Reading 24 | The Bible in 100 Passages

Tuesday, October 7, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Exodus 32:1–10

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.

The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.” (NRSV)

Reflection

Patience is a virtue. The number of times my parents told me that growing up — OK, they tell me that even today. I am a person who likes a schedule. I get antsy when things start to fall behind that schedule. It doesn’t even have to be an important thing. If the bus tracker said the bus was going to be here seven minutes ago, then I start obsessively checking the tracker. I start gaming out if it would be better to take another bus route, walk to the Red Line, or hail a cab? Eventually a bus shows up.

My relationship with God can fall into some of the same pitfalls. I need God in my life doing something, right now. God isn’t doing something. Why isn’t God doing something? How do I adjust for God not doing something?

In moments like this, I become like the Israelites who created false idols because, despite all that God had done for them, their anxiety caused them to abandon their trust in the unseen God for something tangible.

So often I treat my relationship with God as if it must fit into my expectations and my timeline. God likes to laugh at my timeline. But that doesn’t mean that God is absent from my life. Sometimes I need to block out all the distractions in this world to see it.

Prayer

Gracious God, though I may be impatient, though my anxiety may cause me to fear, help me to trust in your wisdom and grace. Help me to see through the distractions and to focus on you. Amen.

Written by Katie Patterson, Ministry Team Director

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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