In our home group we have been doing a whole Bible survey using a book called, The Drama of Scripture. Last night we finished up the first half of the book which is a summary of the Old Testament. Two of the big themes that we talked about were: 1) The consistent warnings of the prophets to forsake pagan idols and trust in YHWH alone as the only true God and 2) the fact that YHWH continually reminds his people that "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Ex. 20:2). This reminder should have been enough to move them forward into the future with faith and trust in the God who delievered them so mightly from the hand of Pharoah. Unfortunately, this was very often not the case.
We also noted that it is very easy for us to look back on the Israelite's persistence in disobeidence and assume that we are in no way like them. While none of us bow down to graven images, most of us do have idols that we need to name and seek to destroy. So the first thing we did was have a time of confession to name our idols. Many of us answered that we easily bow down and worship the approval of others. I know that is an idol in my life that I continually seek to destroy.
After our time of idol confession, I highlighted to the group that God's reminder of his faithfulness to Israel in the past ("I brought you out of Eygpt") was meant to draw their attention to the fact that YHWH is the only true God. In light of what they saw God do in the past, bowing the knee to created idols should have been unthinkable.
So I asked the group to name ways that God has been faithful in the past as a means of reminding ourselves of his redemptive work in our lives. Naming these precious experiences should then help us to battle the idols that seek to draw our attention away from our true Father God.
So I'll ask you the same questions:
1. What are your idols? Can you name them?
2. In what ways has God proven faithful in your life? What tangible "red sea" type incidents can you name?
Reminding ourselves of these events in our past should help us destroy our false God and move us forward into the future with faith in our always faithful God.
11 comments:
Approval of others is an idol in my life too. I am wary when a Christian claims to have no idols. May I smash as many of mine as possible in this life.
My pastor is preaching thru Jeremiah on Sunday nights. Last night he covered 3:6-4:4 and talked about idolatry. He said it like this, though (and I want to follow up with him too, but I thought Christopher and you might want to take a shot at it) - the idolatry takes place in that we put ourselves on the throne in God's place, making the judgement that the object of our misplaced affection is indeed worthy of our worship. This is different than what I had understood before, and the way you have put it, Z, that the idolatry we commonly practice is our misplaced worship of the things besides God that we love more (in essence putting those things on the throne of God). Am I putting too fine a point on it?
Janice,
Zach hasn't answered yet (he's a busy guy for the Lord, and we appreciate his labors at DSC!), but I think that you have understood this more subtle form if idolatry perfectly here. Well, no one understands it *perfectly* but God, but you know what I mean. :-)
more subtle form *of* idolatry, I meant, not "if!"
I know what you mean(t) christopher lake! I didn't realize you were in Zach's church. Bonus!
I'll post again if I get my Pastor's thoughts on the different views. I'm not sure his is exclusive of Z's, I just wondered if either of you guys had considered it and had any thoughts.
Tara Barthel, Elyse Fitzpatrick, some at CCEF have expounded on this and I think most of my understanding about "idols of the heart" come from them, but whenever my Pastor presents an idea that's unfamiliar I feel pretty confident that he's "right", even if I haven't independently verified it yet. He's SUPER careful. Thanks for responding!!
Janice,
I appreciate your point. Certainly my autonomy can be an idol as well.
z
I'm having an in depth conversation with my friend about catholicism. I say it's a religion of idolatry whereas they worship saints and Mary (among other discrepencies with our Bible). He said they just pray and ask the Saints and Mary to intercede for them to God so that's not idolary. Thoughts?
I am not sure I would use the idolatry card, but these would be come concerns:
1. Baptismal Regeneration
2. Cooperation between faith and work in salvation
3. Church authority on the same level as Biblical authority
There would be others, but I would start there. You might want to check out this book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080105849X/wwwtakeyourvi-20
Amy,
I'm a former Catholic. I say this in love, sister, *please* do not continue to say to your friend that Catholics worship Mary and the saints, because they don't-- at least not true Catholics. However, there *are* many Biblically problematic things in Catholicism -- go with what Zach said.
Also, in the official Catechism of the Catholic Church, we are told that Jews and Muslims essentially worship the same God that Christians do. We are also told that "sincere" pagans, who "through no fault of their own," do not not know Christ and His Gospel may be saved. Both of these statements contradict the Bible's testimony.
In John 8:19, Jesus says, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also." Neither Jews nor Muslims know Christ in the way that Jesus is speaking of here (which seems to be more than mere "head knowledge"). Therefore, according to Jesus, they also don't know the Father. Regardless of what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, according to Jesus, Jews and Muslims do *not* worship the same God that followers of Christ do.
About "sincere" pagans, the Bible says nothing about them sincerely desiring to know God, in and of themselves. According to Paul, *no one* seeks God (unless God is already changing that person's heart). Now, God can, and sometimes does, change the hearts of pagans to trust in Him, but when He does, they will *become Christians.* Until that point, the Bible gives us no hope that they will be saved from God's just wrath for their sin. The Catechism tells us that pagans can possibly be saved *by* Christ without professing *faith in* Christ. This contradicts the Bible.
I'll be praying for your friend, and for you, as you interact with him! May God do great things, according to His will!
Sorry-- I meant, "'sincere' pagans who do not know...," rather than "'sincere' pagans who do not not know..."-- confused now? I hope not! :-)
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