BEFORE THE CALF WAS MOLDED IN THE FIRE, COMPROMISE WAS FORGED IN THEIR HEARTS. Lately, I’ve been a little obsessed with the early books of the Bible. Maybe it’s because someone once told me: When you don’t know how to move forward, look back. Back there—between Genesis and Deuteronomy—are countless stories of victory, deliverance, and yes, moments of failure turned into grace. A few weeks ago I preached about the infamous “Golden Calf Debacle” from Exodus 32—a moment when impatience gave birth to idolatry. We talked about how fear of people can twist the call of God, how convenience always...