Acts 7:41

And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

And {G2532} they made a calf {G3447} in {G1722} those {G1565} days {G2250}, and {G2532} offered {G321} sacrifice {G2378} unto the idol {G1497}, and {G2532} rejoiced {G2165} in {G1722} the works {G2041} of their own {G846} hands {G5495}.

That was when they made an idol in the shape of a calf and offered a sacrifice to it and held a celebration in honor of what they had made with their own hands.

At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.

And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

Acts 7:41 is part of Stephen's powerful defense before the Sanhedrin, where he recounts Israel's long history of rejecting God's prophets and His direct guidance. This particular verse highlights a significant moment of rebellion during the wilderness wanderings.

Context

Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, delivers a lengthy sermon tracing God's faithfulness to Israel from Abraham through Moses and beyond. He emphasizes that despite God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites frequently rebelled. Verse 41 specifically refers to the infamous incident of the Golden Calf. This occurred while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law from God. In Moses' absence, the people grew impatient and pressured Aaron to make them gods to go before them, revealing a profound lack of faith and a yearning for tangible, controllable deities, similar to the gods they had witnessed in Egypt.

Key Themes

  • Idolatry and Rebellion: The act of making a calf and sacrificing to it was a direct violation of the first two commandments, which forbade having other gods before the Lord and making graven images. It represents a turning away from the one true God who had just delivered them.
  • Worship of Human Creation: The phrase "rejoiced in the works of their own hands" is crucial. It signifies a profound spiritual error: finding satisfaction and security in something they themselves created, rather than in the living God who created them and sustained them. This is a common theme in the Old Testament, where prophets often condemn Israel for trusting in their own strength, alliances, or idols rather than the Lord.
  • Impatience and Lack of Faith: The people's impatience for Moses' return led them to seek immediate, visible forms of worship, demonstrating a lack of trust in God's timing and unseen presence.

Related Scriptures

This event is detailed in Exodus 32. The making of the calf directly violated the commands given in Exodus 20:4-5. Paul later warns against similar forms of idolatry, where people worship "the creature more than the Creator" (Romans 1:25), a concept echoed in the Israelites' rejoicing in the work of their own hands.

Practical Application

While modern society may not typically worship golden calves, the principle of idolatry remains highly relevant. Anything that takes God's rightful place in our lives—whether it's money, career, relationships, comfort, self-image, or personal achievements—can become an idol. "Rejoicing in the works of our own hands" can manifest as pride in our accomplishments, trusting in our own abilities or resources more than in God's provision and guidance. Stephen's recounting of this historical sin serves as a powerful warning for believers today to constantly examine our hearts and ensure our ultimate allegiance and worship are directed solely to the living God, not to anything created by human hands or effort.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 106:19

    They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

  • Psalms 106:21

    They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

  • Nehemiah 9:18

    Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

  • Habakkuk 2:18

    What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

  • Habakkuk 2:20

    But the LORD [is] in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

  • Revelation 9:20

    And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

  • Hosea 9:10

    I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: [but] they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto [that] shame; and [their] abominations were according as they loved.

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