Modern Idolotry

From the very beginning of God’s relationship with His chosen people He wanted to make one thing clear – He was to be the one and only God.  The Lord realized that the Israelites were going to be tempted to follow other “gods”; but, they needed to know that He was their God.  The Ten Commandments begin with, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before Me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:2-6).   Even with a new covenant (when God’s chosen people were identified as Christians) believers were cautioned to maintain a holy relationship with God.  Some passages warn about relationships with physical false gods; but, the Apostle Paul added another layer to the commitment when he wrote, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5).  From the beginning, idolatry in any form was not to tolerated!

In an era when we don’t see actual idols and temples we tend to forget about idolatry.  Simply put, idolatry is allowing anyone or anything to take preeminence over God.  Yes, it can be manifested in the form of a statue; but, more often in today’s society it comes in the form of an attitude.  When we think about modern temptations, it is easy to see things that seek to usurp God as Ruler of our lives:

1)  Pride:  Some people want to be right at all costs.  Those who allow arrogance to rule their lives replace Jehovah’s law with lies, physical manipulation and harshness.

2) Calm:  Typically, we think of calmness as a good thing; but, when it comes at the expense of standing up for what is right, it unseats God as the Absolute Authority.  A willingness to compromise truth in the quest of peace at all cost tempts us to reject godliness in favor of tranquility.

3)  Entertainment:  It doesn’t appear that God wants us to live a life devoid of fun; but, when seeking good times overshadows God’s plan it becomes our primary pursuit.  Any activity – whether sordid or innocent – that runs our lives will not be tolerated by the God who demands to be first.


I don’t see a resurgence in idols popping up our society; but, the temptation to allow something to overthrow our relationship with God is real.  What will we all to reign on the throne of our heart?

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