12. Proceeding, Paul recounts the vices which occasioned God's
punishment and overthrow of the people in the wilderness. First, he
says, they lusted after evil things. In the second year from the
departure, when they actually had come into Canaan, they forgot God's
kindness and wonderful works in their behalf and, becoming
dissatisfied, longed to be back in Egypt to sit by the flesh-pots.
They murmured against God and Moses until God was forced summarily to
stop them with fire from heaven. Many of the people were consumed and
a multitude more were smitten with a great plague while yet they ate
of the flesh they craved; therefore the place of the camp was named
the "Graves of Lust." Num 11. Such was the reward of their
concupiscence, which Paul here aptly explains as "lusting after evil
things."
13. Truly it is but lusting after the wrath and punishment of God
when, in forgetfulness of and ingratitude for his grace and goodness
we seek something new. The world is coming to be filled with the
spirit of concupiscence, for the multitude is weary of the Gospel.
Particularly are they dissatisfied with it because it profits not the
flesh; contributes not to power, wealth and luxury. Men desire again
the old and formal things of popery, notwithstanding they suffered
therein extreme oppression and were burdened not less than were the
people of Israel in Egypt. But they will eventually have to pay a
grievous penalty for their concupiscence.
14. In the third place, the apostle mentions the great sin--idolatry.
"Neither be ye idolaters," he counsels, "as were some of them." Not
simply the lower class of people were guilty in this respect, but the
leaders and examples. As they led, the multitude followed. Even
Aaron, the brother of Moses, himself high-priest, swayed by the
influential ones, yielded and set up the golden calf (Ex 32, 4) while
Moses tarried in the mount. We are astounded that those eminently
worthy individuals, having heard God's Word and seen his wonders
liberally displayed, should so soon fall unrestrainedly into the
false worship of idolatry, as if they were heathen and possessed not
the Word. Much less need we wonder that the blind world always is
entangled with idol-worship.
15. Where the Word of God is lacking or disregarded, human wisdom
makes for itself a worship. It will find its pleasure in the thing of
its own construction and regard it something to be prized, though it
may be imperatively forbidden in God's Word, perhaps even an
abomination before him. Human reason thinks it may handle divine
matters according to its own judgment; that God must be pleased with
what suits its pleasure. Accordingly, to sanction idolatry, it
appropriates the name of the Word of God. The Word must be forced
into harmony with the false worship to give the latter an admirable
appearance, notwithstanding the worship is essentially the reverse of
what it is made to appear. Similarly popery set off its abominations
of the mass, of monkery and the worship of saints; and the world in
turn seeks to set off that idolatry to make it stand before God's
Word.
Such is the conduct of the eminent Aaron when he makes for the people
the golden calf (Ex 32, 5-6), an image or sign of their offerings and
worship. He builds an altar to it and causes to be proclaimed a feast
to the Lord who has led them out of the land of Egypt. They must
imitate the worship of the true God, a worship of sincere devotion
and honest intention, with their offering, the calf, in the attempt
to introduce a refined and ennobling worship.
16. Thereupon follows what is recorded in Exodus 32, 6, to which Paul
here refers: "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt
offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to
eat and to drink, and rose up to play." That is, they rejoiced and
were well pleased with themselves, content to have performed such
worship, and deemed they had done well. Next they proceed to their
own pleasure, as if having provided against God's anger. Thenceforth
they would live according to their inclinations, wholly unrestrained
and unreproved by the Word of God; for, as they said, Aaron made the
people free.
17. Such is the usual course of idolatry. Refusing to be considered a
sin, it presumes to merit grace and boasts of the liberty of the
people of God. It continues unrepentant and self-assured, even in the
practice of open vice, imagining every offense to be forgiven before
God for the sake of its holy worship. Thus have the priestly rabble
of popery been doing hitherto; and they still adorn--yes, strengthen
and defend--their shameful adultery, unchastity and all vices, with
the name of the Church, the holy worship, the mass, and so on.