Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. God Rejects Idol Worship Lesson 3

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Get It Out! Take a look at the following sequence of letters and watch closely as letters disappear and reappear.

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Get It Out! Take a look at the following sequence of letters and watch closely as letters disappear and reappear. EGYPT IESGRYAPE TL

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Get It Out! What was happening? Could one say, “Getting EGYPT out of ISRAEL”? That is the theme of today’s study.

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Lesson Outline Introduction A. Getting Egypt Out of Israel B. Lesson Background

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Lesson Outline I. Israelites ’ Concern (Exodus 32:1) A. Moses ’ Delay (v. 1a) B. People ’ s Demand (v. 1b)

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. What Do You Think? How should Christians respond when majorities in democratic societies enact laws that conflict with God’s law? Talking Points for Your Discussion In manner of prayer In making “a holy noise” In acts of civil disobedience (Acts 4:19; 5:29)

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Lesson Outline II. Aaron ’ s Counsel (Exodus 32:2-6) A. Collecting Materials (vv. 2, 3) B. Crafting an Idol (v. 4) C. Calling a Feast (vv. 5, 6)

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. What Do You Think? What are the costs of sin, and why do people seem so willing to pay those costs? Talking Points for Your Discussion In terms of spiritual costs In terms of physical costs In terms of psychological costs In terms of financial costs

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. What Do You Think? How do we resist giving in to ungodly pressures? Talking Points for Your Discussion As preteens As teenagers As adults

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. What Do You Think? How and why do people rebel against God today? Talking Points for Your Discussion Issues of personal freedom Wrong views of God’s love and justice Situation ethics Hebrews 3:7-19

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Lesson Outline III. Lord ’ s Command (Exodus 32:7-10) A. Instruction (vv. 7, 8) B. Intention (vv. 9, 10)

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved.

What Do You Think? What are some signs that you are becoming “stiffednecked” toward God? What corrective action do you take ? Talking Points for Your Discussion In the church At home At work

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Lesson Outline Conclusion A. Idol Words B. Prayer C. Thought to Remember

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Voices in the Crowd Read each of the following as if it were from a voice in the murmuring crowd at the foot of the mountain in today’s text in Exodus 32. Identify a verse (or verses) that relate.

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Voices in the Crowd “He’s been gone too long. I don’t think he’s coming back!” Verse 1

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Voices in the Crowd “Aaron is a good metal worker. I bet he would make a real god for us!” Verse 1

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Voices in the Crowd “What do you need Aaron? Anything you ask.” Verse 2

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Voices in the Crowd “First it was a blob of gold, and now it’s a golden calf... Wow! Aaron has magic hands!” Verse 4

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Voices in the Crowd “Hey! What we need is an all-out feast and party!” Verses 5 & 6

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Voices in the Crowd “That old man on the mountain—if he’s still alive—doesn’t even know what’s happening down here.” Verses 7 & 8

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Voices in the Crowd “Ha! If Moses’ God doesn’t have us, what’s He going to do... make a nation out of Moses?” Verses 9 & 10

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Bad Examples In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul uses the events of today’s text in Exodus as a warning example to the Christians of the first (and the twenty-first) century! Read verses 1-14 and look for a three- word summary of the text. “Flee from idolatry.” (See v. 14.)

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Bad Examples 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 identifies some of the blessings the Hebrews of Moses’ day had. What parallels do you see in the blessings of the twenty-first century people of God?

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Bad Examples Those very bad examples of the people of God of Moses’ day may be very good examples of people who refuse to see their God-given blessings. Know anyone like that?

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Earrings and Idolatry For the people of Israel in Exodus 32, it was earrings that became the stuff of idolatry. What is it that is likely to become the “stuff of idolatry” for you?

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Earrings and Idolatry To become idols the golden earrings had to be melted down and then molded into a likeness. What would have to be done to the “stuff” that may be tempting you to idolatry to make it into a “full-blown” idol? What’s your plan for stopping the process?

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. Thought to Remember No Christian is exempt from the temptation of idolatry.

Copyright © 2010 by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. All rights reserved. GOD PROMISES AN AWESOME THING Next Week’s Lesson