While Moses was up on the mountain receiving the Law from God, the people became impatient and asked Aaron to make a “god” for them (Exodus 32:1). He collected their gold and made a golden calf and declared it to be their “god” (Exodus 32:2-4).

The next day the people began worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32:6). After this, God became angry (32:7-10), Moses interceded for them (Exodus 32:11-14), and then he went down and saw what they were doing and broke the tablets of stone in frustration (Exodus 32:15-19). Finally Moses confronted Aaron: “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” (Exodus 32:21).

However, Aaron didn’t want to take responsibility for this. Instead, he blamed the people: “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil” (Exodus 32:22). His statement about the people was true (Exodus 33:3). Yet that did not excuse him.

It is easy to come up with reasons why we fail to do what we ought to do. It is especially tempting to blame others in these instances. Yet in every case, we are responsible to do what’s right no matter what others do.

So take responsibility. We must not try to justify or excuse our faults and failings because of what others did or didn’t do. Even if our assessment of others is accurate, it doesn’t absolve us of responsibility. We must always do what is right.

-Daily Bible Notes

(Note from today’s Bible reading: Exodus 30-32)

Almost invariably, when a great blessing occurs or an extraordinary event takes place, someone commenting on it says, “it’s a miracle!” It may be said to acknowledge the astonishing nature of the event (perhaps a drowning person was rescued; a person survived a shot to the head, etc.). Or such a comment may be an attempt to assign the event to the power of God.

There is no dispute that God works in this world to accomplish His purposes. However, every work of God in this world cannot be described scripturally as a “miracle.” God is sovereign, and His hand is in the affairs of men (Rom. 8:28; Phil. 2:13). What is in dispute is whether God has appointed men through whom He works supernatural deeds today (like the apostles of Christ did in the New Testament). The Scriptures say “no” for several reasons. Consider the following two.

(1) The purpose of miracles. Miracles showed the compassion of God and they were also God’s endorsement of the message being preached by the men through whom the miracles were done (Mark 16:15-20; Heb. 2:3-4). The miracles confirmed or validated the word as being divine (Acts 14:3). Once the gospel was confirmed as divine, its validity remains true without further need of validation (Gal. 1:11). Therefore, a vital question must be asked if similar miracles are really happening today: “What is the new revelation that needs to have miraculous confirmation?” While some claim they have new revelation, the Scriptures teach the first century word is incorruptible and sufficient to meet our spiritual needs (1 Pet. 1:22-25; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). There is no new revelation. Therefore, there are no confirming miracles being worked today.

(2) Who had the power to work miracles? The apostles of Christ and those upon whom they laid their hands (to impart miraculous spiritual gifts) were the human agents through whom God worked miracles in the gospel age (Acts 2:1-4; 6:6; 8:4-8, 14-24; 19:6). There are no apostles living today to work miracles and impart miraculous spiritual gifts to others. Thus, the age of miracles has ended.

When astonishing things happen and great blessings occur today, they are not miracles as defined in the Scriptures. Bible miracles left no doubt, even in the eyes of the unbelievers, that a supernatural event had taken place (John 11:42-47; Acts 4:13-16).

There is a difference between miracles and divine providence (God’s activities in this world, including answering prayers, Matt. 7:7-11; Acts 14:17). Our ability to distinguish Bible miracles that were worked through people in Bible times from the blessings of divine providence is the difference between correctly discerning and using God’s word, and being deceived by the deluded claims of modern “miracle workers” and “faith healers” (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Thess. 2:9-12). 

-Reprint, The Spirit’s Sword (2/20/2011)