The Cost Of Weak Spiritual Leadership Series

THE COST OF WEAK SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP EXODUS 32:1-6

Scripture reading prior to sermon Ex 33:11-16, 34:6-10

Introduction

When I was young, I was taught honesty is the key character for life being a great person and we should model after young George Washington the first President of the United States. President Donald Trump will go down the history as the most controversial US president in the 21st century. His speaking talent, along with his inserting-charismatic personality, has made a major impact on many young lives in the future United States and across all nations in viewing world leaders. As one tiny rat can cause tremendous harm to a dam by digging a small hole, so can one individual like you and me start a 'chain reaction' that will affect everyone around us or in the church.

Now, I would like to present a topic on "The Cost of Weak Spiritual Leadership" in the Bible. Let’s read Exodus 32:1-6. NIV

1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”

2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

vs 1 The Faith Shaken People

When Moses delayed coming down from the mountain... the people gathered themselves to Aaron and said, “Come, Make us gods...”.

Who are these People? They are the covenant people of God (Ex 19:6) “...you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

The book of Exodus is the historical turning point of the nation of Israel.

Ch 1 The growth & bondage of Israel after Joseph.

Ch 2 - 4 Moses the liberator.

Ch 5 -11 Pharaoh and the 10 plagues.

Ch 12-15 The institution of the Passover & the miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea.

Ch 16-18 The journey to Mt. Sinai.

Ch 19-23 The Covenant & the revelation of God (The commandments).

In Ch 24, it recorded Israel’s acceptance of God’s covenant (24:3 “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do.") Then Moses went up with Joshua into the Mountain of God 40 days and 40 nights.

When we come to Ch 32:1, We see that the people became impatience and lost faith. -> "We do not know what has become of him."

What had these people gone through?

They had experienced the power of the Almighty.

1) The 10 plagues - They saw how the great “I AM” dealt against every god that the Egyptians worshipped. Even the Apis bull god which the Egyptians considered all-powerful & sacred but in Ex 9:6, 25 the animals did not escape the plague of God.

2) They had experienced the miraculous deliverance of crossing the Red Sea (Ch 14). They also had experienced the preservation of God in the wilderness through the provision of the manna, quails, the water from the rock & the defeat of the Amalekites (Ch 16-17).

3) At Mt. Sinai, they had experienced God. In Ch 24:3 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with ONE VOICE, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” 24: 9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

And NOW, they want to see something more ... "Make us gods, who shall go before us.”

-> Does this make sense to make images of gods? There are no gods in heaven or earth that can replace the great “I AM”!

-> As Christians, we sometimes are as guilty as the Israelites in the past. And we have no excuses either: