October 10, 2019
Evening Service

What does Merriam Webster say about defining idolatry and how does that correlate with the bible and the message of God? The dictionary says this - idolatry is extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone. Jesus said in the book of Matthew…..

Matthew 22:37  Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 

Matthew 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 

In the book of Exodus, the Lord said this about idols….

Exodus 20:4  "You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 

Exodus 20:5  you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 

 

Even in my not so deep mind and certainly lacking understanding of all things as our Lord does, I know this to be of great importance to God. He makes it known as the first and most important of the commandments, because without God in our Life and in the position of first in our list of priorities, we cannot please Him. God wants us to love Him as He loves us, without prejudice, without reservation, first and foremost in our lives, to be our Lord and Savior from this evil world and worldly living. Now the dictionary meaning of idolatry does not quite cover the biblical meaning of this word. You could take the meaning from the dictionary and put to reason the Lord wants Himself to be our idol and this is not true. Our Lord does not want to be an idol, He wants a relationship with us as our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and friend. A relationship takes more than just admiration, or to be looked at as a figure head that cannot be approached. He does not want to be a far off deity we cannot talk with on a very personal level and He asks us to ask Him in words even though He already knows what we need! God wants to know us in communication with Him daily, he wants to hear the concerns and prayers of our hearts, he wants to help and hold us dear to Him.

Matthew 6:8  "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Matthew 7:7  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Another place within definition of idolatry from Webster is extreme reverence and if we love the Lord our God as the first commandment tells us to, this is a given and a very natural act. But again, idolatry is a dangerous thing and it can overtake us humans in a form of lacking faithful worship to our Lord. When we love the Lord as the great commandment says clearly, all the characteristics of that love will far exceed any kind of feelings we experience through idolizing. It reminds us a little of the way the bible talks about money in that having money is not a sin in itself. However, if we love money and spend so much time making it and acquiring lots of material things outside of our true needs, this can become sinful quickly. The obsession with making and acquiring money can take away from our worship and devotion to our Lord in Heaven. Also, if we are consumed by materialism in this life to the point of neglecting responsibilities to loved ones in our cove of care. The book of James says this about doing things…..

James 4:17  Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin

In the days of Moses, God had brought the Israelites up out of Egypt and in the third month they had arrived in the Wilderness of Sinai. This is where God came to them there and He called Moses up to the top of the mountain to receive the 10 Commandments written by the Finger of God! Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights and as Moses delayed in returning, the people grew restless.  The people said to Aaron, come and make us Gods to go before us, who knows what happened to this Moses, we do not know what has become of him. Aaron told them to bring him the gold from their earrings of their wives, sons, and daughters. He then fashioned a golden calf and told them, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" God then told Moses on the mountain to go down quickly because the people have corrupted themselves. The Lord was about to bring a hot burning wrath and consuming judgment on these stiff necked people and Moses pleaded with the Lord and the Lord relented from the harm He said He would do to His people. Moses was so angry at the people when he came down from the mountain and saw the people dancing and worshiping the golden calf, he cast the tablets out of his hands and they broke. Moses then took the calf and burned it in the fire, and ground it to power; and he scattered in on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. Moses then went to the Lord to plead for the people to make atonement for the great sin the people did in the sight of the Lord.

Exodus 32:32  Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." 

Exodus 32:33  And the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 

This book referred to in the scriptures is the great Book of Life and from the New Testament on, it was known as the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is called this because, everyone who has repented of their sins and claim the blood of Jesus as their only righteousness worthy unto the Father, will have their names written in this Book!  The bible speaks of books in Heaven being there and some of these books have records the bible says and the dead in Christ will be judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. These works are the works of those who did not accept the Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those who claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior will not be judged by their works, because the bible says man would boast if this were the way to enter into Heaven. Our Father will look at us on the Day of Judgment and see the blood of Jesus shed for the remission of our sins and Jesus’ blood will be what allows us to enter into His Kingdom.

Revelation 21:27  But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 

Thinking of idolatry, most of us picture in our minds eye a wooden, stone, gold, or silver statue that man fabricated into a thing of worship. So what manner of things can become idols to us and result in idol worship?

The answer to this question is any place, thing, person, idea, thought, aspiration, devotion, career, goal, entertainment, or whatever can be fathomed that will take God away from the number one priority in our lives will become and idol to us. I have been guilty of this and still find I need to ask for the Holy Spirit’s Help to guide my path as to not fall into a slippery slope that spirals downward to the pit of fire. The Holy Spirit of God is God living in us and He will convict us of the sin and make us aware we need to change a behavior when it becomes something that does not please our Lord. Or even if a behavior becomes something that could hinder our walk with the Lord, we become convicted of the sin. The Lord knows we people need a Savior, if we did not, He would not have sent His Son to die in our place and to be resurrected unto the right hand of God! In all things we do in this life, we should ask for the Lord’s Help along the way and this means the small things too because he care about all aspects of our lives, big and small! I love these verses in the bible because no matter how tough things get in these bodies and in this world, we can rest assured of these promises…..

 

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Hebrews 13:5  Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Proverbs 18:24  A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

John 14:2  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

John 6:27  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

Know this Christian, God cares for us in a very intimate and personal way to the point of extreme individualism of each and every person on the earth.

Luke 12:7  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 

 

Lord, let us look to you for the guidance, strength, example, and perfect stewardship of Christ our Lord to live a life pleasing to our Father in Heaven! In Jesus Name we pray.