E22 Exodus 32 - The Bad Art Incident

Let's put Exodus 32 and the whole "golden calf incident" in perspective"
The Lord has just commissioned Moses up on the mountain to build Him a place so that He can dwell among His people.  That is His true desire.  To be close to His people....His own special people and treasured possession, those He loves.  And what kind of house would a Creator- The Creator- of heaven and earth and everything in it- dwell in?  Well, a very well designed place.  Divinely designed.  This place had major craftsmanship, major design sense and artistry.  It makes sense that a God who is a Creator would dwell in a creative atmosphere.  So he commissions artists on whom he is gifting with all the wisdom and revelation that they need to bring these plans on paper into a glorious reality.  This is what the Lord does in Exodus 31:
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 "I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 5 and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 "And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan ; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent, 8 the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, 10 the woven garments as well, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, with which to carry on their priesthood ; 11 the anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place, they are to make them according to all that I have commanded you." 

There you have it.  Every piece of  furniture, every piece of thread, every utensil, oil, and metal.  They were all the product of artistry and beautiful in every way.  I would have loved to have seen that house.  
And here in Exodus 32 after calling and commissioning the people of God to create an environment of beauty and creativity for Him to dwell in, He stops to warn Moses, that these very people have defiled themselves.  
You see we think that it's all about the calf and we want to harp on about idols.  But, I think that God's disappointment and Moses anger, were very much about the use of their gift.  You see we've all been gifted by God.  Both in the natural and in the spirit with gifts of the Spirit.  But, it is completely within our own decision how we will use the gift God has anointed us for.  What will we do with the abilities that He has called and commissioned our lives with?  Will we use them for our own purposes?  for instant gratification, selfish gain?  When the wait is too long, and we don't see God's plans for our lives materializing in the way we expected or when we expected them to, do we take the thing that He has anointed us for and use it our own way?  We sound somewhat like spoiled children, like the Israelites did in this chapter of Exodus: "Thanks God for the gift of artistry, but, now your way is just taking way too long, I've got stuff to do with this talent."  Moses had been on the mountain for 40 days and nights and for all they knew he could have been dead.  But, instead of believing the voice that first called them, they returned to their own devices.  I think the real measure of a woman or a man is not what you do when God is speaking, but, what you do when He is silent.  Let us say as Moses did "we will not go from here unless You go with us."  That all of our decisions would not be made out of frustration or out of our own human logic.  Moses had given the Israelites instructions to "wait here." Maybe that is part of the lesson to learn in this chapter.  Not take what God is giving us and run.  Let our prayer be, "Lord help us to wait on You, and not turn to our own devices or our own logic, even when Your plan seems unclear.  Help us to stay committed to Your plans for our lives, knowing that everything You have gifted us with is for a purpose, Your purpose."