Another principle related to idolatry is that idolatry is Satan’s usurping of what God has given us in order to make it a waste. In Exodus 32 the children of Israel wasted much of the gold that had been given to them by God. Before the children of Israel left Egypt, God caused the Egyptians to give the children of Israel gold and other precious things. This gold was to be used for building up the tabernacle. The tabernacle required a large quantity of gold to overlay the standing boards. God defeated the Egyptians, and they gave gold to the people of Israel. But before this gold was used for the building up of God’s dwelling place, Satan came in to usurp the gold and use it to make an idol. Actually, before the calf was made, Satan had already usurped the gold so that it might be used to make earrings. If the children of Israel had loved the Lord to the uttermost, they would never have wasted the gold by using it for earrings. Instead, they would have kept it for the Lord’s use.
In chapter thirty-five the people were commanded to offer gold and other materials for the building up of God’s tabernacle. The first item of the offering for God’s dwelling place was gold. But in chapter thirty-two a large quantity of gold was used to make a calf. No doubt the golden calf was not something small. It may have been quite large. A lot of gold was wasted in making that golden calf.
God has given us many things not for self-beautification, but for us to worship God and glorify Him. But before we use these things to worship and glorify God, the enemy tries to come in to usurp what God has given us and to waste it. This is the second principle of idolatry, and it is an offense to God.
Another principle is implied by the fact that the people did not make an image of Moses, or one of a horse or other work animal. Instead, they made a golden calf. A calf is not for labor but for enjoyment, in particular, for eating. Both in the Old Testament and in the New, a calf was used to feed guests. In Genesis 18 Abraham had a fatted calf prepared for his guests, and in the parable in Luke 15 the father had the fatted calf killed when the prodigal son came home. A calf, therefore, signifies enjoyment. The ones who beautified themselves in Exodus 32 liked enjoyment. Enjoyment was their idol. Likewise, many people today worship a calf; that is, they worship their enjoyment.
This interpretation of the significance of the calf is confirmed by 32:6: “And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they rose up to play.” After the golden calf was made, the people ate, drank, and played. C. A. Coates says that they sported. On the weekends many people in this country care only for eating, drinking, and sporting.
According to verse 18, Moses heard the sound of singing, and according to verse 19, he “saw the calf and the dancing.” Along with the eating, drinking, and sporting, the people were singing and dancing. All this took place in front of the golden calf. The picture here indicates that the calf signifies enjoyment and that the children of Israel were worshipping what they enjoyed.
Yet another principle is that idolatry is pretension. Every idolater pretends to be worshipping the true God. Verse 4 says, “And they said, This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” Verse 5 says that when Aaron saw this, “he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, A feast to Jehovah—tomorrow!” The next morning they rose up early and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings (v. 6). The offerings and the way of worship were proper, but the object of worship was wrong. The children of Israel had changed the object of their worship from the true God Himself to an idol. “They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory to the likeness of an ox that eateth grass” (Psa. 106:19-20). Jehovah God was their glory, but they changed their glory to an ox that eats grass. This is very similar to what is described in Romans 1:23: “And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” Nevertheless, every idol worshipper claims that the idol he worships is the true God.