Why did the Israelites want gods to go before them in Exodus 32?
The Israelites wanted gods to go before them because Moses delayed coming down from the mount, and they did not know what had become of him. Their years in Egypt, where everything was treated as a god, had rubbed off on them, so they sought visible deities to lead them.
Les explains that Exodus 32 opens with the people seeing that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount. They gathered themselves together under Aaron and said, “Up, make us gods, with a small g, gods which shall go before us.” Les points out that this was what they were used to in Egypt, where everything was a god for the Egyptians, and some of that had rubbed off on the Israelites. They also said that as for this Moses, the man that brought them up out of Egypt, they did not know what had become of him. Aaron then told them to break off their golden earrings from their wives, sons, and daughters, and they did. He received the gold, fashioned it with a graving tool, and made the molten calf, saying, “These be thy gods, O Israel.” Les notes the calf was an Egyptian god as well, one of many, and that Aaron’s statement was a lie because the golden calf had nothing to do with bringing them through the Red Sea.
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of 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 wot not what is become of him.
More Questions
Did Aaron argue with the Israelites when they asked him to make them gods while Moses was on the mountain?
Aaron did not argue or resist when the people asked for gods; he immediately agreed and told them to bring their gold so he could make them a god.