Ten

Here is a link to last week’s series, Ten.

“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.”

Exodus 20:4 (NASB)

There can be confusion among believers about why the first and second commandments do not mean the same thing. They seem so similar.

Yet, when we take the time to read the scripture we can see there is a distinct difference between the two.

Last week we learned that God told Moses that the people were to have no other gods. There is only one God and one Creator. (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Because He is God then nothing else should take His place in a believer’s heart.

But this second commandment gets specific about what could possibly take out hearts and minds off God.

These days, you won’t find people with a Biblical world view setting up a golden calf. But think of what we do put before Holy God.

Now keep in mind, these commandments are not for lost people (Romans 8:7). God’s law was meant for His own daughters and sons. For people who should seek Him with all of their heart, soul and mind.

The second commandment isn’t just talking about pagan artifacts and relics. Think about that. In our world today, true believers should not be fooled by such a blatant lie. Our enemy is more cunning than that with you and me.

Because of sin in their hearts, the Hebrew people replaced their devotion to God with a man-made idol, easily constructing the golden calf based on their knowledge and exposure to pagan Egyptian practices learned during their long captivity.

But today, our idols can be anything that replaces our devotion to God. That can be a tangible thing, or it can be our time, another person, an ambition, an addiction, and so on. It isn’t always wealth or fame.

Sadly, these days, narcissism is a leading cause of idol worship. Just look at social media. Quite often selfies are featured prominently. While taking selfies is not necessarily a sin, the obsession with this practice, as with anything, can become sinful.

Only the individual believer knows their own heart. Have you put yourself upon a pedestal of self-adoration or pride?

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you face the truth about this issue of idol worship. How tragic it would be to become your own idol that takes the place ahead of the Lord you profess to love.

What’s frightening is how slowly idol worship can creep into the life of a believer. Before you know it, the adversary of your soul has lured you into habitual sin that dishonors God.

That’s how idol worship happens. Look how it happened to the Hebrews. Moses had been up on the mountain with God for forty days. They became distressed and lost faith. They had already seen the miracles of God, but I guess they forgot about all of the wonders they had seen. Maybe they became restless.

They replaced their Redeemer with an idol of gold.

They declared a man-made object more worthy to hold their affection, and to make them content. They offended God. And that is what we do with the idols that we put before Him in our lives.

Wash me thoroughly from my guilt
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my wrongdoings,
And my sin is constantly before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.

Psalm 51:2-4 (NASB)

As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So, the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:12-13 (NASB)

Share the Good News in your world!

Isaiah 52:7

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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