“Chapter 20: The Golden Calf,” Old Testament Stories (1980), 79–82
“Chapter 20,” Old Testament Stories, 79–82
Chapter 20
The Golden Calf
One of the seventy elders on Mount Sinai was Joshua. He waited there for Moses. Aaron and the other men went down the mountain.
Some of the Israelites came to Aaron. They said Moses had been gone a long time. They did not know what he was doing. They were tired of waiting for him. They wanted Aaron to make an idol for them to worship. They did not want to worship God.
All the men and women wore gold earrings. Aaron told them to bring the earrings to him. He made an idol out of the gold. The idol looked like a calf.
Aaron built an altar near the golden calf. Some of the Israelites made sacrifices on the altar. They worshiped the golden calf. It was wicked to make sacrifices to the golden calf.
Moses was on Mount Sinai with Jesus. Jesus said some of the Israelites were doing wicked things. They had forgotten Jesus. Jesus was angry. He said the wicked Israelites must die. He said Moses would be blessed because he was righteous.
Moses asked Jesus to remember his promise to the Israelites. Jesus had promised they would be a large family. They would have the priesthood. They would have the promised land.
Moses came down from Mount Sinai. Moses had two large stones in his hands. Jesus had written the commandments on the stones with his finger.
Moses saw the golden calf. He saw the Israelites dancing. Some had no clothes on. Moses was very angry. He threw the stones down. They broke.
Moses threw the golden calf in the fire. He was angry at Aaron. Moses asked Aaron why he had helped the Israelites to be wicked. Aaron said he did what the Israelites wanted him to do.
Moses asked the righteous Israelites to come to him. He said they would be blessed. He told them the wicked Israelites must die.
Jesus told Moses to bring two new stones to the top of Mount Sinai. Jesus again wrote the Ten Commandments on them. Moses took the commandments down to the people.