The Danger of Waiting Without God

“They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshipped it…”- Exodus 32:8

It’s easy to judge the Israelites for the idolatry they displayed and forget that we too, are often guilty of the same sin. In Exodus 32, after forty days of Moses’ absence in the Mountain, the Israelites created a golden calf to worship out of fear and impatience. God had delivered them from Egypt, provided for them in the wilderness, and revealed His covenant love, yet still, they turned their worship away so quickly. This story thus exposes the condition of the human heart: sometimes restless, impatient, and prone to question in seasons of waiting.

John Calvin also brings attention to the condtion of the the human heart, calling it “a perpetual idol factory.” Our hearts, referred to in the Bible as the root of sin (Matthew 15:19), continually invent new things to worship. For the Israelites, it was the golden calf, but for us today, idolatry might look like placing work, success, our relationships, or comfort as the key desires of our hearts. That’s why the first commandment is so clear: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

Uncovering The Truth Behind Idolatry

One of the things that the Israelites’ story teaches us is that idolatry takes root when we lose sight of God’s greatness and try to shape Him into something we can understand or control. Their actions in Exodus 32 reveal just how limited their view of God had become in the midst of their impatience:

• They credited their deliverance to “Moses, who brought us out of Egypt” instead of the Lord (verse 1).
• They replaced the living God with false gods: “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt” (verse 4).
• The calf was meant to represent God – a distortion of His true nature: “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD” (verse 5).
• Their worship became self-indulgent: “They sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry” (verse 6).

But where the Israelites reduced God to something small, other examples in the Bible such as Moses and Paul saw Him as He truly is. Moses appealed to the Lord’s power and covenant faithfulness, and Paul described Him as the “immortal God.” Their lives remind us that a right view of God always leads to right worship.

Turning From Idols to God

When God seems silent as we wait for a miracle, when prayers for healing or restoration feel unanswered, or when a long job search stretches on, our hearts can drift toward other things to trust. We easily make idols of the works that we create when the results we want don’t come quickly enough, and ourselves when we try to take control instead of trusting in God.

The first step away from idolatry, then, is simple but also hard: displaying honesty before God. Ask Him to reveal what has quietly taken His place in your heart, and consider these three questions: Where does my mind wander when I’m at rest? What do I depend on for comfort or control? What do I fear losing most?

As we begin to shine a light on these idols and ask God to reorient our desires, freedom begins. Overcoming idolatry therefore isn’t just about removing what’s wrong; it’s also about filling our hearts with what is true. The more we behold God through His Word and Spirit, the less we crave what cannot satisfy.

The Hope That Sets Us Free

The truth is, we all fall into the trap of idolatry, loving created things more than the Creator. And while God’s law demands complete devotion, none of us give it perfectly all the time. That’s why the gospel is such good news.

God, in His mercy, sent Jesus to free us from the idols that can never satisfy. He obeyed the law perfectly, took the penalty of our sin upon Himself, and offers His righteousness to all who believe. The law was never meant to save; it was meant to show us our need for Him – the only One worthy of our worship.

This truth should humble and free us. We no longer have to chase what cannot satisfy or strive to earn God’s favour. Where our hearts have turned to idols, Christ’s love draws us back. He alone can change our desires and redirect our worship toward what is true and lasting.

So the call isn’t to work or try harder to remove these idols, but instead to turn to Jesus, bringing our misplaced works before Him in repentance and trusting that His grace is enough.