Hidden Idols

Leviticus 26:1-6  "Do not make idols or set up carved images, sacred pillars, or shaped stones to be worshiped in your land. I, the LORD, am your God.  You must keep my Sabbath days of rest and show reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.  "If you keep my laws and are careful to obey my commands,  I will send the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees will produce their fruit.  Your threshing season will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will extend until it is time to plant grain again. You will eat your fill and live securely in your land.  "I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep without fear. I will remove the wild animals from your land and protect you from your enemies.

 

God has almost finished giving the directions to Moses for his people….and like the good teacher that he is…. his words to Moses start to repeat themselves…as a sort of closing.  But this closing is really special…because it names the blessings we can look forward to is we follow all that he has directed us in the great book of rules. I can just see Moses…listening…wide-eyed…drinking it all in one more time.

 

The no idols rule was the first thing he repeats….as if it were the main ingredient in a product we were thinking of buying. I remembered seeing this one repeated already….so I had to look it up. My you version ap on my blackberry brought up 202 scriptures that contain the words ‘no idols.’  Starting in Exodus 20:4…and going all the way to Revelation 9:20…God allowed his anointed writers to keep reminding us that nothing should ever take the place of him.

 

Their idols were pieces of gold…or silver…or wood…or even stone...that had been carved to resemble ‘a God’  they felt the need to pray to and worship. They took objects and crafted them into objects of worship…bowed before them…even prayed to them. They broke his heart with another love…sadly…one that would never be able to truly comfort them or listen to their prayers.

 

Our idols…they are not so noticeable…on the outside. I haven’t walked in many homes and seen shrines to other Gods. So I fear that Satan has become more creative in the ways he tricks us into worshiping other Gods.  If you are thinking that worship is too strong a term here….lets insert adore…love…… give time to…or admire.  These are all merely words with similar meaning…words that allow our heart to justify the material wealth we seem to thrive on…the prideful drive that tells us we must be successful at the cost of our families…think that a bottle of pills or beer will ease our pain and stress…or that the way we alter our faces with cosmetics and body altering surgeries will help us fit in better in this world that seems to scream that normal is some thin beauty queen image.

 

Our security should be placed in God alone…and his rules are what will help us guard against Satan’s lies. This wonderful chapter even contains his promise of blessing and peace…if we can keep them all…and honor only him with our time…our resources…and our hearts. I love verse 6….  "I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep without fear. I will remove the wild animals from your land and protect you from your enemies.” It gives me hope….a positive thing to look forward to. And I even see it coming to pass in small ways every day…for God’s blessings far outweigh the things that cause stress in my life.

 

So it makes me think once again about the reason God put this rule first in his conclusion to Moses….and why it will be repeated many more times before his Bible ends.  Maybe we don’t pray to any stones or carved images….but the Webster’s definition of ‘idol’….  “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing” …. should expand a believer’s understanding of an idol as anything that replaces the one, true God…or pulls our time and energies away from seeking him continually every day.

 

Father…I thank you even again that you have placed this reminder to search my heart constantly for things that I have given too much importance. Help me to identify the idols that still take my valuable time away from learning about you…from spending time listening to your directions for my life….that distract me from doing the work you placed me here to do.  Never let me get to a point where I think that I have gotten rid of them all…so I will constantly guard against Satan’s lies and tricks to infiltrate your influence on my heart. Help me spend even more time with you…praying for directions and guidance...to be the vessel you want me to be. Amen.