of sin is death.”
We must remember the purpose for which we have been called. A scripturally gathered assembly of believers is not just another religion among many. It is not meant to be an alternative form of a church to please people or to cater to their comfort and interests. It is not solely for us. An assembly of believers is for God and is called "the house of God." We might have to wait a long time to see God work among us in His own time and way, but let us wait in faith.
Loud noise often accompanies what is called "Christian worship" today. Clapping, shouting, drums, cymbals, and loud music drown out the quietness of those who once worshipped "the Lord in the beauty of holiness." The noise aims to please the ears of the people. The loss of dignity and reverence characterizes many large gatherings as they come to "praise God." The Israelites “were naked” as they worshipped in the way of the Egyptians. That included sexual immorality as a “meaningful expression” of unity.
“The way everyone does it” is a trap. Peer pressure at crucial moments causes people to go astray and reveals where a person’s loyalty and interests truly lie. Even though “everyone else does it,” we need to be willing not to do wrong just because others are doing it. We must stay committed to God by following His commands in His way and timing, even if the results aren't impressive.
The evidence of effective worship is recognized by God. We should continue in "well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not." The noise and revelry, the nudity, and the loss of dignity were the causes of Moses' anger. The rejection and turning away of the people from God caused His righteous anger. Whether it is God's righteous anger or a righteous man's, both are the reasons for action. The spirit of apostasy breaks the fellowship between God and His people.
Inappropriate and ineffective leadership must not go unchecked. Aaron needed to be confronted. He was responsible for making the golden calf. He tried to blame the people, but leadership has consequences, and many are impacted by the decisions of those in charge. Wise leaders will wait to consult with others who share the responsibilities of guiding and "feeding the flock of God." Faithless waiting by a leader is a serious danger to all of God's people. The ultimate result of acting apart from God's will and not waiting for divine guidance was that 3000 died, and brother turned against brother throughout the camp. They had to live with that division constantly.
The tribe of Levi was set apart from that time onward. They were not rejected because of Aaron's weak leadership. They did step out "on the Lord's side." It would not have been easy for them to go through the camp, slay those who had opposed Moses, and put them to death. Discipline of any kind is hard to carry out, especially if you have been guilty of doing the same thing. But genuine repentance is accepted by God and involves renewing commitment to Him and His will.
The broken law did not change the demands of the law or the reasons for it. We must do what God says regardless of what others might do differently. Moses was willing to be put to death for the people if God would forgive them on that basis. A true leader cares for those they are called to lead. However, there is only so far we can go; anything beyond that is in the hands of a Righteous, Holy, Omniscient God. The pressure might be on us to revert to the ways of the world or to find some way to make sinful people "feel comfortable." But we must remain "steadfast and unmovable" in the work God has entrusted to us, patiently waiting in faith for God to reveal His will.