The Harvest Bible Podcast

HBP E12 Exo 20:4-6 Idols and Christian Temptations

Episode Summary

HBP E12 Exo 20:4-6 · The Commandment against Idols · Why Idolatry is so bad · How God wants us to worship Him Idolatry and Identity

Episode Notes

HBP E12 Exo 20:4-6
· The Commandment against Idols
· Why Idolatry is so bad
· How God wants us to worship Him

Idolatry and Identity

Exodus 20:1-6
1 Cor 2:2
Deut 4:15
Romans 12:1

Episode Transcription

HBP E12 – Exodus 20:4-7 Idols and Christian Temptations
· The Commandment against Idols
· Why Idolatry is so bad
· How God wants us to worship Him
Hey Everyone and welcome back to the Harvest Bible Podcast with Micah. This is a show where we look for meaning, purpose and clarity in the Christian Faith.
For today’s show I want to share some thoughts that came together when I was given the opportunity to look into the commandment in Exodus 20:4-6. Specifically regarding the prohibition against making or worshiping graven images, or idols. While I was studying and taking notes on it exploded into a short booklet, so I wanted to use this as an opportunity to explore some of the questions I've had in my mind and I hope they’ll be useful for you too.
If you were hoping for the next podcast on the book of Jude, I have that one started, if you come back again next month, that one should be released towards the end of April or early May. Or at least that is what I’m targeting as of right now.
To introduce this topic though, I’m gonna read from Exodus 20:1-6. You’ll probably recognize this as a part of the ten commandments.
The text From NASB: Exodus 20:1-6
1 Then God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.[1]

Some really important words from God. Primarily I’m going to focus on verses 4-6, but you can’t isolate those completely from the first 3 verses. For the sake of this message, just know that these words FROM God were not given in a vacuum. And you know that. There is a whole background here of the deliverance from Egypt, which included the miraculous plagues, the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea, and on and on. The Israelites had good reason to TRUST that the word of God was rock solid. they already owed their allegiance to God. And He wasn’t just giving them a list of demands He would force them to follow. He was giving them the keys to unlock their fullest potential. To be the best people they could be, and live the fullest and most satisfying lives possible.
Lets just cover the basic premise to start here. The second commandment given to the Israelites starting in Exodus 20:4 stated that they were to make no graven images or idols. This commandment builds upon the principle in the first commandment. Have no other Gods before Me. The second command which banned the crafting of graven images included not only the things that men could see in the earth, but also extended upwards towards the heavens as well as downwards into the depths of the waters. These commands were absolute. They make it clear that God’s place in our lives is to be one of honor and respect. God was further stating that even of all the good things that were a part of his creation; the heavens, the earth, and the sea, nothing in any of these realms was to be worshiped. Not for the sake of itself or used as a representation of Himself or any other god to be worshiped. That understanding was not to be clouded or distracted by any of the things of this world.
One thing we need to recognize when we read this is that even though we may think of idols as temptations of the past, this commandment has just as much or more meaning to Christians. Despite the fact that we are not under the Law Covenant the way the Israelites were. IT’s tempting to just toss these OT commands aside as not being relevant to Christians because of the huge differences in culture between now and back then. I mean who at church could make an idol out of stone or metal or wood even if we had the skill or a mind too? And besides we like to think that no, we as Christians would never fall to the temptation of bowing down before a man-made image? But the truth is, Christians are warned against this in the New Testament as well. The book of 1 John ends with the warning “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” I think it’s not at all unlikely that John was well aware of the metaphorical idols we all face.
But if we are meaning to say that an idol can be more than just a literal carven or shaped figure, then we should define - what is an idol? It can be anything that starts to displace God at the center of our hearts. And that can mean a lot of different things, but I’ll try to just very simply state some of the tell-tale signs of what this means or how it might present itself.

1.   Identity – this is a subtle one. Because it’s a bit abstract and everyone thinks of identity a little bit differently. As Christians we know that our identity SHOULD be found in Christ and by putting on HIS righteousness. But anything that becomes overly powerful, more so than Christ, in shaping our identity would be inching towards idolatry. Identity and idolatry are closely related. Because your identity, or the way you think about yourself often conforms to some sort of deeply held belief, or HOPE. Make sure the source of that Hope is Christ and the divine plan of God and NOT the world. Politics, your bank account, or your career, or anything else. 1 Cor 2:2 ESV – “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

2.   So how else might this idea of an idol present itself. You find yourself dedicating a lot of time to it at the expense of other things, more important things. Like neglecting worship and praise or bible study so you could get ahead at work or on some hobby. Its not that having to work extra or overtime to meet expectations at work is wrong – but if you’re constantly dedicating your life to work, and neglecting the spirit then you’re no longer worshiping at the altar of God, you’re worshipping at the altar of work.

