Moses 15

 (2-67-71) (2-55-56)(7-155)

          Moses had brought guidance from God and it was not easy for the Israelites to act on it.  They were used to working under threats and fear; as a free nation in the desert they had to act spontaneously, but they had no desire to act according to the law of God.   They told Moses, “You are saying these laws are given by God, but we are not going to act upon them unless we see God with our eyes.  You have been going to Mount Sinai frequently; we also want to go there and see God.”

          Moses chose seventy individuals from his nation and took them to the mountain to fulfill their desire.  When they reached the mountain an earthquake was waiting for them.  The earth rumbled, and the cloud-covered mountain thundered with lightning.  The Israelites were so frightened that they fainted.  They could not bear the thundering clouds with lightning and the rumbling of the earth.  Before that they had been boasting and wanted to see God face to face.  Moses prayed to God, “Please forgive us for what some foolish folk did among us.  If you wanted to finish us you would have done so much earlier.  Have mercy on us because You are the best of all who show forgiveness.” After the revival, the Israelites made no demand to see God.

          The Egyptians believed that the gods descended to the earth in the shape of animals.  Their god Taurus was worshipped as a heavenly bull and the bull cult was very popular in Egypt; even their goddess Astarte or Ashtoreth was shown as a young woman with cow’s horns on top of her head.  In ancient Egypt, the wearing of cattle horns implied great power as ruler and prince; the horns themselves represented a god and goddess.

          The bull worship had been prevalent in Egypt for centuries; the Israelites were affected by these practices.  The Quran says that the love of calf had nestled in their unconscious minds, so in order to get rid of this notion God ordered them to sacrifice a bull.  When Moses delivered this message to the Israelites they were flabbergasted.  “What! God wants us to kill a bull?  Are you sure or is this a joke?”  Moses replied, “What do you expect?  Can I even think of misinterpreting the message of God almighty?” The Israelites had no heart to sacrifice a bull, but they could not refuse Moses, so they started making excuses and applying delaying tactics.  They said, “Please ask God what kind of bull is to be sacrificed.” The answer was the bull should be of mature age, not too young or old.  Moreover, the Israelites should not dilly-dally in carrying out an order.

          They said, “No, we are not delaying the matter; we are not sure about the color of the bull.”  The Israelites were told that the color of the bull should be deep yellow.   However, they said, “We are not absolutely clear; we require further elaboration about it, so that we may comply with the order.”  They were told the bull should be sound and unmarked and it should never have been used for tilling the land or drawing water.” There was no chance for any more quibbling; the matter was crystal clear. Although they were reluctant to kill a bull, they did it.

          There was no need for a hair-splitting discussion for a simple order.  The Israelites were ordered to sacrifice a bull, so they should have gotten a bull and sacrificed it.  However, they did not comply with a simple order and kept asking unnecessary questions to delay it.  In the end a special type of bull, which was used in Egypt for worship, was pointed out for them, which was even harder for them to slaughter.