[Heart-Rest]

"Evidently, you missed the point entirely because my comment had nothing to do with the substance we call "gold" but rather that Aaron thought he could feast to the Lord in front of the idol, the golden calf. Which is to say, he wanted to have his cake and eat it, too."

So you think that what Aaron was doing there was using a "holy thing for a holy purpose"?

That's not what I would ever call it.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for your encouragements, dear CynicalBear!

Heart-Rest: So you think that what Aaron was doing there was using a "holy thing for a holy purpose"?

Your question is irrelevant.

I was responding specifically to your earlier remark, when you said:

So you think that God does not have the power to transform a thing used by pagans for pagan purposes into a holy thing, used for holy purposes?

I said at post 276 that "Aaron already tried that when he announced that they would feast to the LORD in front of the golden calf."

In the example, Aaron evidently did not see any problem letting the people have their golden calf idol as long as they were feasting to the Lord in front of it.

In other words, surely it would be ok with the Lord to indulge the people's pagan customs or desires as long as they were giving Him respect also - pagan stuff but "holy" intent.

Big mistake on Aaron's part. In fact, God wanted to kill them all and make a new nation out of Moses.

And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. - Exodus 32:9-10

The point being, worshipping idols is worshipping idols - a priest like Aaron couldn't make the pagan practice acceptable to God simply by declaring that they would be feasting to Him in front of it.

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring [them] unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto Aaron. And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow [is] a feast to the LORD. - Exodus 32:1-5