3. Anything that starts to affect how you make decisions. If you make decisions that benefit the flesh at the expense of the spirit, then you know that something has risen in importance to you in your heart of hearts and has become more important to you than the approval and love of your Heavenly Father.
   Even good things can become an idol. And every culture has things it values above other things in importance. In the west, we tend to idolize things like individuality and autonomy above all else. WE idolize intelligence, or what I think we mistakenly call intelligence, which is really just education. We ESPECIALLY Idolize success. Successful careers particularly. As well as successful and happy, picture perfect Facebook or Instagram worthy families. Man does our culture idolize likes on social media.
   So by way of introduction what I want to convey to the listeners is that, just because the words were written thousands of years ago and were directed to a different culture that lived in a world of literally thousands of idols, that doesn’t mean they aren’t applicable to the church. The first commandment is after-all, have no other Gods before me. This isn’t coincidence. Making a literal idol is just one form of that. Letting anything come between you and God, or become more important than God to you is what we’re tasked to resist and fight tooth and nail against.
   They saw no Manner of Similitude Deut 4:15
   Someone might say.. as the Israelites did when they made the golden calf. Let’s make an image of GOD! A representation we can carry and hold onto and see and show to other people. But in Deut 4:15 the minds of the Israelites were called back to the day at Horeb when God spoke His commandments and of the covenant, He was making with them. Moses reminded the people of what they saw, and what they did not see. They did not see God take any form or shape at that time. Based on this fact Moses advised them to stay away from idols and graven images saying, “for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you.” If God had wanted the Israelites to associate Himself with some part or thing in His creation, he could have easily done so. Moses uses the fact that God did not manifest as some creature of the field or fowl of the air as a reminder that they must guard against such a temptation. This verse is a confirmation that not only does God not want us to serve false idols, but he does not want us to use any such graven image or idol as a channel through which to worship Him.
   Why is worshipping a graven image so detestable to God?
   One of the most prominent struggles in scripture is the fight against letting our hearts fall into idolatry. The Israelites in the Old Testament seem to have fallen over and over again into idolatry. Despite the fact that God was not only warning them, but disciplining them when they failed to resist idol worship as well. This informs us not that the Israelites were particularly fallible in this regard. Rather it gives us insight into just how deeply seeded the temptation is to find something tangible to hold on to. All people find a certain confidence in being able to reach out and touch the things that they value. Once we see it and feel it in our hands it stop being abstract and comes alive to our senses. This is why so often we search and seek to calm the anxieties of our hearts with the touch of our hands. We want something that can act as a channel or focus point for our hopes and prayers. And we want to be able to touch it, and feel it, and help shape it, so we have control over it. That’s why Idols and idolatry are so appealing. Because it gives us the illusion of control over our destiny. Put another way – it gives us the illusion that we have a way to achieve a sense of salvation on our own. Instead of relying on God and having to do the legwork of knowing Him and His word and what He would have us do. The function of many types of idols in the ancient near east was often just that, to serve as a type of channel or type of interface between the god it represented and the one worshipping it. A place for the supposed deity to take up residence and inhabit the physical world.
   This form of worship has some fatal flaws. Firstly, the idols we are tempted into worshipping are created by sinful beings. Making them no more than a mirror image of the culture and personality of the one creating it. This would mean that it is a better representation of the maker of the idol rather than of the image of something divine. The idol would be made in the image of man, imputed with all of mankind’s flaws and susceptibilities. No amount of skill or planning could avoid this outcome. The prophet Habakkuk knew this, Hab 2:18 – “What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, Or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he fashions speechless idols.” Everyone knows this is true. That the maker of an idol is ultimately trusting in his own handiwork. This is exactly why we do it! Because it’s easier to in ourselves than in God.
   Not just literal figurine idols, but the ones we as Christians struggle with too. We’re certainly not immune. Because a sinful human soul would rather trust in the things its built, our careers, our knowledge, our reputations. These are all things we can build and carve out on our own. We are constantly tempted to build our identities on these foundations instead of on the foundation of Jesus Christ. We can make idols out of almost anything. that pulls our hope away from God or displaces
   Secondly, the idea that an idol or graven image could act as a channel to reach God is simply not true. This is likely why Exodus 20:4 warns against the use or making of idols. Since the fall into sin, there has been no way for anyone to approach God without being first cleansed of sin. In the Old Testament, this was done with Moses as the mediator and with the sacrifices required by the Law. When we consider that Moses was only a type of Jesus, and the cleansing sacrifices but types of the Ransom and the Sin-Offering, the horrific nature of idols becomes apparent. The only way to approach God is through Jesus. Jesus himself said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” For the Christian it is equally important we approach God only through the blood and merit of Jesus. Any attempt to reach God through some other way, such as a literal or metaphorical idol, would be futile, and would at least make a mockery of God’s plan. At worst we would be denying our need for a savior by trying to approach God through some other way. Even if that’s not what your consciously thinking – that’s what your actions would be saying.
