It was not that Aaron led the Hebrews into sin, but, on his watch, he did not stand up to their deep proneness to sin, being the weak leader that he was. The quality of leadership can make or break a push by the masses to immerse themselves in wickedness.
Here is that account as related in The New American Bible: “Moses, asked Aaron, ‘What did this people ever do to you that you should lead them into so grave a sin?’”
My response: I do not believe that Aaron led them into so grave a sin, so much as he was indecisive and allowed himself to be dragged along.
New Bible: “Aaron replied, ‘Let not my lord be angry. You know well enough how prone the people are to evil.”
My response: Note how Aaron deflects due blame for his leading sinners, by pointing a finger towards the sinful masses, away from himself.
New Bible: “They said to me, ‘Make us a god to be our leader; as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him. So I told them, ‘Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.’ They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”
It sounds as if these people were genuinely shaken and rudderless without Moses to lead them, and, when they were convinced, he was dead or forever missing, they gave into their worst instincts.
It does not paint a noble portrait of humanity, as grateful, resolute, steadfast, and true.
Here are these same verses from the Holy Bible (KJV): “And Moses said unto Aaron, What did the people unto thee, that thou has brought so great a sin upon them?
And Aaron said, let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.
For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that has brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what has become of him.
And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any god, let them break it off. So they gave it to me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
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