Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Talk Tuesday-The Pain of Idolatry

Idolatry is the age-old sin that is constantly beckoning us to indulgence. It is the sin of worshiping someone or something else, over and above God. You see, our GOD is loving and fiercely jealous for His creation. He created us for His pleasure and ours-to be in intimate relationship with Him. Our sin in the garden of Eden destroyed the intended order of things. Yet God, in His fierce love, sent Jesus Christ as a ransom for our sin and to RESTORE our broken relationship with Him.

The Old Testament tells of the pain that idolatry causes to both GOD and man. I distinctly remember how stunned I felt when I first read Judges Chapter 10. After all that the LORD had done for Israel, they continued to allow themselves to be seduced by the cultures around them, adopting their gods and engaging in idolatry. "Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him" Judges 10:6. The LORD withdrew His protection, and the children of Israel became enslaved by the Philistines and the people of Ammon.

"Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, 'We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.' The LORD replied, 'When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!' But the Israelites said to the LORD, 'We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.' Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD." Judges 10:10-16

Then the Bible reveals one of the most touching aspects of the heart of Father GOD. When GOD heard Israel's cry and saw their pain, it says of the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the GREAT I AM that, "HE COULD BEAR ISRAEL's MISERLY NO LONGER." Judges 10:16

GOD could bear their misery no longer???!!!! I felt a multitude of emotions simultaneously. I hurt for their sin and mine. I was humbled by the extent of the Father's love. I became aware of the pain of idolatry. How many times have we erected idols on the altar of our hearts? How many times have we grieved GOD and caused ourselves pain? What are some of idols that we need to be aware of? Does our culture encourage idolatry, and if so, what can we do to protect ourselves from idolatry's call? Click on the comments link to share your thoughts with the BGO community. We want to hear from you. Let us spur each other on towards the prize of our faith.

"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." 1 Corinthians 10:14




5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Idolatry engenders pain because God strongly condemns such behaviour. When we erect idols on the altar of our hearts we are moving in rebellion to God's Word which commands us that we shall have NO other gods besides HIM. Those of us who erect such gods only set ourselves up to pay the price of God's judgement. Our merciful God always sends us numerous warnings about our actions so that we may become aware of the idols that we have set up and the extent to which we are dishonouring HIM by our actions. Like the people of Israel He shows mercy when He beholds a truly repentant heart.
Some of us have made our children idols, some of us have made our jobs idols, yet some of us have made material gains our idols.
Thank you Natasha and Andrew for that spiritual awakening. God forgive me for the idols I have set up in my life. I repent.

Anonymous said...

Idolatry engenders pain because God strongly condemns such behaviour. When we erect idols on the altar of our hearts we are moving in rebellion to God's Word which commands us that we shall have NO other gods besides HIM. Those of us who erect such gods only set ourselves up to pay the price of God's judgement. Our merciful God always sends us numerous warnings about our actions so that we may become aware of the idols that we have set up and the extent to which we are dishonouring HIM by our actions. Like the people of Israel He shows mercy when He beholds a truly repentant heart.
Some of us have made our children idols, some of us have made our jobs idols, yet some of us have made material gains our idols.
Thank you Natasha and Andrew for that spiritual awakening. God forgive me for the idols I have set up in my life. I repent.

Natasha said...

Thank you, Anonymous, for your post. It's funny how things become idols in our lives. Sometimes, we are not even aware that we are displacing GOD on the altar of our hearts. We live in a culture where everything is about SELF-pleasure, the pursuit of happiness and immediate gratification. We want our children/siblings/family members to succeed, we want to be pain-free and we want the best materially for ourselves. Yet, it s JESUS who tells us about the result of dying to SELF:


John 12:24 (New International Version)

24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

As Believers, we are to be 'in' this world yet not 'of' this world. That's a tough challenge. I sense that we must indeed follow the Apostle Paul's advice:

2 Corinthians 6:17 (New International Version)

17 Therefore,

“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”

As we aspire to holiness, we make GOD central to all that we say and do. Whatever idols must crumble in the face of such commitment.

You thoughts, anyone?

Anonymous said...

I never thought you could make your children into idols, but now that I think of it, yes, it can happen in the busyness, in the care and love...

Other idols I have wrestled with:

- money and all the stuff you can buy with money. It's so easy to WANT and then want some more.
- vanity, spending too much time & energy being anxious about how you look & come across to others

Beloved said...

I find Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes (especially 2:1-11)a great reminder and lesson for us ... he was actually able to pursue ALL his heart's desires (putting a host of other things before God and His commands) and found that it was "meaningless, a chasing after the wind..." - I am reminded that when our faith becomes sight, all our efforts to put and keep God first will be shown to be wise and very valuable. We don't always see it and feel it but the final results will be well worth it ... and even on this side people do sense something different about us and see God's blessing in our lives, whether spiritually or otherwise. If we ask God to help us love Him more and put Him first He definitely helps us to recognize when anything is getting a little or a lot out of order.