Eric on Idolatry

by Eric

Exodus 34: v14 "For thou shalt (you shall) worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."

    Although idolatry can simply be objects of worship made by man (statues, carvings, and engravings), not all statues, carvings or engravings in a person's possession make one guilty of idolatry.  Who among us doesn't have in his or her household some engraved image or picture of a person or an animal or the trees, ocean, sky, stars, earth...which household among us does not currently have at least one of these items in our homes?  (#1 Exodus 20:1-4)

   The Bible tells us clearly that God does not want us making molten images, engraved images, or any man-made image or object for worship.  In the New American Standard Bible, one of the books explains there's no sin in making an image or a figure of any man, beast, or anything on earth or in the heavens, etc.   The sin comes from the potential that someone else seeing the work and not knowing the artist might worship the object for whatever reason or circumstance as a god and thus offend the Living God.  (#2 Exodus 20: v5)

   But idolatry can also be spiritual and not based on worshiping a physical object.  Idolatry can be spiritual in the sense that one may be idolizing "in mind".  For example, I grew up watching cartoons and super hero cartoons were my favorite, especially Spider-Man of the late 60's.  I always thought that super heroes exemplified they type of character that Jesus would want each of us to show if we had their powers (self-restraint, self-discipline, helping others, fighting evil and injustice, etc.).  Therefore, I would take any opportunity as a child to act the super hero. But I think I related best to Spider-Man because of what his Uncle Ben (Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man's real uncle and surrogate father) instilled in his mind before his untimely death, "With great power comes great responsibility."  Well, to me - a kid without super powers- that meant whatever I personally have the power to do should be done for others before me.  That was my interpretation of the Golden Rule, mixed with my comic book morality.  (Cross-reference #3 Isaiah 42: v17 and #4 Ezekiel 14:4-9).

   The idolatry in the above example is that I was trying to be like Spider-Man in mind and deed, rather than trying to be more like Jesus.  I lusted for super powers and abilities (selfish endeavors) rather than an ability to heal others, although I would convince myself that I could benefit many people if I had super powers.  I would always play Spider-Man games and talk Spider-Man talk, rather than talking about Jesus or God or others.  My idolatry was trying to be a fictional character, rather than focusing on God, Jesus, or others before me.  Today, it would be Remo Williams of “The Destroyer” (men’s action novel) fame…not that I would want to be an assassin as is Remo, one of the main characters hired by a “super secret organization that doesn’t exist to work outside the Constitution to make the Constitution work.”

   God doesn't like idolatry (# 5 Exodus 34:14).  So the moral of this blather is to be aware of physical items you cherish most, collections even, as they can become more important to you than God or others...you never realize how deep a connection you have with something until it is severed for a time.  A good exercise to prevent attachment to physical items is to read up a little on eastern philosophies like Taoism, Buddhism, Zen, or even Shamanism.  A shaman exercise to prevent attachment is to clean out your room or closet every time you feel like your life is too cluttered.  The rule for this practice is to throw out or give away anything you have not touched in the last six months.  You'll be surprised at how difficult it can feel to throw out something you've had for years, but haven't even looked at.  More impressive is how light you feel afterwards...one walks away with the sense that one has helped others less fortunate by getting rid of perfectly good clothing that we don't wear ourselves, or by how clean the room seems after throwing out the clutter and putting things back in their place.  Doing this can help prevent physical idolatry.  Also, be aware that idolatry can be spiritual.  You don't need to be anybody but yourself, so quit idolizing that actor, or character, or cause, or habit, or anything that stops you from being the “you” that you were when you were young and innocent.  If you didn't do it back then, you don't really need to do it now, excepting for work and responsibility to our fellow humans, and especially for recognition of God and his power over a speck of dust like you or anything your hands can make.  A Lenten-fast is another method to develop your ability to “do without.”  Simply avoid whatever you feel might be taking hold of you or controlling you for an extended time…40 days is a good number, but if that’s too extreme, start out with a lower number.

References:

(#1 Exodus 20:1-4):  [The 10 Commandments]

--- v1-2"And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt (the Jews were once slaves of Egypt), out of the house of bondage (freed them from slavery).

---v3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"

---v4 "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"    [BACK TO TOP]

(#2 Exodus 20: v5):  "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them (idols or engraven images...a.k.a. false gods): for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;"  This should be read in conjunction with v.6 "And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."  (Jesus said the commandments and the prophets can be summed up as loving God above all else and loving others as Jesus loved us, in the most self-less manner).   [BACK TO TOP]

(# 3 Isaiah 42: v17): "They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods." [BACK TO TOP]

(#4 Ezekiel 14:4-9):

 v4 "Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

v5  That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

v6  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 

v7  For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself:

v8   And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

v9  And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel."     [BACK TO TOP]

(#5 Exodus 34:14):

(New American Bible, St. Joseph Edition) “You shall not worship any other god, for the LORD is ‘the Jealous One’;* a jealous God is he.”  (*- see note on Exodus 20:v5… “Jealous- demanding exclusive allegiance, such as a wife must have for her husband” is the note, but the verse(s) state: v4 “You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; v5 you shall not bow down before them or worship them.  For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation…”   Some, by a slight emendation, render, “The Lord is jealous for his name.” Cross-reference Ezekiel 39:25 – “Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have pity on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name.”)

(King James Version) “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”  (Cross-reference Exodus 20:v5- “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”; Isaiah 57:15- “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”; and Deuteronomy 4:v24- “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”)  [BACK]