Idolatry is really worship, in which the honour and glory that ought to go to God, and to God only, is offered to another, or to some invention of man. Idolatry takes on various forms in the world, and the form it takes depends upon the spiritual ignorance of the people concerned. Sometimes it is utter foolishness (such as with the worship of monkeys and elephants in Hinduism), or it may appear to be very reasonable because it honours Biblical characters. But whether it be the idolatry of pagan religion or that of the Roman Catholic Church, it is exactly the same abomination in the eyes of God, for the worship that God ought to receive is given to that which is not God. So it makes no difference if this form of worship takes place in a pagan temple or a Christian church, it is still idolatry.
Is idolatry an aid to worship?
We tend to think that idolaters are those who deny the reality of God and Christ, but a person can be an idol worshipper and still uphold the basic truths of Christianity. They usually say that their “holy” statue, image or cross helps them honour God better by focusing on it during prayer. This is exactly what the people of Israel thought. “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play” (Exodus 32:1-6). They did not renounce their faith in God, instead they supplemented it with an idol. Aaron, the priest of God, was willing to compromise his faith and honour a golden image. They may have sought to worship the true God by having “a feast to the LORD”, but God still rejected it, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them” (Exodus 32:7-10).
Jeroboam did virtually the same thing. He did not intend that Israel cast off the true faith, but wanted them to have an aid to worshipping God, “Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28). Whatever his intentions were “this thing became a sin” (1 Kings 12:30).
In both instances the idol was not set up as a rival to God, but under the pretence of helping the people focus their worship, nevertheless a great sin was committed. The honour due to God was given to a visible representation of Him, and it offended Him. The second commandment was broken, “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: 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” (Exodus 20:4-5). Therefore, idolatry does not honour God, but actually shows contempt for Him.
Idolatry begins in the heart
All forms of idolatry begin in the heart of man. He has a desire to worship, honour and glorify anything other than the true God. The idol in our lives can be money, family or entertainment. Is it any wonder programmes such as “Pop Idol” and “American Idol” are on our TV screens? Idolatry is a sin which must be eradicated from our lives and churches.
All who think they are honouring God by praying to images of wood, stone and metal, will one day, unless they repent, worship the last abomination set up to rob God of glory, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
Idolatry is a grievous sin
This is that sin which God has especially denounced in His Word. One commandment out of ten is devoted to the prohibition of it. Not one of all the ten contains such a solemn declaration of God’s character, and of His judgements against the disobedient: “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” (Exodus 20:5). This is the sin to which the Jews seem to have been most inclined to commit before the destruction of Solomon’s temple. What is the history of Israel under their judges and kings but a sad and continuous record of falling away into idolatry? Throughout the pages of Scripture we read of “high places” and “false gods.” We read of captivities and chastisements on account of their idolatry. We read of God delivering His people from bondage, but soon they return to the old sin. Even though God gave Israel an extensive and elaborate form of worship, they still desired to supplement it with idols.
This sin must be judged by God. We, as indicated above, see this judgement being poured out in the Old Testament, but even in recent history the church has come under the wrath of God because of it. God says, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8). So, as in the past, Islamic invasions maybe due to the church failing to honour God as it ought. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
Conclusion
The apostles Paul and John encourage their readers to “flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14) and “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). There can be no aids to worship for the true child of God. Our focus must be on the true God who rejects all forms of idolatry. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). We do not have to see Him to love Him, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
© Page created 21 April 2007