The Israelites become impatient at the delay of Moses returning and pressure Aaron to make "gods" to go before them. Aaron gives in; and makes the famous golden calf. Rather than look down on the Israelites for their foolishness, we consider similar temptations we face today when our patience is tested. We also consider insights from Tertullian’s work, On Patience. There the Lord is presented as the ultimate example of patience, with Satan the master at using impatience to drag us into all kinds of sin. Finally, we explore the striking parallels between this story and the Second Coming of Jesus.
Teaching Notes
The Golden Calf and the Sin of Impatience (Exodus 32:1-14) - Lesson Outline (PDF)