2nd Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Aaron was good when things went smoothly, where there was no backlash, or remonstrance from those whom he served. But when the heat was turned up several notches and he saw the unruly congregation as an existential threat to himself, he capitulated to them and buckled under pressure. This is not good, for in our day it causes preachers to water down the truth to please the popular majority.
Aaron’s response to this clamor should have been “Absolutely not or under no circumstances” and he then should have cautioned and encouraged those under his care to be patient in waiting for Moses, especially since the cloud of glory still hovered over Mt. Sinai. In times of crises, persons with backbone are needed, who will not bow to pressure from those who are bent on doing evil.
But Aaron was not of this character and the people persisted, and they became more irate when they saw his feeble remonstrance. Thus, they came to believe that if they would push him a bit further, they would eventually break his morale, and they were correct in their assessments, as the following scriptures show.
Exodus 32:4 And he received them at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!