The Attraction of Idolatry (part 2)
Introduction. As we observed in part 1 from Smith’s Bible Dictionary, “idolatry”:
In part 1, we first looked at idolatry in the Old Testament. We saw that while it was clearly and repeatedly condemned, God’s chosen people in the nation of Israel had chronic problems resisting its alure. We noted that attraction consisted of several factors, including:
Shifting to New Testament times, we saw a similar pattern with Gentiles worshipping a pantheon of Roman gods, similar condemnation of idolatry, and similar factors enticing Christians back to their old idolatrous ways, including:
Today in part 2, we are going to shift our focus to our modern era. Can we still make application of what we’ve seen in the Old and New Testaments to our “enlightened”, “sophisticated” time? The answer is a resounding “yes” as we examine various forms of modern-day idolatry, some of which you may not have considered and may be closer to us than we may realize (or be willing to admit).
Worship of False Gods. In this category we have idolatry in a form most similar to the worship of false gods described in the Bible. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytheism, a number of modern religions fall into this category, to include Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, most traditional African religions, and Wicca.
Worship of Angels or Humans. Although we didn’t mention it in part 1, the Bible also condemns the worship of angels (Rev. 22:8-9) and the deification of fellow humans (Acts 10:24-26). Given this, how should we view Catholicism’s practice of paying worshipful homage to, erecting shrines to, and praying to Jesus’ mother, Mary? Or praying to between 1000 and 8000 deceased Catholics that the Catholic Church has declared to be “patron saints” in heaven?
False Images of the True God. Returning to Smith’s definition, idolatry includes “…symbolical representations of the true God”. Depending on your translation, Ex. 20:4 and Lev. 26:1 describes these as a “graven image”, “carved image”, or “idol”. This would include using any kind of image, picture, or statue to worship God. Given that, how should we view Catholicism’s use of various images and statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus, religious icons (images), Jesus on the cross, and such?
False Concepts of the True God. If idolatry includes the worship of the true God using a false physical image, by extension would it not also include using a false mental image? There are several modern religions that attempt to worship the God of the Bible, but have a false understanding of who He is. Consider how the following fall into this category:
Giving anything or anyone greater priority than God. According to Merriam-Webster, “worship” is not only “reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power”, but is also “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem”. While the ancient Canaanites, Jews, Greeks, Romans, and NT Gentiles had their idols, modern Americans have theirs. While our idols might not take the shape of false gods as described in Rom. 1:18-23, the scriptures indicate we worship idols figuratively when we give anything or anyone greater priority than God.
And it is this form of idolatry that is ensnaring countless millions of people today without them even realizing they fall under the definition of “idolaters”!
Worship of Family. In a literal sense, this would include Confucianism that advocates precise rituals to honor one’s ancestors to receive their aid and cooperation. But in a figurative sense, would this not also include elevating one’s family above God or what the Bible requires?
Worship of Money. Note the NT makes this explicit connection:
This form of idolatry would include greed as well as materialism - a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values. It would also include giving one’s job or career greater emphasis or priority over obeying God. For example, this would include keeping a sinful job because it pays well, neglecting one’s family with excessive overtime, and choosing to work on Sunday instead of worshiping God with fellow Christians.
Worship of Pleasure in General. Note carefully the following:
Idolatry in this area would include excessive spending of our time, attention, effort, energy, and such in the general pursuit of pleasure (e.g., entertainment, sports, recreation, and hobbies that inherently are not sinful in and of themselves).
Worship of Pleasure in Illicit Sex. In part 1 of our study, we noted the close association of unrestrained sexual activity with idolatry, fertility gods, and religious prostitution. In contrast, the true God restricts sexual activity to marriage between a man and a woman (1 Cor. 7:1-5). How many people today figuratively are idolaters because they elevate pursuit of their own sexual pleasure in whatever form they enjoy over what God has said? This would include pornography, living together, sex before marriage, adultery, homosexuality, bi-sexuality, same-sex marriage, group sex, polygamy, and bestiality.
