“And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out” (Ex. 32:24).
In today’s passage, Moses confronts Aaron with his sin, but Aaron refuses to repent of it. Let’s look at the various ways that Aaron avoids true confession and heartfelt repentance.
The first indication that this is a trivial rationalization instead of true penitence comes when Aaron pleads with Moses not to be angry. Aaron sinned against God, not his brother. But Aaron, not having to deal directly with God, was more concerned about appeasing Moses. This is often the way it is with the impenitent. They are more concerned with turning away the anger of their fellow men than with being reconciled to God. Notice that David, in his prayer in Psalm 51, confesses that he sinned against God, that he had incited God’s displeasure. This is the posture of a true penitent, he recognizes that God has been wronged and so he seeks reconciliation with God first.
The second indication that Aaron was not really sincere in his confession is that he blames the people. He calls them evil and corrupt. It is typical for us to transfer our guilt to others, and to draw a dark picture of them so that we look better by comparison. Adam did it, and Eve after him. We don’t want to own our sin, so we blame others. Sometimes we do this blatantly as Aaron did, sometimes more subtly, making the implication that we are not to blame because of our past, our situation or our parents. Whatever the object of blame, if we do not own our sin and admit our guilt, we cannot be truly penitent. Notice, too, Aaron even blames Moses, suggesting that, if he had not stayed so long on the mount, he never would have sinned.
Lastly, Aaron soft-pedals his role in the idolatry by saying, “I just asked them to toss in some gold jewelry and then, poof, a calf appeared.” Those who will not name their sin, who will not take full responsibility for their part, cannot be truly penitent. Aaron refuses to admit that he fashioned the calf with his own hands. He tells just enough to get by, but no more. We must be wary of those who confess to playing only a part in sin. Often, the role they played was much larger than they care to admit.
Aaron has provided for us a lesson in how to be impenitent. Let us not follow his example, but do as Christ has commanded by confessing our sin and finding forgiveness in Him.
Do your confessions sound anything like Aaron’s? Be honest with yourself. Are you ever more concerned about having offended another person than about having offended God? Do you ever blame other people for your sin? Do you ever tell only part of the story? If so, make a new start today. Own your guilt and confess your sin.