In Exodus 32, Moses was on Mt Sinai for forty days and nights. On his way down the mountain, the Lord spoke to Moses and told him the people had corrupted themselves and made a golden calf and had worshipped it and sacrificed to it. Were it not for the pleading intercession of Moses, God would have destroyed the Israelites right then. I’ve always found Exodus 32:17-18 quite interesting. On his way down the mountain, Moses met Joshua who had waited for him those forty days and nights. Hearing the clamor from below, Joshua told Moses he heard the noise of war in the camp. The kind of noise signifying the celebration of victory. Moses said it is not the shout of victory, but the noise of the cry of defeat. The sound of singing as in celebration of worship. But to idols rather than to God. It was a sound of rebellion. Israel could wait no longer and therefore made a god to themselves. A golden calf. Fashioned for them by Aaron with gold the Israelites wore. Yet Aaron’s excuse when confronted by Moses was that the people were set on evil and when he put the gold in the fire the golden calf just magically appeared.
A heavy price was still to be paid. Moses took the calf which they worshipped and ground it to powder and made the children of Israel drink it. Did they all have to drink it? Some say certain ones that didn’t take part in worshipping the golden calf didn’t have to. Some say the Levites didn’t have to, as they were used by God to kill 3000 Israelites considered to be ringleaders of the rebellion. Yet, Aaron was a Levite and definitely took part, but wasn’t put to death. And Moses’ parting words to the Israelites before he went back up Mt Sinai again were for them to consecrate themselves that God may bestow a blessing on them for every man has opposed his son and his brother.
This is a picture of where I see us today. We have all opposed our brother. Rancor and hate are rampant and has become like a flesh-eating bacteria. “Love your brother” are words with no valued meaning. We have lost sight of the responsibility of following what Christ himself demonstrated. The Apostle John says in 1 John 2 that he who says he is in the light but hates his brother, is in darkness. If you love your brother, there is no cause for stumbling. Verse 11 states, “He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” We have entered into a political arena filled with evil and darkness. We are not ashamed at actions of support for those without principles and moralities if it empowers us. Lying has become an art form. The support of one who is a racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, vindictive, lying, self-indulgent, narcissistic, violence inducing, fear mongering, hateful, traitorous man is now acceptable. A man who has mocked the disabled, denigrates our military and embraces dictators. One who is a rapist and convicted felon. One who many notable ministers embrace as a means to an end of gaining power. Aligning with that which is the antithesis of what they are ordained to preach. And we are being told by many that this is a lesser of two evils situation. And yes, there are issues that should bother us from both platforms. But this is not Republican vs Democrat. This basically is trying to keep democracy. Ministers that spoke during the lead up to our country’s revolution like John Mayhew, Samuel West, and John Knox stated that though we look to governing authorities, we must stand against and resist that which is or looks to be tyrannical. Lincoln said we cannot escape history. We can honor or dishonor the foundations of our nation. He stated we nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope of earth. And yes, I know that only in God must we rest our hope, but he was a man that invoked his creator.
Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man do not go. Lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” This man, Donald Trump, is before us constantly and is embraced rather than rejected outright by so many believers. I am reminded of a line in the song “Behind Blue Eyes” by the Who that says, “If I swallow anything evil, put your fingers down my throat.” I am doing that figuratively right now. I urge you, as Paul warned the church, to avoid those who cause divisions and offenses. The words God spoke to me about Donald Trump on October 31, 2016 rings as ominously true now as they did then. A grave warning. One not heeded. I ask your forbearance and even forgiveness if my delving into this election, more than is my norm, has caused any ire. But I feel the “gods of this world” have blinded the minds of believers and unbelievers alike, and I feel it is necessary to warn of the sounds of war, rebellion and dissension that have embraced us with a choking and blinding fury no different than it did to the Israelites in Exodus 32. Even though our path may be veiled by shifting shadows and a cacophony of lies, pray without ceasing. Blessings.
Stand My Watch 