Worship of Power and Worldly Fame. Note Acts 12: 21-23:
Like the excessive pursuit of money, how many people do the same with worldly power (e.g., politics, climbing the corporate ladder) or fame? Or how many people elevate the views and moral beliefs of popular entertainers, sports figures, and rock stars over God’s views and beliefs?
Worship of Self. We finally come to this last form of idolatry which arguably encompasses all of the others. Consider:
Anytime we put our own selves along with our thoughts and desires over God’s, in essence are we not worshiping ourselves, showing “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem”?
Conclusion. As we have seen, one does not have to physically worship a false god, statue, or carved image to be guilty of idolatry. In Bible times as now, deep inside we modern people have the same tendency and temptations as ancient people, although the objects of our worship, devotion, and service may be more sophisticated and refined (e.g., sex, money, fame, popular culture, entertainment).
The admonition to God's people of old was, "Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols..." (Ezek. 14: 6). Such is a timely warning for us today as well.
Who/what do you worship?
- “strictly speaking denotes the worship of deity in a visible form, whether the images to which homage is paid are symbolical representations of the true God or of the false divinities which have been made the objects of worship in his stead.”
In part 1, we first looked at idolatry in the Old Testament. We saw that while it was clearly and repeatedly condemned, God’s chosen people in the nation of Israel had chronic problems resisting its alure. We noted that attraction consisted of several factors, including:
- Convenience – worshippers didn’t have to go all the way to Jerusalem to worship the true God. They could worship Baal/Astarte “under every green tree and every high hill” (1 Kings 14:23; Jer. 3:6)
- Intermarriage with non-Israelites, despite the warnings of Ex.34:15-16
- Peer pressure to be like the nations around them (like 1 Sam. 8:4-8)
- Especially the lust of the flesh with unrestrained sexual freedom (Lev. 18)
Shifting to New Testament times, we saw a similar pattern with Gentiles worshipping a pantheon of Roman gods, similar condemnation of idolatry, and similar factors enticing Christians back to their old idolatrous ways, including:
- Popular culture (food offered in sacrifice to idols was often sold in the local meet market, not to mention Roman gods being somewhat the preferred religion of the empire)
- The “relatability” of the Roman gods, being just like regular people (envious, lustful, scheming, capricious, etc.) in contrast to the “restrictive” God of the Christians
Today in part 2, we are going to shift our focus to our modern era. Can we still make application of what we’ve seen in the Old and New Testaments to our “enlightened”, “sophisticated” time? The answer is a resounding “yes” as we examine various forms of modern-day idolatry, some of which you may not have considered and may be closer to us than we may realize (or be willing to admit).
Worship of False Gods. In this category we have idolatry in a form most similar to the worship of false gods described in the Bible. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytheism, a number of modern religions fall into this category, to include Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, most traditional African religions, and Wicca.
Worship of Angels or Humans. Although we didn’t mention it in part 1, the Bible also condemns the worship of angels (Rev. 22:8-9) and the deification of fellow humans (Acts 10:24-26). Given this, how should we view Catholicism’s practice of paying worshipful homage to, erecting shrines to, and praying to Jesus’ mother, Mary? Or praying to between 1000 and 8000 deceased Catholics that the Catholic Church has declared to be “patron saints” in heaven?
False Images of the True God. Returning to Smith’s definition, idolatry includes “…symbolical representations of the true God”. Depending on your translation, Ex. 20:4 and Lev. 26:1 describes these as a “graven image”, “carved image”, or “idol”. This would include using any kind of image, picture, or statue to worship God. Given that, how should we view Catholicism’s use of various images and statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus, religious icons (images), Jesus on the cross, and such?
