Post by Cindy on Feb 11, 2016 10:23:41 GMT -5
Perhaps you think of idols as objects of wood, stone, or metal worshiped by ancient civilizations or primitive peoples. That perception is accurate, but from the Bible’s point of view, idolatry fundamentally involves allowing anything or anyone to stand in the place of God. The ancient Babylonians fashioned many idols for both public and private worship (Is. 46:6–7). But the Lord ridiculed this practice, for the gods of Babylon were impotent: they had to be hand-carried, as they were unable to move on their own, they were mute, and they were powerless. Yet as we read the Lord’s rebuke in Isaiah 46:5–10, it’s worth considering the extent to which people practice forms of idolatry today.
For example, modern society has come to rely so heavily on technology and government to solve its problems that many people no longer feel a need for God. They seem to place as much faith in human ingenuity as the ancients placed in their carved images. Likewise, certain psychotherapies practically do away with any need for the God of the Scriptures. Instead, they rely on their own principles and methods to deal with guilt and sin, and to make people healthy and whole. They hold out the promise that people can become all that they were meant to be apart from God.
A third form of modern idolatry is actually a relic of ancient idolatry. Many people today dabble in occult practices using physical objects such as Ouija boards, Tarot cards, and crystals to tell fortunes & receive supernatural messages. Likewise, horoscopes are as popular as ever, & those who promote them even boast in the fact that astrology, on which horoscopes are based, was heavily practiced in ancient Babylon. Forms of idolatry such as these may be more sophisticated than the metal shrines set up by the ancient pagans, but they are idolatry just the same. They have been made to stand in the place of God. The Lord will not allow those who practice these things to go unpunished. Consider His judgment on the Babylonians.
Is there any reason why He would not pour out just as much wrath on idolators today? He still hates idolatry (Deut. 7:25–26). The First and Second Commandments are still there (Ex. 20:2–6). And the Lord is still who He declared Himself to be to the ancients: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Is. 46:9). Perhaps the most common form of idolatry is simple greed. The NT gives us a sober warning about coveting, because it ultimately means desiring something more than God. If we’re supposed to avoid covetousness, what does a lifestyle of contentment look like? See Phil. 4:10–13. Word in life Study Bible
See also Luke 12:13–21. WATCH OUT FOR GREED!
Jesus gave a direct, unequivocal command to guard against covetousness—longing for something we don’t have, especially for what belongs to someone else. He was not telling us to watch for it in others, but in ourselves. According to this verse and the following parable, covetousness, or greed, is based on the foolish belief that what matters in life is how much one has. It may be money (as is the case here), or status, power, intelligence, beauty, even spiritual blessings; it is possible to covet anything that can be acquired. The idea is that having that thing will make us content. But biblically, only God can—and will—satisfy our real needs, as Jesus goes on to show (Luke 12:22–31). To covet is to be discontented with what God brings our way. Yet our consumer-oriented culture excels at stoking the fires of discontent. In subtle yet powerful ways, we come to believe that whatever we have, it’s not enough. We need more, we need bigger, we need better. So more than ever, we need to pay attention to Jesus’ warning: Watch out for greed! Word in life Study Bible
See also:
I used to think that I couldn't ever be an Idolater
I used to think that I couldn't ever be an Idolater 2
For example, modern society has come to rely so heavily on technology and government to solve its problems that many people no longer feel a need for God. They seem to place as much faith in human ingenuity as the ancients placed in their carved images. Likewise, certain psychotherapies practically do away with any need for the God of the Scriptures. Instead, they rely on their own principles and methods to deal with guilt and sin, and to make people healthy and whole. They hold out the promise that people can become all that they were meant to be apart from God.
A third form of modern idolatry is actually a relic of ancient idolatry. Many people today dabble in occult practices using physical objects such as Ouija boards, Tarot cards, and crystals to tell fortunes & receive supernatural messages. Likewise, horoscopes are as popular as ever, & those who promote them even boast in the fact that astrology, on which horoscopes are based, was heavily practiced in ancient Babylon. Forms of idolatry such as these may be more sophisticated than the metal shrines set up by the ancient pagans, but they are idolatry just the same. They have been made to stand in the place of God. The Lord will not allow those who practice these things to go unpunished. Consider His judgment on the Babylonians.
Is there any reason why He would not pour out just as much wrath on idolators today? He still hates idolatry (Deut. 7:25–26). The First and Second Commandments are still there (Ex. 20:2–6). And the Lord is still who He declared Himself to be to the ancients: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Is. 46:9). Perhaps the most common form of idolatry is simple greed. The NT gives us a sober warning about coveting, because it ultimately means desiring something more than God. If we’re supposed to avoid covetousness, what does a lifestyle of contentment look like? See Phil. 4:10–13. Word in life Study Bible
See also Luke 12:13–21. WATCH OUT FOR GREED!
Jesus gave a direct, unequivocal command to guard against covetousness—longing for something we don’t have, especially for what belongs to someone else. He was not telling us to watch for it in others, but in ourselves. According to this verse and the following parable, covetousness, or greed, is based on the foolish belief that what matters in life is how much one has. It may be money (as is the case here), or status, power, intelligence, beauty, even spiritual blessings; it is possible to covet anything that can be acquired. The idea is that having that thing will make us content. But biblically, only God can—and will—satisfy our real needs, as Jesus goes on to show (Luke 12:22–31). To covet is to be discontented with what God brings our way. Yet our consumer-oriented culture excels at stoking the fires of discontent. In subtle yet powerful ways, we come to believe that whatever we have, it’s not enough. We need more, we need bigger, we need better. So more than ever, we need to pay attention to Jesus’ warning: Watch out for greed! Word in life Study Bible
See also:
I used to think that I couldn't ever be an Idolater
I used to think that I couldn't ever be an Idolater 2
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