At our weekly staff meeting this morning, our Lead Pastor took us to a place of personal examination that I think is worth repeating and expanding. He drew from a passage in 2 Kings 18. Speaking of King Hezekiah, the writer said, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it.”
If you are not familiar with the story, in Numbers 21 the people of Israel were once again complaining about their time in the wilderness. God had recently delivered them from years of harsh slavery in Egypt, but now they remembered it as “the good old days.” The spoke out against God and Moses and God released a horde of venomous snakes against them. Many were dying from the snake bites so the people went to Moses and repented of their sin. God told Moses to craft a bronze pole with a snake on it and those who would look upon the pole would be healed. As time passed, the Israelites placed the staff in the archives of the temple. Originally, the bronze pole was a symbol of God’s mercy, but eventually it had become an object of worship – as if the power of healing was in the object itself. So…Hezekiah destroyed it along with all the other idols he could find in Israel.
God is serious about idols. Exodus 20 declares, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Ex. 20:4-6).
The scripture reveals that idol worship constitutes hatred toward God and is so serious that the consequences of that idolatry can be passed down in family lines for generations. The other thing revealed in these passages is that what once was a blessing that pointed us to the goodness of God, can become an idol that takes the place of God.
Sometimes a career that was given as a blessing by God, becomes an idol. We can give it the majority of our time and attention and we draw our significance and security from the job rather than God. Children can become idols in our lives as we give them and their activities priority over our relationship with God. We exchange worship in church for soccer fields or volleyball courts. Of course, we rationalize the idolatry by thinking of it as only a season that will pass. We will get back to God once the season is over. How often have we seen single adults place a romantic relationship ahead of their relationship with God because, at the moment, it actually means more to them than God does. Even in church, we can begin to place our faith in a pastor or in the church itself, rather than God. There are numerous “good things” that like the bronze snake, can become idols in our lives.
We need to remember, however, that God is a jealous God. In his love for us, he will try to turn us away from the idol and back to him. He may discipline us or take away the very thing we have begun to value more than God. This isn’t an ego trip on God’s part, but he is jealous for our souls. Idolatry is an open door to the enemy. It puts our souls in jeopardy. It devalues God and places material things above him. Since he loves us, he cannot ignore the idols in our lives.
We know that feeling if we have had children or close friends who began to develop a relationship with someone we knew would lead them down a very dark path. We pointed out the dangers, pushed back on the relationship, and even disciplined children if they snuck out to be with that person. We did so out of love, knowing that disaster awaited them if they continued with that person. We saw it had become an idol because they refused sound counsel, ignored all the red flags, turned a deaf ear to all the warnings of their friends, and ignored even the promptings and conviction of the Spirit.
We have seen people lose marriages because they would not give up a job they loved but that always kept them away from family. We have seen people who were once passionate about God, drift away from the church for a sinful relationship. We have seen others forsake their families and their values in a search of fame and fortune. The things that began as a blessing, became an idol and destruction followed.
Paul put it this way, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8). Idols appeal to the flesh. If we pursue them, destruction is in the pipeline. If we seek God, however, and keep his as our highest priority, life and blessing will flow our way.
So, this year, as we ponder New Year’s Resolutions, check your priorities. To whom are you giving your best time, your resources, your thoughts, and your heart. Ask the Spirit to show you the truth about these things because we can easily rationalize our idolatry. If you need to make adjustments, do so. Many of the things that have subtly become our idols, taking priority over the Lord and his things, are not bad in themselves, but only in the fact they have become more important than God in our lives. Remember the words of Jesus to the church at Ephesus, “You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Rev. 2:4-5).
Watch out for idols. Like snakes, they are sneaky.
