Exodus 32:1
"And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."
It is confounding to see a nation that was delivered out of Egypt so quickly turning to other gods.
It took less than forty days for this nation to completely turn away from God. That means in less than a month this nation went from being a nation that served God alone to a nation that was depraved. What are the pitfalls that caused this nation to turn away from God so quickly?
First, they had their eyes on man and not God. Because Moses was up on Mount Sinai for so long, they thought they needed someone or something else to serve, and that is why they made a golden calf. Throughout Christianity there are many people who are doing the works of God, but they are doing them for a man. If you're doing what you're supposed to do for a man, then you are doing them for the wrong reason. You are to serve God and not man. Many people have left what they were supposed to do because they were serving a man.
Second, they compromised the ways of the LORD. In verse 5, Aaron had them use the feast of the LORD to worship the golden calf. It's amazing what we call spiritual. When you start bringing the world's ways into the Christian life and justify it, you are on your way to complete depravity.
Third, entertainment became more important than truth. In verse 6, you see the children of Israel were playing instead of praying. Far too many churches have turned their church services into entertainment services. If someone doesn't tell a funny joke, or the preacher or teacher doesn't have a heart tugging story, then we think they are boring. When we classify someone as a great preacher because they are funny or their preaching antics are entertaining instead of the deliverance of truth, then we are well on your way to depravity.
Fourth, when clothing and music standards are dropped, then you are well on your way to depravity. The children of Israel took their clothes off and danced around the golden calf while music played. It was not godly music, but it was music that sounded like a war. You will always find that this is the final pitfall before someone completely changes how they serve the LORD.
You may wonder why this is so important to you. It is important because depravity starts with the individual. Churches go liberal because the people of the church go liberal. Churches leave the way of God because their members leave the way of God. Countries become depraved because the citizens became depraved. It all starts with you. If you are in one of these pitfalls, then you are influencing your church and nation to leave God.
I challenge you today to watch the very first pitfall of keeping your eyes on God. When you start doing right for man's sake and not for God's, then the following steps to depravity will come. Be careful that you serve God and not man. If you keep from the first pitfall, then you will never have to worry about the other pitfalls to depravity.