Golden Calf's Role In Exodus

The Golden Calf plays a large part in the story of Exodus and causes a great divide between the Hebrews and God. This idolization shows how dependent the people are, that they rely on a tangible figure in order to guide them in their journey to the promised land. This form of false worship is against God’s Ten Commandments and causes great unrest Although the people knew that this practice was frowned upon, yet they continued to take a part of their Canaanite past and put it to use in their new society, not thinking about the punishment that could come from this. The Hebrews sought to find a sense of security, something that had been left behind when they fled from Egypt. Even today, people continue to put trust into these inanimate objects,

In Exodus, Moses comes down from Mount Sinai after 40 days where he fights with all the unfaithful Hebrews. Just as Moses argues with the Jews about the gold idol, money causes people to fight and turn against one another. Due to the desire for this valuable commodity, the fight for oil has been brutal and violent, causing thousands to die throughout the Middle East. In the story, those that have been proven unfaithful to God through their worship of the calf cause great unrest amongst the Jews, leading to the deaths of much of the delegation due to the ordaining of the tribe of Levi. Money not only gives one the ability to feel secure through the purchase of land, transportation, or food, but it is also the way that people are able to provide for their families in a modern day society much like how the Hebrews believed that they were providing for their families by praying to a new god. People try to off put the importance of money in our culture, but it’s something that you need in order to be truly established in society. Without an income, people rely on other sources to empower them and provide for them. The Jewish people believe that by creating this idol, it would fill the void that Moses had left and somehow provide for them. Money also has an extremely interesting role in monarchies and the interaction between the leaders and their subjects. In a monarchy, subjects will bow before their rulers who are often

While the Golden Calf is seen to be a symbol of false worship, it actually does prove to have some positive aspects to it, just like the modern day idol. The positive side of the calf is that it provided a temporary form of security for the travelling Hebrews. It also brought the people closer together, uniting them around a tangible figure. Before Moses left to travel up Sinai, the Hebrews are filled with doubt about the true God because they are unable to see him, but this calf is a visible part of the Canaanite society. Similarly, without money, people may not be able to put food on the table, but luckily one positive aspect of the money hierarchy is that people are often willing to share their luck with someone in need. Money also tends to provide a sense of security to those that possess it, causing those who do not to have to work much harder. Additionally, without mobile phones, one may not be connected with their families, giving them the ability to reunited if desired. This is similar to the Golden Calf because a phone allows people to be more accessible, just as the calf allowed a higher power to be more accessible. With something so close and attainable, it is not wonder that the people turned to false worship and why it is still such a