The Dangers of Idolatry
5. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.6. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.7. Neither be idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’8. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.9. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.10. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.11. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it.14. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee idolatry.1 Corinthians 10:5-14The idols of our daySome Christians believe that they are immune from idolatry. The fact is, since we are not immune from desires that lead to sin, there is certainly the risk that we could fall into the practice of worshipping something other than God. These verses were written as a warning for believers to avoid the traps that lead to idolatry, what it will lead people to do, and the consequences of God’s punishment on those who participate it.
We would be wise to ask ourselves some critical questions. What makes the child of God more at risk of idolatry in these last and evil days? If a Christian is saved, can they fall victim to idol worship? Finally, how does a Christian, a true believer, deal with the temptations that would lead to such sin? Those are legitimate concerns. The first thing that we must recognize is the end times will be marked by unrestrained lifestyles. The rule is there are no rules. The cultural norms and widely held beliefs of twenty years ago no longer applies to this “enlightened” generation. People are Google smart, but they are not experienced as to know what works and what does not work. Once upon a time the parent was expected to raise their children, but now children are required to be raised according to the standards of the state. This basically means that the children get to determine what they will be, what they will do, and how they will be raised. This means that the parents must fear the children lest they be charged with child abuse or raising their kids in an unhealthy environment. Once upon a time, adults acted like adults and honored their responsibilities. That no longer exists today. Grown people throw tantrums worse than some of the children and will resort to any means to get what they want. Once upon a time, leaders could be counted on to do what is right and good for all the people and to uphold the duties they were sworn to uphold.
In these days, leaders are more corrupt than the criminals on the street. They are doing exactly what the Bible commanded them not to do. They are taking bribes, disregarding the law in favor of their own sinful practices, and supporting any and everything that can make them rich. All of this leads to the practice of idolatry. Rather than man’s character being shaped by their belief in God, man is shaping their god to fit their wicked lifestyle. Tis sad, but tis true.
The Risks of Idolatry
Christians are not exempt from the traps of idol worship. There are five specific risks that Paul lists that will lead to idolatry. By the way, the Greek word is pronounced similar to the modern word and means ‘to worship or make an image as if it was God.’ The passage warns that it begins with the lust for evil things. An evil thing can be anything that takes you away from God. Anytime any one devotes their affection to creation more than the Creator, that will result in lusting after evil things. It happened with Eve in the Garden of Eden. She desired the fruit from the forbidden tree. She got the fruit but lost her soul in the process. There are literally millions who are selling their soul for creature comforts and they are losing their integrity, character, and even their life as a result.
Another risk is that people assume that life is all about the good times and partying to the point of no restraint. People call it having a good time, but God calls it sin and warns that neither be idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. In the entertainment world, a lot of people are speculating over who went to Puff Daddy’s parties. Now, Combs is in jail because his parties allegedly took advantage of underage children. While many Churches claim to be places of worship, many have fallen victim to just another form of entertainment as many want to find a Church where they can “get their praise on.” They crave the feeling more than the faith and will eventually fall for the fake gods of grooving to the music. This leads to idolatry where many are deifying a feeling rather than living by faith. If you let your feelings lead you, you are denying the Faith.
Paul spoke of a third risk of idolatry that promotes sexual indulgence. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. This is the idolatry that leads to unfaithfulness and infidelity. Why has humanity taken something that God created and made it to be the ultimate goal. The attitude is to sleep with whomever you want and there are no consequences. This type of idolatry results in defying the truth in order to support a myth. The myth makes you think that you are sexy, but that is not why God made you. God made you to be holy not sexy. Make no mistake about it, God honors faithfulness. When people did not heed the risk in the wilderness, they reaped the consequences where twenty-three thousand were destroyed in one day. It is a warning to the Church to not allow fantasies and desires that lead to uncontrolled passions. Refuse to buy what the world is trying to sell you. Paul warned that we should flee idolatry.
Paul issued a fourth risk of idolatry in the form of testing God. No one would argue that life can be hard at times. No one would doubt that Christians face situations and trials that will try the soul. That does not give us the license to tempt Christ. The passage states that Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. What caused the fiery serpents to be sent into the Israelite camp? They were complaining against God. Numbers 21 records that the people had become discouraged because of the way. Think about it. How many times have you complained about how tough life is and how you didn’t think it was fair to be going through your trial? Paul says, this is a risk of idolatry. First, God has every right to test us if he wants to. Second, if God sends you to the test, He will also get you through the test. Third, God expects you to offer praise regardless of the circumstances. Don’t just praise Him in the good times. Remember that He is God even on the bad days. Please note that the Scripture says, ‘some of them’ and not ‘all of them.” There were some folks that knew better. They knew that if God brought them through in the past, He could do it again. There were some who were anchored in Jesus and were not about to turn around. Some of them were walking by faith, while some of the others were just walking to get their needs met. Here, the risk of idolatry would be to demand things without appreciating God’s provision. There are people who have the audacity to say, “I use the Word and demand that God bless me.” Not only is that bad theology, but that’s also crazy. You don’t talk to God that way. Stop making an idol out of your request, and simply say, “Lord, if it is Your Will.”
