Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Exodus Chapter 32
Metaphysically Interpreting Exodus 32:1-35
32:1And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. 32:2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 32:3And all the people brake off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 32:4And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf: and they said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 32:5And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To-morrow shall be a feast to Jehovah. 32:6And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
32:7And Jehovah spake unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, that thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 32:8they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 32:9And Jehovah said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 32:10now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
32:11And Moses besought Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, that thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 32:12Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying, For evil did he bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 32:13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 32:14And Jehovah repented of the evil which he said he would do unto his people.
32:15And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; tables that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 32:16And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. 32:17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. 32:18And he said,
It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery,
neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome;
but the noise of them that sing do I hear.32:19And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. 32:20And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
32:21And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought a great sin upon them?32:22And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on evil. 32:23For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.32:24And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off: so they gave it me; and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
32:25And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose, (for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies,) 32:26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Whoso is on Jehovah's side, let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 32:27And he said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. 32:28And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 32:29And Moses said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to Jehovah, yea, every man against his son, and against his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
32:30And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto Jehovah; peradventure I shall make atonement for your sin. 32:31And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32:32Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 32:33And Jehovah said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 32:34And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine angel shall go before thee; nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them. 32:35And Jehovah smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
March 10, 1918: Exodus 32:1-8
What in consciousness does “going up into the mountain” represent? “Going up into the mountain,” represents the exalted state of mind necessary to the inspiration of the Spirit.
What essential step must be taken before one reaches the “mount” or state of exaltation? One must deny all thoughts of materiality, as he turns his attention toward the Spiritual Center at the top of the head, and through affirmations of Truth, make connection with the Spirit of God within. “God is Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
How is spiritual growth promoted in individual consciousness? Spiritual growth is promoted through meditation, silent prayer and dwelling in thought upon Divine Ideas. Continually identifying oneself with attributes of Spirit brings them into manifestation in mind, body and affairs.
What in consciousness does the making of the golden calf by Aaron represent? Aaron represents the ruling power of the intellectual consciousness. The making of the golden calf by Aaron represents the idols made by one who perceives the Truth, but does not carry into execution the spiritual ideals, choosing instead a lower plane of consciousness in which to “function” his thoughts.
What in consciousness do the “jewels from the ears” represent? The “jewels from the ears” represent the obedience and receptivity of the mind. These “jewels” should be offered only in the worshiping of the one true God.
October 9, 1938: Exodus 32:1-8
In the absence of Moses the Children of Israel required a graven image. Why was Moses indispensable? Moses represents the principle of evolution working from the lower to the higher forms of expression. Lacking this upward trend of mind power, man is prone to worship a material concept of God.
What does the name Aaron mean, and why did Aaron yield so readily to the demands of the idol worshipers? The name Aaron (illumined) means the executive power of divine law. This law works in both constructive and negative circumstances, at the direction of the I AM.
What does the making of the molten calf symbolize? Moses’ going up into the mountain represents one's entering into the high, exalted state of mind that one must reach before one can receive the inspiration of Spirit. This state is necessary to spiritual worship and development, but it must not be prolonged beyond a reasonable period. Otherwise the thoughts and impulses that are unable to enter into the exalted state seek and find a lower outlet, namely in the making of the “molten calf.”
What is the significance of the jewels of the ears? The ears represent the obedience and receptivity of the mind. The giving to Aaron the jewels of the ears means that the intellect is in the ascendant and that the natural man gains power to express himself while the spiritual man is suppressed.
August 29, 1943: Exodus 32:7-10
How does one corrupt one’s religious thoughts and aspirations (“thy people”)? By putting his faith in material things, and by refusing to recognize and acknowledge the spiritual foundation of life.
Why did idolatry in Egypt take such firm hold on the faith of the Children of Israel? Because idolatry deals with the realm of form, with what is seen, and to the immature mind “seeing is believing.” Tangible images appeal to men lacking in spiritual development more strongly than the idea of God as Spirit.
What does the text of this lesson reveal about the character of Moses? It shows his great love of Jehovah and also of his people. He had a deep conviction of his responsibility for his people and a stern sense of moral rectitude, but his faith was unswerving. Moses here represents man's evolving spiritual consciousness, which perceives Truth but dimly, yet is steadfast in it.
Did the faith of Moses waver after the Children of Israel worshiped the golden calf? No. Moses (man's evolving spiritual consciousness) has faith that even though the Children of Israel (man's religious thoughts and ideals) worship the golden calf (money or material things), eventually they will become a great nation (come into the full realization of their spiritual nature).
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 02-03-2014
