Base Idolatry In the absence of Moses the congregation demanded of Aaron to make them gods to go before them and lead them back into Egypt. This was an insult to their chief leader, the Son of the infinite God. Only a few weeks before, they had stood trembling with awe and terror before the mount, listening to the words of the Lord: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” The glory which sanctified the mount when the voice was heard which shook the mountain to its foundation, still hovered over it in sight of the congregation; but the Hebrews turned away their eyes and asked for other gods. Moses, their visible leader, was in converse with God in the mount. They forgot the promise and the warning of God: “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him, and obey His voice, provoke Him not; for He will not pardon your transgressions: for My name is in Him.” {3T 339.3}

Afgudsdyrkelse i bund og grund.
Under Moses fravær gjorde menigheden under Arons forlangne sig guder til at gå foran sig og lede dem tilbage til Ægypten. Dette var en forhånelse over for deres første leder, den ubegrænsede Guds søn. Kun nogle få uger før, havde de stået skælvende i ærefrygt og rædsel foran bjerget og lyttet (340) til Herrens ord: »Du må ikke have andre guder end mig.« Den herlighed som helligede bjerget da røsten blev hørt og som rystede bjerget i dets grundvold, svævede stadig i menighedens øjne; men hebræerne vendte deres øjne væk og bad om andre guder. Moses, deres synlige leder, var i samtale med Gud på bjerget. De glemte Guds løfte og advarsel: »Se, jeg sender en engel foran dig for at vogte dig undervejs og føre dig til det sted, jeg har beredt. Tag dig vel i vare for ham og adlyd ham; vær ikke genstridig imod ham, thi han skal ikke tilgive eders overtrædelser, efterdi mit navn er i ham."