What do we elevate in our lives? The meaning of elevate can take on the action of uplifting, promoting, or to raise. With this mind, do we give people, ideas, or traditions a priority over spiritual insight?
In this week’s Torah study of Ki Tisa, we can easily see the account of Israel uplifting a golden calf in a response to the unknown. It seems to be a favorite story for most; in that it has all the elements of someone else doing something wrong and then getting caught. It almost makes us feel that we can get off the hook since we of course would never do something as bad. But is this true? I’m thinking the answer may lie closer to home than expected.
Take This Simple Test
- Would you change your mind to go to a certain store if your friend wanted to visit a different store?
- How often have you skipped your favorite restaurant to make someone else happy?
- Could your best friend convince you to jump into a swimming pool even when you don’t want to?
- Have you ever voted for something that you didn’t want to vote for, but a close family member convinced you to do otherwise?
If you answered yes, to any of the above, I’m thinking you might have been persuaded by the crowd (your family & friends) who thought Moses was not coming back off the mountain. And if this is the case, you may have thought that the “whole journey thing to the desert with Moses wasn’t real after all.” I mean, if the person who talks directly to YHWH is not coming back, you may think that there is no more point in believing in a God that you can’t define.
It’s fascinating to see what happens to people when they elevate or lift up someone or something over something righteous. In my mind, Israel was young enough that they had propped Moses up to be the one and only hero. No one else could speak to Pharoah and get away with it. No one else could part the sea by simply lifting up a stick. And of course, No one else could speak to God like Moses. In their perspective, YHWH might have seemed to be tied directly to Moses and not to them. So why wouldn’t they start to consider worshipping something they were familiar with or could at least make with their own hands?
How often do we try to create something for YHWH? How often do we try to replace His Words with our words?
Stephen the deacon listed in the book of Acts and who was brought to the Jewish Leadership Council on supposed blasphemy charges for believing in Yeshua said the following:
“. . . saying to Aaron (the Fathers of Israel), ‘Make us a god who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ At that time, they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.” Acts. 7:40-41.
Stephen raised the question and made the pointed remark to the religious Jewish Leadership they were not following Yah’s directives but were instead following their made-up ones.
He stated to them, “You received the law as ordained by angels and yet you did not keep it.” Acts. 7:53
I believe our challenge in life is to learn to take the words of YHWH seriously. His promises are true and His way is perfect. When everything is looking dark or when we question YHWH’s existence, that is the time for us to Lift Up His Name and Praise Him! Do not return to the customs of man–made by man to “feel” good. But return to the hope and belief of a Greater God—Yahweh. His ways are simple. And His Ways are a delight.
Be Blessed this Sabbath,
Rollyn