Living Among Idols (Judges 2:6-19)                                                                  2008.12.07    Pastor Richard Yu

Just as the Israelites lived among idols in the time of the judges we are living among idols of the modern days. What might some forms of idolatry of our time be? Are there idols in our lives and what can we do about them?

Human beings were made to worship and serve God, and to rule overall created things in God's name. Instead, they fell into sin. Paul sums up the fall of humanity into sin in terms of idolatry; that is, they refused to give God glory (i.e. to make Him the most important thing) and instead chose to glorify parts of God’s creation. They worshipped and served created things rather than the creator God (Rom.1:21-25).

Idols always represent some aspect of the created order. A god was always the god pf something – war, or the river, or the mountains, or marriage, or business, or children, and so on. A worshipper of the god of business makes money and career into his/her meaning in life and source of all joy and happiness. In other words, an idol is anything that we add to God as a requirement for being happy and content. It is anything we add to Jesus as a requirement to have a meaningful, fulfilling life.

The prophets in the OT, especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, spoke about the nature of idols. First, an idol is empty and powerless. The idol is nothing but the work of our own hands (Is. 2:8; Jer. 1:16).  It is only a reflection of our own image (Is.44:10-13). It has no power of its own (Is.41:6, 7). It will eventually rot (Is.40:20). It cannot tell the future nor control it (Is.41:22-24). No idol is all-powerful and lord over every area of life. In contrast, the one true God is the one who makes us in His image, who is not the reflection of our experience but one who shows Himself through authoritative self-revelation. He is the only true God, the Lord of heaven and earth.

Second, an idol is all about getting power. Ironically, powerless in the idol itself, idol worship is a way to perform and appease an idol so it will give the idolater security, influence, comfort, and power. In contrast, the one true God saves us completely by grace.  Idolatry is the attempt to manipulate some god to obtain power and security/salvation for oneself or one's group, the gospel is that we are saved by sheer grace, and thus we surrender ourselves in grateful love and become willing, sacrificial servants of everyone. 

Third, the idol brings about slavery. Jeremiah likens our relationship to idols as a love-addicted person to his or her lover (Jer.2:25). We cannot help ourselves – we must follow our god. They poison the heart into complete dependence on the idol for salvation and hope (18.44:17). In contrast, the one true God gives us freedom – freedom to not being compelled to do what we know to be wrong.

Fourth, idolatry is ultimately a matter of the heart (Ezekiel 14:3-5). An idol is not primarily a material image, but some thing or relation or person or cause that we make the center of our hope and affection. It is that thing that we face with our whole being, that which absorbs our thoughts and imaginations. It is our pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony, a love for possessions, lust (inordinate desires), and ultimately rebellion against God. Is it any wonder that God hates idolatry?

What are some forms of modern day idolatry? Let me suggest a few: First, we worship at the altar of materialism which feeds our need to build our sense of worth through the acquisition of more things. Second, we worship at the altar of our own pride and ego. This often takes the form of obsession with careers and jobs, to increase our self-esteem by appearing more successful in the eyes of the world. Third, we idolize mankind through naturalism and the power of science. This gives us the illusion that we are lords of our world and builds our self-esteem to godlike proportions. Finally, and perhaps most destructively, we worship at the altar of self-gratification or the fulfillment of the self to the exclusion of all others and their needs and desires. 

All the various forms of modern idolatry have one thing at their core: self. We no longer bow down to images. Instead we worship the god of self. This is the greatest danger for believers living in a pagan world – that that idols are combined with God in the heart.

A good way to determine if Christ is Lord of an area of our life is to ask two questions: (1) Am I willing to do whatever God says bout this area? (2) Am I willing to accept whatever God sends in this area? Ask God to show you one or two areas where you are not passing these tests.

If we are to escape modern idolatry, we need to (1) admit that it is rampant and reject it in all its forms. Accept the truth that we will never find happiness, fulfillment, and meaning focusing on ourselves, and (2) allow God to recapture our hearts. Our hearts and minds must be centered on God and on others. This is why Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love God and people with our whole being. When we love the Lord and others with everything that is in us, there will be no room in our hearts for idolatry.