Exodus 32: Returning to Bondage?
I’ll be honest—reading Exodus 32 this week hit differently. Every time I go through this chapter, I shake my head at the Israelites. How could they? How could they see the Red Sea part, experience God’s miracles firsthand, and still turn to idolatry at the first moment of uncertainty?
But then I have to stop myself—because I did the same thing.
I knew God. I had seen His power in my life. And yet, when things got difficult, when I felt like I couldn’t hear Him, I turned back to the very things He had freed me from. I drifted back into the New Age, back into the deception that once had a grip on me, back into bondage.
Not just “a mistake.” Not just “a bad choice.” It was a return to bondage—even though I had already been set free.
And that’s why this chapter matters. Exodus 32 isn’t just a historical event—it’s a mirror into our own hearts. It’s a warning that sin isn’t just about breaking rules. It’s about bowing to another master.
Exodus 32: When We Trade Freedom for Chains
The story is familiar:
Israel had been freed from slavery after 400 years in Egypt.
They had seen God’s power—plagues, the Passover, the Red Sea.
They had been given a covenant—set apart as God’s own people.
And yet, the moment Moses was gone a little too long, they panicked.
“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’” (Exodus 32:1)
Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving God’s law, but instead of waiting, they took matters into their own hands. They melted their gold into an idol, something they could see and control, and called it their god.
The most tragic part? They weren’t just breaking a rule—they were enslaving themselves again. The golden calf wasn’t freedom. It was Egypt all over again—just in a different form.
And this is what sin does. It always promises something better, something easier, something more certain. But in the end, it always leads back to bondage.
My Own Golden Calf: Returning to the New Age
I get this more than I’d like to admit.
God had already set me free from the deception of the New Age. I knew it was a lie. I knew it was a counterfeit. And yet, just like the Israelites, I found myself turning back.
Why? Because grief dragged me into the blackness of myself. Because I got impatient. Because I let doubt creep in. Because I wanted something I could feel, something I could control, something tangible.
And just like Israel, I told myself lies to justify it. I’m not rejecting God, I’m just looking for “deeper truth.” I’m not worshiping another god, I’m just trying to “connect with the universe.” But at the root of it all? I was walking back into slavery.
It wasn’t just disobedience. It was me submitting myself to another master—to deception, to darkness, to chains Christ had already broken.
And it nearly destroyed me.
Jesus’ Words in John 8: Sin as Slavery
This is exactly what Jesus warned about:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)
Sin is not just “a mistake.” It’s a master.
For Israel, idolatry was a return to slavery. For me, the New Age was a return to slavery. And for all of us, anytime we knowingly turn back to sin, we are handing ourselves back over to something that wants to own us.
And here’s the scary part: sin will own you if you let it.
It will demand more and more. It will wrap tighter around your heart. And before you even realize it, you’ll be in chains again.
That’s why Jesus doesn’t just offer forgiveness—He offers freedom.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
I don’t want to be a slave. And I know you don’t either.
Galatians 5:1 – Stay Free
Paul understood this, which is why he gave this powerful warning in Galatians:
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
You are already free.
Christ already broke the chains.
Don’t go back.
Israel was free, but they ran back to their chains. I was free, but I ran back to mine.
But the beautiful thing? God still welcomed me back. Just like He had mercy on Israel, He had mercy on me. And just like He continued to lead them forward, He is leading me forward now.
What About You?
This week’s reading hit me hard because I see myself in Israel. But I also see the mercy of God, the open arms of Jesus, and the call to stand firm in the freedom He has given me.
So let me ask you:
Are there areas where you have returned to old chains?
Have you been flirting with sin, thinking it won’t really enslave you?
Do you truly believe that Jesus is enough, or are you still searching for a golden calf?
The enemy wants you back in chains. But Jesus came to set you free, fully and forever.
So today, I choose freedom.
Today, I choose to walk in the victory Christ already won for me.
Today, I refuse to bow to anything but Jesus.
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1
