Do not shake the center of the title
Exodus (93) Don't let your heart be shaken
(Exodus 32:1-6)
< Characteristics of Aaron's Religion >
When Moses prayed on Mt. Sinai, the prayer lengthened, and the people were gripped with fear. I needed a visible God as something of a safeguard. At that time, when the people said, "Let's make a god!", Aaron was also shaken and eventually gave in to the voices of the people. Thus, the religion of the golden calf made of gold, Aaron's religion, which is a mixture of money and ups and downs in today's terms, was born. Aaron's religion has four characteristics.
1) We cannot wait for God's time. So when I'm not intoxicated with something, I feel anxious, so I always create something and can't stand the stillness. And I think that faith is something far from the experience of everyday life, and I look for only splendid and miraculous things.
2) Try to judge by what you see. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. But Aaron's religion is focused on the visible. That is why we want to boast of our membership and financial scale, and build a large and splendid church.
3) I know that fulfilling greed is faith. However, when you try to empty it than when you try to fill it, you can go on the right path, and the size of happiness and reward increases. When greed increases, it leads to sin, and when sin commits it, it inevitably brings about death.
4) I hate sacrificing for others. I have many words, but I hate the blood, sweat, and tears that must be shed to accomplish God's will. They have many complaints about reality, but they do not stand up to change it.
Aaron's religion is a false belief. Such false faith breaks down even in small difficulties, and when God does not respond according to his will, he is easily disappointed. But true believers do not seek cheap solace. A true believer wants God's will to be done through him rather than being satisfied with the desires of the flesh. In other words, rather than wanting God to be on his side, he wants himself to be on God's side. Without self, faith becomes true.
< Do not shake the center of gravity >
Aaron himself is not a bad person. The hero of the Exodus was Moses, but it was Aaron the high priest who united the community. Although Aaron was hidden behind the light of Moses, he is an important member of the Exodus community. No one knows what Aaron did before Moses was called. When Moses evaded his vocation because he could not speak, God said, “Isn’t your brother Aaron who can speak well?” and Aaron appears. From then on, Aaron became Moses' assistant and later became the chief priest, serving as the spiritual pillar of the exodus community.
God is mysterious. You create wonderful works by weaving people with different personalities into a team. The same goes for Moses and Aaron. Moses is fire and Aaron is water. Moses becomes angry and rebukes, fights with the people, and even turns against God. But rather than quarreling or scolding, Aaron accepts people like water. Aaron is more stable if Moses is subject to fluctuating emotions. Moses valued the fulfillment of God's will, and Aaron valued peace.
If Moses is the guardian of truth, Aaron is the guardian of the community. So Moses always stands close to God and Aaron is surrounded by the people. Moses always raises his voice to command and give orders, but Aaron listens to people and comforts them. While Moses is the sympathetic nervous system, Aaron is the parasympathetic nervous system dedicated to restoring and restoring broken relationships. Moses and Aaron were the two pillars that maintained the creative balance and supported the Exodus community.
As such, Aaron's character is attractive, but it shouldn't be swayed to the core. Even when the people asked, “Make a god to lead us,” we had to reject the request with a strong heart. However, he could not refuse the demands of the people and made a golden calf. It was inappropriate behavior and it was a big mistake. It is good to seek peace with people. Still, if you go on a path that violates the basic principles, you will never create a happy ending.
The golden calf was made for the sake of faith that is satisfied with what is seen. As long as it gives you a miracle, it is good for shamans and heretics. If you think that it would be good if you could only heal the sick and make you rich, and then flock to such places, you end up falling into the folly of idolatry. Asking for visible signs is what Jesus called “evil and immoral” (Matthew 12:39). When the environment becomes unstable and the economy deteriorates, the instinct to pursue visible targets becomes stronger, but remember the Lord's word that it is blessed to believe even if you can't see it even then, and do not shake the basic center of faith.