Exodus 32:22-26: a reflection

22Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23For they said to me, ‘Make us gods, which shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’ 24I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them take it off.’ So they gave it to me; and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25When Moses saw that the people were out of control, (for Aaron had let them lose control, causing derision among their enemies), 26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

When Moses confronts Aaron about the golden calf, Aaron's response is a study in evading responsibility. He blames the people: You know the people, that they are set on evil. He blames Moses' absence. And then, absurdly, he blames the fire itself: I threw the gold into the fire, and out came this calf, as though the calf had made itself, and he had merely stood by. Aaron will not own his own part in the sin; he passes the blame to the people, to circumstances, even to the fire, rather than admitting what he himself had done.

Notice how Aaron evades responsibility: blaming the people, the circumstances, even the fire, rather than owning his sin. He had led the people in making the calf; it was his hands that fashioned it. But confronted, he will not own it; he blames everyone and everything but himself, even claiming the calf simply emerged from the fire on its own. His excuses shift the blame away from himself, refusing to say plainly, I did this, I sinned. He evades his responsibility with excuses, unwilling to own his own part in the wrong.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can evade responsibility for our sin, blaming others and circumstances rather than owning it. When confronted with our wrong, our instinct can be to make excuses, to blame others, the circumstances, the pressures we were under, anything rather than plainly owning what we did, as Aaron blamed the people and the fire. Do not evade responsibility for your sin by blaming others and circumstances; own what you have done plainly, rather than making excuses like Aaron's. When you have done wrong, own it honestly rather than shifting the blame to others or to circumstances, as Aaron blamed the people and even the fire rather than admitting his part; for owning our sin, not excusing it, is the way to confession and forgiveness, and God is not deceived by the excuses that blame everyone but ourselves.

Lord, when Moses confronts Aaron about the golden calf, Aaron's response is a study in evading responsibility. He blames the people: you know the people, that they are set on evil. He blames Moses' absence. And then, absurdly, he blames the fire itself: I threw the gold into the fire, and out came this calf, as though the calf had made itself. Aaron will not own his own part in the sin; he passes the blame to the people, to circumstances, even to the fire, rather than admitting what he himself had done. Show me how Aaron evades responsibility: blaming the people, the circumstances, even the fire, rather than owning his sin. He had led the people in making the calf; it was his hands that fashioned it. But confronted, he will not own it; he blames everyone and everything but himself. His excuses shift the blame away, refusing to say plainly, I did this, I sinned. Take that to my heart, for I too can evade responsibility for my sin, blaming others and circumstances rather than owning it. When confronted with my wrong, my instinct can be to make excuses, to blame others, the circumstances, the pressures I was under, anything rather than plainly owning what I did, as Aaron blamed the people and the fire. Keep me from evading responsibility for my sin by blaming others and circumstances; help me own what I have done plainly, Lord, rather than making excuses like Aaron's. When I have done wrong, help me own it honestly rather than shifting the blame, for owning my sin, not excusing it, is the way to confession and forgiveness.