IDOLS OF A NATION Larry W Peebles July 16, 2021 21.27
The Bible is very clear on the subject of the idols of a nation. It defines them, points out the problem with them, and tells us why God hates them. Psalm 135: 15-18 says- “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the works of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.”
In my previous article “A Volcano in a Tent”, July 2, 21.25, I wrote of Moses’ encounter with God on Mt. Sinai some 90 days after he had led the children of Israel out of Egypt. The Lord had shown Himself to Moses and the entire assembly of the Israelites by fire and smoke on the mountain, flashes of lightning, trembling of the ground, the blast of a trumpet, and the audible voice of God that sounded like thunder. Then He called Moses up on the mountain, and gave him the Ten Commandments, and told him to go down and give them to the people. He also told Moses to come back to the mountain when he was done addressing the people.
The first two commandments speak to the idols of a nation. The first commandment is “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3). The second commandment is ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” (Exodus 20:4-5). God wasted no time in making his position clear.
Although we are created by God, and in His image, we become what we worship. Jeremiah 10:14-15 says- “Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; for his molded image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are futile, a work of errors; in the time of their punishment they shall perish.” When we worship the idol we have created, our futility and foolishness is on display, and we directly insult the God who created us. Our love for Him should compel us to worship Him. The Lord in His wisdom forbids us to worship gods made with our own hands.
Psalm 115:4-7 is very similar to Psalm 135 above, but goes on to say in verse 8- “Those who make them [idols] are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.” What are the idols of a nation? What have we made with our hands that we trust? Here are some examples- our bank accounts and savings, our houses, cars, and material possessions. We trust in our jobs, businesses, and paychecks without consulting the One who is the Provider. We trust doctors and medicine before we pray to God for healing. Those in devil worship and the occult pray to objects representing the dark side of the spiritual world. Some pray to trees and rocks, the moon and stars (the creation), but never pray to the Creator. For some, their favorite sports teams, singers, or entertainers have become their idols. If they were honest, others would admit their allegiance is to drugs, alcohol, pornography or gambling. As a nation, we have created many idols to choose from, and therefore have drifted far away from God.
The Lord knew this would be a big stumbling block for Israel. After 400 years of Egyptian slavery, many of the children of Israel had taken up the worship of the false Egyptian gods. One by one, God took on the gods of Egypt when He brought the plagues upon the Egyptians. On the stage provided by Pharaoh, Moses announced each plague directed toward an object of Egyptian worship, and then watched as the Lord proved His superiority, bringing great calamity and suffering to convince Pharaoh to let the slaves go free. The plague of darkness that defeated the Egyptian sun god is a clear example. The Egyptians also worshipped the Nile River (turned to blood), a god of healing (plague of boils), a fertility god with a frog head (frogs), a harvest god with a locust head (locust), and a love-goddess with a cow head (livestock).
After a dramatic revelation of Himself on Sinai, and giving Moses the Ten Commandments for the people, God called Moses to come up to Mt. Sinai a second time to stay for 40 days. During that time, He gave Moses the Ten Commandments written on a tablet of stone in His own hand. He also gave Moses the rest of the Law for the people, and instructions for building the Tabernacle, where His presence would abide with Israel.
One other thing happened during the forty days Moses was away. The people broke the First and Second Commandments. The Lord had shown Himself strong on behalf of their nation by the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, providing water and manna, speaking audibly to the people, and putting on one more display of His power on Mt. Sinai. Regardless, the people built an idol and worshipped it with lewd behavior and drunkenness while Moses was away. They made a golden calf with their own hands, and said this idol was the god who did all these miraculous things for them and gave them their freedom. (Exodus 32:4) This was an incredible display of ingratitude and rebellion, and a direct insult to their Heavenly Father who loved them. Regrettably, this cycle of idol worship followed by a return to God surfaced throughout the Biblical history of Israel, from Moses through the last of the kings. The Lord wanted the children of Israel to occupy the land He promised to Abraham, but at the same time He wanted the idols of those peoples already in the land driven out.
Isaiah the prophet wrote during the reign of four kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. In Chapter 44, Isaiah speaks of the foolishness of making idols. He writes that the delusional fool takes half of a piece of wood, and uses it to cook his meal. The other half he uses to carve an idol to worship. The first half is reduced to ashes, but the other half is elevated to the position of a god. He therefore puts his trust in something that cannot help him.
The Lord has placed something within mankind that is not satisfied until he finds God. The problem comes when the flesh of man desires a god it can control, instead of submitting to the One who is in control. When man turns to idols, here are the results:
- We rebel against the Lord God who created us, insulting the One who wants a loving relationship with us.
- Those who are created in the image of God, create a false image of Him instead of reflecting His true image.
- We reject our real source of help.
- We place our trust in something that cannot help us at all.
- We attempt to take control, instead of letting go and trusting God. We put ourselves in the position of a god.
- Our choices to chase after idols have real consequences. The Lord demonstrated great patience with Israel, but He will not be patient forever. The generation of Israelites that came out of Egypt eventually died in the wilderness, except for a few who remained loyal to God. The nation of Israel that went into the land the Lord promised to Abraham rose to prominence among the nations, possessing great wealth and power under the favor of God. Their enemies could not stand against them. They never totally abandoned idol worship, and it eventually led to their downfall. They separated from God and were conquered and carried off to foreign lands again as slaves.
The implications in our day are evident. Israel prospered under kings that returned to God and destroyed the idols. It faltered and eventually was conquered when the Lord withdrew His hand from a nation that did not honor Him above all created things. There is no one like Him, and nothing to compare to Him. Rightly so, He is jealous for our affection toward Him. We must put away the idols of this nation, and turn our hearts and worship toward Him. Our eternity depends on it.
