Are We Becoming the Idols God Warned Against?

We are Leaning Toward Idolatry

One woman was on a tour of ancient Bible sites in the Middle East. She toured ruins of homes, public buildings and saw many ancient artifacts. At one point in the tour she was taken to see the 'high places' where idols were erected to be given worship in addition to God. When she arrived she was shocked by what she saw. She looked in front of her and saw what looked like a stage, a platform. Although not intended to be stage as we would know it today, the parallels were striking. She immediately thought of how people, created in God's image, have put themselves in the high places and have not exalted God with their influence. In many places and through many means they have become the idols and images God warned against in the Bible. Many influencers have become the authoritative voice. Some have become the place people turn for answers, they are the ones followed or the one people sit before more than God. Israel had adopted idols and practices of the nations around them in a similar way.

Idols in the Lives of God's Ancient People

The Hebrew word for “image” referred to manmade idols used in worship. The image was thought to contain the “deity’s essence” and represented him or her (Walton et al. 2009). However, God is not made with human hands, and is spirit in essence. To fashion something after His likeness was to believe some part of Him was in the idol. Not long after God miraculously delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt Aaron made an idol so that it could “go before” the people and lead them into the Promised Land (Exodus 32:1-4 NIV). The image is given credit for delivering Israel from their bondage in Egypt (32:4) and resulted in cultic festivities and God's displeasure. Like their neighbors, Israel entertains the celebration with a feast, burnt and peace offerings, and probably dancing and sexual acts associated with pagan fertility feasts (Walton, 115). As a result, God’s anger burned against them to destroy all of them (32:10) but Moses intercedes and saves the majority. He pleads to God that He remember his promises of the past (32:12-14). Moses then descended down the mountain and broke the tablets of the covenant. Breaking the tablets (32:19) symbolized a destruction of the covenant in ancient Near Eastern times (Walton, 116). For Israel, God is breaking his covenant with them because of their disobedience.

Grind the Idols to Dust and Drink Them

Moses takes significant action to persuade God to relent. He burns the calf with fire, grinds it into powder, and makes the Israelites drink it (32:20). Destroying and drinking the powdered gold was an irreversible act that 'offended' the idol. This action cannot be over-estimated. It symbolized the irreversibility of the destruction of the idol and its complete renunciation. It also meant a full commitment to God, the I AM (Walton, 117). The story concludes with a warning not to intermingle with the nations it would soon encounter (34:12-15). They should not covenant with their unbelieving neighbors and should not worship their gods but should smash their idols (34:12-14). A total separation was required because God is a jealous God. He takes seriously the undiluted devotion His word requires.

In 1 John we read, "Little children, guard yourselves from idols." What are the idols, practices or beliefs are we importing into an image of God? Is the way we think being shaped by the world outside of Christ or by the Christ who made the world?

-Walton, John H. Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Grand Rapids: MI: Baker Academic, 2006.

-Walton, John H, Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Downers Grove: IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.