Serving the Lord Uprightly
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.
Exodus 32:1
Read Exodus 32:1-14
The people of Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai. Moses had climbed
the mountain to meet the Lord on their behalf. But the people lost sight of
that fact and became impatient. Their desire was to see God just like the
heathens around them could see their gods. Aaron gave in to their demands
and had a golden calf made from the jewelry they wore. Their purpose was
not to deny the Lord who had delivered them from the land of Egypt, but
the Lord had made it abundantly clear to them that they were not to make
an image representing Him. He would not be served in the same way as the
false gods.
Israel had made the deliberate choice to serve God how they wanted. However,
man may not determine how he will worship the Lord. That is the
Lord’s decision. How do you seek to serve God? Do you worship God according
to your own dictates and ideas? If anyone tries to determine how
he or she will serve the Lord without searching His Word, then they are
busy with self-willed worship. True worship of God requires that we humbly
bow before God and seek to be obedient to His will. We need to follow
His commandments, which also define how to worship the Lord. You may
not choose how you will worship God; He has determined this for you. If
we truly serve God, we cannot neglect worship services either. These two
things cannot be separated from one another.
Thought: In what ways do you try to serve God in your own way, without
referring to His Word?
Psalter 428: 2 (based on Psalm 119)
O let Thy Spirit be my constant aid,
That all my ways may ever be directed
To keep Thy statutes, so to be obeyed,
That from all error I may be protected.
I shall not be ashamed then or afraid,
When Thy commandments I have e’er respected.
