Acts 7:40

“Sayng unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”

Context:This verse is part of a larger passage where Stephen, one of the early disciples of Jesus, delivers a powerful speech before the Jewish council known as the Sanhedrin.

Stephen’s speech recounts the history of Israel, highlighting their repeated disobedience and rejection of God’s chosen leaders.

In Acts 7:40, Stephen is referencing the incident of the golden calf that took place during the Israelites’ wilderness journey after their exodus from Egypt.

The people became impatient when Moses, who had gone up Mount Sinai to receive the commandments from God, delayed his return.

Feeling uncertain and lacking faith, they approached Aaron, Moses’ brother and the high priest, and demanded that he make gods for them to worship.

This request was a clear violation of the first and second commandments God had given them, which forbade the worship of any other gods and the creation of graven images (Exodus 20:3-4).

However, Aaron succumbed to the pressure and made a golden calf for the people to worship.

This incident was a severe act of disobedience and idolatry on the part of the Israelites.

Despite all the miraculous signs and wonders they had witnessed in Egypt and during their journey, they quickly forgot God’s faithfulness and turned to a false god.

It revealed their lack of trust in God’s plan and their desire for immediate gratification and tangible symbols of worship.

Stephen references this historical event to emphasize the pattern of rebellion and resistance against God that had characterized the Israelites throughout their history.

By highlighting their disobedience, he intends to demonstrate the council’s own rejection of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, as part of the ongoing pattern.

This verse serves as a reminder for us today.

It warns against the dangers of idolatry, both in the form of physical objects and the worship of false gods.

It reminds us of the importance of faithfulness to God and the need to trust in His plan, even in times of uncertainty or waiting.

Just as the Israelites faltered, we too can be prone to forget God’s faithfulness and seek after temporary substitutes for Him.