Whose Voice Is It? - Aaron

“Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

Exodus 32:1-2

Every father has heard those persistent childish voices clamoring for things that are not good for them. Maybe it’s the third slice of birthday cake, that extra cookie before bed, or an extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning instead of getting ready for church.

We are all tempted to surrender to those voices if only to buy a few moments’ peace. Every father knows the importance of remaining loving, yet firm, even when the voices grow louder.

Sometimes it is hard to ignore voices that insist you do something unhealthy, unhelpful, or wrong. Aaron, Moses’ brother and second in command, certainly knew such a temptation. With Moses away, Aaron heard many insistent voices clamoring for him to do wrong, in this case, by making a god to worship.

What did Aaron do?

Aaron knew the commandment, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea” (Exodus 20:4). Yet at the moment of truth, he caved. Rather than put his foot down and remind the people that their worship belonged to God alone, he agreed to give them what they demanded.

Aaron had a golden chance that day to make a bold statement for the Lord. Instead, he made a golden idol. He listened to the screeching voices of the rebellious people God had called him to lead and meekly bowed to their depraved will.

Who has God called you to lead? When that leadership gets difficult and you feel tempted to cave in to popular decisions that will lead people away from God’s best, can you stand strong?

Whether they come from your home, your office, or your friends, you will hear raucous voices clamoring for you to give your best to some little god. That’s your moment to stay strong and continue to be the man and leader God has called you to be. Will you stand alone? You might have to. But having a big crowd backing you up can have a huge downside—just ask Aaron.