When Moses is away for 40 days with God to get the ten commandments in stone, the Israelites demand Aaron make a gold bull for them to worship. Aaron does, without quibble, and God is so angry that Moses has to plead for their lives.

When he gets down from the mountain though Moses is so angry that he cracks the stones. He also grinds the golden calf into powder and makes the Israelites drink it with water. The Lord also sends disease.

God says he will no longer travel with the people, as “they will make me destroy them.”

But again Moses begs for forgiveness, and asks the Lord to travel with them. So the Lord signs a new covenant with the people of Israel, and gives instructions for the Ark of the Covenant, which is to be His place to come down to earth to be with His people.

The Lord will travel in the Ark.

I like this story because it shows that even before Jesus, in his smiting and punishing phase, God forgave His people terrible sins

Dear Father, Thank you for being my forgiving God. Please forgive me my sins, and please ensure I do not fall for modern, false idols while I wait for you to come again, In Jesus’ name, Amen.