Festival Seating

He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, ‘O Israel who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” Exodus 32:3,4.

Mike read the above text last Sunday night and then challenged us all to holster our pointing fingers and confess the reality of our own golden calves that we have fashioned carefully with the tools of greed, pride and envy. He identified the golden calves of his own life and affirmed that he knew he wasn’t alone. Mike challenged us to rid ourselves of the stuff we keep overstuffing and make room for the LORD! His resonate confession was: “If we spent as much time as we do watching TV reading our Bibles or working for the church what would our lives look like?”

All this reminded me of festival seating. No, no… not concert seating where it’s first come, first row but rather an important twist in the text above. You see the text says the children of Israel said after Aaron fashioned the golden calf, “These are your gods.” Not this is your god but the golden calf and Yaweh (God demoted to god and lumped in with a calf god) have brought you out of Egyptian slavery. Aaron seeing this tries to sway their allegiance back to Yaweh by saying, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” You see the real teeth of idolatry whether in ancient Israel or in your living room is religious accommodation. That is, making the LORD fit into the many lords that reign in this life. When the Ten Commandments were given, the first commandment (You shall have no other gods before me), is explained by telling us not only is God a jealous God but Yaweh considers idolatry as an act of hate toward Him. An act of hate because idolatry thumbs its nose at God by relegating Him to lucky charm status. He no longer is Creator, Sustainer and LORD! He’s a bit part in our life instead of the way, the truth, and the life. We minimize His presence instead of maximizing it. We take our seat at His festival and celebrate at the altar of self!

So, what should we do? Refuse to be anything less that radically, vibrantly and deeply in love with the one who is the way, the truth and the life! Have no other gods before Him… not Oprah, not Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura or even Dr. Dre. Instead, find that there is festival seating at church every week so the true Israel of God can celebrate the victory of the cross and rest in the grace of God! -DAN