False Concepts of the True God. If idolatry includes the worship of the true God using a false physical image, by extension would it not also include using a false mental image? There are several modern religions that attempt to worship the God of the Bible, but have a false understanding of who He is. Consider how the following fall into this category:
- Islam - Strict monotheists denying the deity of Jesus
- Mormonism - Jehovah is one of several deified humans
- Jehovah’s Witnesses – Non-trinitarians with only the “Father” is deity, Jesus is a created angel, and Holy Spirit is an impersonal force
- Oneness Pentecostalism - Non-trinitarians with God being a single deity that appears to man in different forms at different times
Giving anything or anyone greater priority than God. According to Merriam-Webster, “worship” is not only “reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power”, but is also “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem”. While the ancient Canaanites, Jews, Greeks, Romans, and NT Gentiles had their idols, modern Americans have theirs. While our idols might not take the shape of false gods as described in Rom. 1:18-23, the scriptures indicate we worship idols figuratively when we give anything or anyone greater priority than God.
And it is this form of idolatry that is ensnaring countless millions of people today without them even realizing they fall under the definition of “idolaters”!
Worship of Family. In a literal sense, this would include Confucianism that advocates precise rituals to honor one’s ancestors to receive their aid and cooperation. But in a figurative sense, would this not also include elevating one’s family above God or what the Bible requires?
- “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [love less than Jesus by comparison] his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, … he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
- “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51-53)
Worship of Money. Note the NT makes this explicit connection:
- “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5)
- “No one can serve two masters; …You cannot serve God and mammon. [wealth, riches, treasure]” (Matt. 6:24)
- “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Tim. 6:10)
This form of idolatry would include greed as well as materialism - a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values. It would also include giving one’s job or career greater emphasis or priority over obeying God. For example, this would include keeping a sinful job because it pays well, neglecting one’s family with excessive overtime, and choosing to work on Sunday instead of worshiping God with fellow Christians.
Worship of Pleasure in General. Note carefully the following:
- “whose end [is] destruction, whose god [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.” (Phil 3:19)
- “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” (2 Tim. 3:1-4)
Idolatry in this area would include excessive spending of our time, attention, effort, energy, and such in the general pursuit of pleasure (e.g., entertainment, sports, recreation, and hobbies that inherently are not sinful in and of themselves).
Worship of Pleasure in Illicit Sex. In part 1 of our study, we noted the close association of unrestrained sexual activity with idolatry, fertility gods, and religious prostitution. In contrast, the true God restricts sexual activity to marriage between a man and a woman (1 Cor. 7:1-5). How many people today figuratively are idolaters because they elevate pursuit of their own sexual pleasure in whatever form they enjoy over what God has said? This would include pornography, living together, sex before marriage, adultery, homosexuality, bi-sexuality, same-sex marriage, group sex, polygamy, and bestiality.
Worship of Power and Worldly Fame. Note Acts 12: 21-23:
- “So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God.”
Like the excessive pursuit of money, how many people do the same with worldly power (e.g., politics, climbing the corporate ladder) or fame? Or how many people elevate the views and moral beliefs of popular entertainers, sports figures, and rock stars over God’s views and beliefs?
Worship of Self. We finally come to this last form of idolatry which arguably encompasses all of the others. Consider:
- “and He [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Cor. 5:15)
- “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves …” (2 Tim. 3:1-4)
- “… although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. … and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator“ (Rom 1:18-32)
Anytime we put our own selves along with our thoughts and desires over God’s, in essence are we not worshiping ourselves, showing “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem”?
Conclusion. As we have seen, one does not have to physically worship a false god, statue, or carved image to be guilty of idolatry. In Bible times as now, deep inside we modern people have the same tendency and temptations as ancient people, although the objects of our worship, devotion, and service may be more sophisticated and refined (e.g., sex, money, fame, popular culture, entertainment).
The admonition to God's people of old was, "Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols..." (Ezek. 14: 6). Such is a timely warning for us today as well.
Who/what do you worship?