   In What sense is God a “Jealous God?”
   The command not to make any graven images in Exo 20:4 is elaborated upon in verse 5. Saying that not only should there be no graven images, but you should not worship, serve, or place your hope in them in any capacity, because God is a Jealous God. The rest of verse 5 tells us that as a result of this trait, God may allow the shadow cast by iniquity to cover several generations. While verse 6 shows us the other side of the same coin, namely that those who hold close to God and faithfully uphold his righteousness will receive blessings not merely to the 3rd or 4th generation, but to the thousandth generation. While God’s judgement for neglecting to give Him what we have promised may be severe, it pales in comparison to the mercy and blessings He is waiting to pour out upon us. We need only to remain humble and faithful to receive them.
   If God’s jealousy was similar to human jealousy, we might not expect the blessings of faithfulness to be far more abundant and lasting than the results of negligence. Rather we might expect the greater emphasis being placed upon God’s punishment. The jealousy that we most often see at work in the world around us either stems from or leads to anger, bitterness, or even violence. Sinful human jealousy never leads to grace and mercy. Instead, it leads to anger or bitterness, resulting in tattered or broken relationships. Human jealousy is self-centered and starts as jealousy but turns something worse.
   To further understand what God’s jealousy is we can turn to 2 Cor 11:2. There Paul writes that he is jealous for the Corinthian brethren with a Godly jealousy. Paul’s desire for the brethren in Corinth was not self-centered, but that they remain committed and true to the faith once delivered unto the saints. Paul knew that there were many logical sounding lies in the world that would try to tempt the brethren away from the real Jesus and true salvation. If they were deceived, they would lose the only true fullness of joy that is found only in Christ. Godly jealousy is not motived by self-centeredness but rather out of love.
   When God speaks of himself as a jealous God, He is not jealous in the sense that He self-centeredly demands our love and affection because he cannot stand to see us happy while loving other things more than Him. It is because he knows that real happiness, the soul quenching waters of life are not to be found in His creation, but by receiving the love and affection of the creator. He sees and knows the desires and needs of our hearts and souls, and can soothe them with his gentle touch and piercing words like nothing else can. No false god or idol has anything to give back to us for our worship. Yet the false gods will seemingly demand more and more from us without ever giving anything in return. The end result of which is slavery to whatever false god we may find ourselves ensnared by. With such an empty fate awaiting those who spurn His love, how could God not be jealous for our hearts? His jealousy is not motivated out of self-centeredness, but out of concern for our eternal spiritual health and well-being.
   How do we worship in “spirit and truth?” John 4:23,24
   In Exodus 20:4 God tells us how not to worship Him. Under the old Law Covenant there were rules that governed personal conduct as well as regulations regarding sacrifices. Both of these guided the Israelites in their worship of God. The result of this was that when the people worshipped it was in the very specific ways they were allowed to do so through the bringing of sacrifices and offerings, which had to be offered by the priests. In this way worship had been limited to the location of the tabernacle and the temple, which were dwelling places of the Lord among the Israelites.
   The question naturally arises then, how should a Christian worship God? In John 4:23,24 Jesus gives us the answer. In Spirit and in Truth. This answer took place in the context of the broader discussion where Jesus made the distinction between the old way of worshipping God in a fixed location, the temple for example, and this new way he was opening up. To worship God could no longer be thought of as something tied to a specific location. In this same conversation in John 4, Jesus also revealed himself as the messiah, as the only true channel through which any of us sinful men and women could ever reach God.
   To worship God in spirit, it is vital that we must know Him in truth. This means immersing ourselves in His word and learning who He is through the divinely inspired scriptures. If we cannot see his divine plan to bring humanity back into at-one-ment with Himself, then it would be difficult indeed to say that one truly knew God. At least not to the fullest extent that He has revealed Himself to us through scripture and the Harvest Message. Once an understanding of truth has taken ahold of our hearts, we see that God is not bent on punishment and retribution. Instead, we see Him as the author of salvation who cared so deeply for His creation, that He spared not even his own son to save us. His grace and mercy become overwhelming, humbling us to the recognition that we are sinners in dire need of a savior.
   After we have received Christ’s righteousness into our hearts, we are ready to worship God in spirit. Approaching Him with boldness to express our thankfulness, while letting our hearts linger in his presence to express the adoration that overflows from our humbled hearts. Yet our spiritual worship should also be evident in the way we live out our faith and consecration vows. With the holy Spirit as our guide, we must seek to capture the essence of God and His righteousness in every aspect of our lives. Living a life of worship that reflects the grace and mercy we’ve received. While nonetheless standing resolutely for the principles of righteousness and against sin and sinful living. Our spiritual worship will require us to lay our bodies down as living sacrifices, denying the desires of the flesh while following in the footsteps of our great captain Jesus. This is our spiritual worship.

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Rom 12:1 (NASB).