The fifth risk of idolatry really hits home for me and I’m sure many others who are facing or have faced tough times. It is not impossible for those who have been giving their best to feel that we have been cheated by life. This attitude of ungratefulness will grab you like a virus and refuse to let you go. Paul warns Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. This warning is for those who don’t speak loud but they mutter under their breath. They won’t complain directly to the Lord, but they will often speak to others around them about how bad life is and they don’t think that it is fair. You are murmuring and that will lead to idolatry. How so? You are creating in your mind how you feel life should go. No you are not making an idol out of wood, silver, or even gold. But you are making an idol out of your very thoughts and that offends the Lord. Here the idolatry is denying God honor by doubting His power. He knows what you are going through and has predestined for you to make it through the wilderness that you are facing. It is here that we take an example from Jesus as to how He faced His greatest challenge. Jesus felt abandoned and He was. Jesus felt very much that the weight of the world was on His shoulders and it was. Yet Jesus looked up to the Father and said these words, “not My Will, but Thy Will be done.” That is the key that will keep each of us from murmuring and of running the risk of destruction.
Paul is clear that idolatry destroys. It will destroy your faith. It will make mockery of every promise in the Bible. If you build an idol, you are committing an atrocious sin that inscribes the worst statement that can be made. The idol says, “I don’t trust God, but I trust what I have made.” Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the biggest lie
that could ever be told and the origin is from our own mind. Keys to Overcoming Idolatry
While we have shared the threats and risks of idolatry, it is even more critical that every believer should be knowledgeable in overcoming idolatry. Some forms of idol worship may have been passed down through our parents or grandparents. It does not matter; we must take the approach of destroying the manmade image before it destroys us. Let’s begin with an Old Testament illustration.
King Hezekiah was faithful to God in his role as leader of Israel. His administration implemented reforms that restored true worship and helped Israel to turn from the pagan practices of the nations around them. There was one form idol worship that the nation had created themselves. It was the worship of the bronze serpent that was used by Moses to cure the people from serpent bites. The Book of Numbers records that during one of Israel’s gripe sessions, God sent fiery serpents. When the people cried out for deliverance, God commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Everyone who looked upon the bronze serpent would be healed. What a miracle! The only problem was that the people kept the bronze serpent as a souvenir and eventually began to bow down to it as a god. For hundreds of years they kept that object even during the reign of King David, King Solomon, and King Jehosophat. It was Hezekiah who said, “this is an idol” and he ground it to powder. He knew that Israel had lost their focus on God and they were using a relic in replacement of genuine faith. Hezekiah called the bronze serpent “Nehushtan” or piece of brass. We learn four principles for overcoming idolatry.
First, you must love God more than things. Loving God means giving Him your full devotion, allegiance, and focus. Hezekiah looked to God and expressed his love for God.
The second principle is to guard your heart from allowing anything to steal your worship from the Lord. Psalm 19:14, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. Hezekiah knew that just any kind of worship was not right. The worship had to follow the clear guidelines of what was taught in the Law. Nowhere in the Law did it say that the children of Israel were to continue to look to the bronze serpent. So Hezekiah got rid of it.
The third principle for overcoming idols is to know the truth. Jesus said in John 8:32, you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free. Feeling an obligation to a ritual or practice just because your parents or grandparents recognized it must be questioned. It should be something you take to the Lord. Pray and ask God to show you what is right. Grandma’s rabbit foot may have been around for a long time but if you depend on it to bring you luck, you are denying God. It’s an idol.
The fourth principle is to set your affections on God. Hezekiah loved God to the point that he went throughout Israel and invited them to worship at the Temple of the Lord. Some laughed and dismissed this as unnecessary. But there were many who humbled themselves and turned their affections to God as Hezekiah did. When the armies invaded Israel, those folks that laughed were destroyed. Hezekiah and those who were faithful, simply trusted in the Lord and God saved them from their enemies. 2 Kings 18:5-6, gives this testimony of King Hezekiah. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him … for he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments which the Lord commanded Moses. In our lives today, we must set our affections on the Lord. Never mind what the world says. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the things of the world.
There is only one way to worship God, we must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
So here is the reminder again from Paul. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee idolatry.