Di Gold Calf

Earrings dey fall enter fire. Gold melt and dey flow. And from di mould, one shining calf comot. One crowd gather round am and shout, Na dis be your gods, Israel, wey bring you comot from Egypt!

Only few weeks before, di people hear God talk from Mount Sinai. Dem hear, you no go get any other god before me. Dem hear, no make idol. And dem promise, everything wey di Lord talk, we go do. Then Moses climb go back inside di cloud to collect di stone tablets of di covenant. One day pass. Then another one. Days turn weeks. Forty days and forty nights, and Moses still never come down.

Di people no fit wait again. Dem gather round Aaron, Moses brother. Come. Make gods for us wey go lead us. As for dis Moses, di man wey bring us comot from Egypt, we no know wetin happen to am. And Aaron gree. Remove your gold earrings and bring dem come give me. Dem do am. E melt di gold and shape am into calf. Then Aaron build altar for im front and announce, Tomorrow na feast to di Lord. Next morning di people bring offerings, sit down to chop and drink, and then stand up to play and dance. Dem never forget God name. Dem just decide to worship am their own way, for di exact way wey e tell dem make dem no do.

Up for di mountain, God tell Moses. Go down. Your people don corrupt themselves. Dem don quickly turn comot from di way wey I command dem. God vex dey burn. E talk about judgement, and about to start again with Moses alone. But Moses beg for dem. Lord, why your vex go burn against your people, wey you bring comot from Egypt with great power? Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, your servants, and di promise wey you swear give dem. And di Lord change im mind. E no bring di disaster wey e talk about.

Moses start to come down from di mountain with di two tablets for im hands, wey di finger of God write. Joshua, wey dey wait for halfway, hear di noise. E sound like war dey for camp. Moses listen. No be di sound of victory, or of defeat. Na singing. Then dem near reach where dem fit see. Di calf. Di dancing. And Moses vex catch fire. E throw di tablets down, and dem break to pieces for di foot of di mountain. E take di calf, burn am, grind am to powder, scatter am on top water, and make di people drink am.

Moses turn to im brother. Wetin dis people do you, wey make you lead dem enter dis kind big sin? Aaron excuse almost pass belief. You know how dis people be. Dem give me di gold, I throw am inside fire, and dis calf come out. Na dark and painful day. Judgement dey for di camp, and many people die. Di next morning, Moses tell di people, Una don sin big sin. But I go go up to di Lord. Maybe I fit make atonement for una. And e go back up, and pray one of di bravest prayers for di Bible. Abeg forgive their sin. And if not, blot me comot from di book wey you don write. God answer say each person go answer for im own sin. But e no abandon im people. E tell Moses, go, lead dem go front.

Di calf no be just any choice. For di ancient Near East, bulls and young bulls stand for strength, and people dey often link dem with gods. Centuries after Sinai, King Jeroboam of Israel set up two gold calves, for Bethel and for Dan, and e use almost di same words: see your gods, Israel, wey bring you comot from Egypt. Scholars still dey discuss whether di calf suppose be another god wey dey compete, or image of di Lord imself. Anyhow e be, God don talk: no images.

Di Gold Calf. You go find am for Exodus chapter thirty-two. Di people no fit wait again and dem make god wey dem fit see and control. But Moses stand for di gap, and God no give up on dem. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When God be like say e dey slow, which gold calves you dey tempted to build?