John Calvin Commentary Acts 7:40

"saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him." — Acts 7:40 (ASV)

Make us. Though the Jews had turned back in diverse ways, Stephen makes choice of one notable example above all the rest of their filthy and detestable treachery: namely, when they made themselves a calf, so that they might worship it instead of God. For no more filthy thing can be conceived than their unthankfulness.

They confess that they were delivered out of Egypt; nor do they deny that this was done by the grace of God and the ministry of Moses. Yet, nevertheless, they reject the Author of such great goodness, along with the minister. And under what pretext? They pretend they do not know what has become of Moses.

But they know very well that he is on the mountain. They saw him with their own eyes when he went up there, until the Lord took him to Himself by surrounding him with a cloud. Again, they know that Moses is absent for their benefit, as he had promised that he would return and bring to them the law which God would give.

He had instructed them only to be quiet for a while. Suddenly, within a short time and without any cause, they raised mad uproars. Yet, so that they might cover their madness with some pretext of reason, they insisted on having gods present with them, as if God had shown them no sign of His presence until now. But His glory appeared daily in the cloud and pillar of fire.

Therefore, we see how hastily they rushed into idolatry through wicked contempt of God—to say nothing for now of how filthy and wicked their unthankfulness was, in having so soon forgotten those miracles which they should have remembered even until the end of the world. Thus, by this one act of backsliding, it appears sufficiently clear what a stubborn and rebellious people they were.

Moreover, it was more fitting for Stephen's argument to recount this history of their rebellion rather than others. For in it, the people completely overthrow the worship of God; they refuse the doctrine of the law; they introduce a strange and profane religion.

And this account is notable because it points out the source from which all kinds of superstitions have flowed since the beginning, and especially what the origin of idol-making was: namely, because humanity, being carnal, nevertheless insists on having God present in a way that accords with its fleshly understanding.

This is the reason why people in all ages have been so bold as to make idols. And God, indeed, condescends to our immaturity to this extent: He shows Himself visibly, in a way, under figures. For there were many signs under the Law to testify to His presence. And He comes down to us, even to this day, through baptism and the Supper, and also through the external preaching of the Word.

But people offend in two ways in this regard. First, not being content with the means which God has appointed, they boldly devise new means for themselves. This is no small fault, because they are always eager for new inventions, observing no moderation, and so they are not afraid to transgress the boundaries which God has appointed for them.

But there can be no true image of God, except that which He has appointed. Therefore, whatever images are feigned and invented by humanity apart from His Word, they are false and corrupt.

There is also another vice, no less intolerable: namely, that as the human mind conceives nothing of God except what is coarse and earthly, so it reduces all signs of God’s presence to the same coarseness. Humankind not only delights in those idols which it has made itself, but also corrupts whatever God has ordained by twisting it to a contrary purpose.

God comes down to us, indeed, as I have already said, but for this purpose: that He may lift us up to heaven with Him. But we, because we are entirely focused on the earth, insist, in the same way, on having Him on the earth. By this means His heavenly glory is deformed, and what the Israelites say here, Make us gods., is completely fulfilled.

For whoever does not worship God spiritually makes a new god for himself. And yet, if you thoroughly weigh all things, the Israelites do not intend to have a god made deliberately by them; rather, they think they have the true and eternal God in the form of the golden calf.

For they are ready to offer the appointed sacrifice, and they approve with their consent what Aaron says: that these are the gods by whom they were brought out of Egypt. But God pays no heed to those frivolous imaginations; He complains that people put strange gods in His place as soon as they depart even a little from His Word.