Exodus 23-31: Hurry Up

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Ex. 32:1 NIV

Sometimes I speed read through all of the chapters in Exodus that describe how the temple was to be built and God!s laws for the priesthood.  Hurry up, I think.  Let's get to the next place...let's get to a place where something is happening,

That must have been how the Children of Israel were feeling when Moses was so late in coming back down from the mountain,  It began in a very exciting way:  On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently -Ex 19:16-18 NIV

What began with so much excitement, as the Israelites sat around waiting for Moses to return, was becoming boring, bordering on drudgery.   Here they were; they had been to the base of the mountain, they had seen the fire and smoke that denoted God's presence, they watched and waited as Moses and Aaron went up to get closer.  In a short while, Aaron came back while Moses went on even closer to God.  Then, "what...no Moses?  Did God kill Moses because he got to close?  Are we on our own from here on out?  We need someone to lead us, why not a Golden calf?  Why not some inanimate object that won't lead us into so many strange places?"

Thus, the Children of Israel drifted into sin, missing entirely what God was doing.  God was great in the here and now, but if any waiting on him was required, then anything else would substitute.  Just as with the Children of Israel, how often do I want God to 'hurry up'?  How often do I miss out
entirely on what he is doing because I am too impatient to wait?