‘The golden calf in Exodus 32 : a relational approach’

Abstract

The narrative of the golden bull in Exodus 32 depicts a threat to the existence of the Israelites. Yahweh wanted to annihilate the people because they had made and worshiped the golden. In this dissertation, I have explored the use of gold making cult images that are associated with the presence of deities moving from the general Ancient Near East to specifically the golden calf in Exodus 32. The image of the golden calf has been explored alongside the Cherubim. Exodus 32 is linked to the story Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12 in which he made two golden bulls and placed them in the temple at Dan and Bethel. This relationship is important in establishing the history of the narrative of the golden calf and the understanding of the sin of the golden calf, especially that the Jeroboam’s sin of the bulls has been depicted as the reason for the down of the Northern Kingdom and later the South Kingdom (2 Kgs. 17:19-20). The sin of the golden calf in Exodus 32 affected the relationship between the people and Yahweh to an extent that Yahweh wanted to destroy the people. The sin also affected relationships among the people relationship to point of 3000 men been killed. All this can be argued to have stemmed from the misuse of gold. The people used gold to make the golden calf which brought shame to them instead of honouring Yahweh. In this dissertation I have shown that the relational response espoused by Kessler (2013) shed any light on the understanding of Exodus 32. This is in the sense that it highlights the understanding that the test is made of several theological streams which are weaved together in the process of redaction. Additionally, it highlights the emphasis of worshiping Yahweh in a way that he revealed through Moses rather than in a way which the people thought was right – the way of revealing Yahweh thorough the golden calf.