The Corruption of Idolatry
Exodus 32:7-8: "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"'"
Prior to Moses' time on the mountain, the Lord gave the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel. The people heard all the words of the Lord and proclaimed together: "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 24:3). The first commandment was that they would have no other gods before the Lord. The second commandment was that they were not to make for themselves a carved image or anything created to represent the image of God to them. Now, just forty days after Moses ascended upon the mountain, the people forgot their unified assent and broke the second commandment of the Lord.
It is important to note that they did not seek to worship another god, but that they wanted an image of God that they could see and touch. Back in Egypt, the Israelites saw all kinds of graven images to the different gods. One of the major gods in Egypt was Apex. Apex was created in the image of a bull. He exemplified great power and virility to the people. Now, we see the Israelites looking back to this Egyptian form of worship and creating the one true God in the image of Apex, the bull god. While Apex had power and virility, he did not lead his people out of slavery; he did not provide for his people; he was not a god of love or one who would have fellowship with his people. Creating God in this image limited his divine nature. Only two aspects his divine nature were conveyed.
That is the problem with idolatry. There is no way for human beings to fully represent the Lord. He is beyond our comprehension and creation. In Moses' absence, the Israelites wanted a god they could see and touch. They began to doubt this unseen God. In that doubt, they crafted an idol to represent God, and God said they "corrupted themselves." Idolatry draws the human heart from devotion to the one true God, and something tangible, though something lesser, gets put upon the throne.
What does idolatry look like today? An idol is anything that pulls us away from whole-hearted devotion and worship of the Lord; it is anything that captivates our hearts above the Lord. An idol can be our bank account, our career, our family, our home, our hobbies, our appearance, or our children. The list can go on and on, and it differs from one person to the next. There is always the temptation to replace devotion to the one true God for devotion to lesser, created things.
Like Moses, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness. However, instead of meeting with his Father, he endured temptation by the devil. After forty days of fasting, Satan offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory if he would just bow down and worship him (Matthew 4:9). What he was saying is that Jesus could have all of this without the cross, without all the suffering that was before him. Jesus rebuked the devil and quoted Scripture: "For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve'" (Matthew 4:10).
There is always the temptation to exchange the glory of the Lord for a created thing. Often it is easier, faster, or just feels right in the moment. However, idolatry leads to corruption. Our hearts are created to worship, and God has called us to worship him and him alone. Any other form of worship "corrupts" us.
Reflection:
Where do you see the tendency to idolatry in your life? Often, the good gifts in our lives are the very things Satan tempts us to worship or to put our trust in instead of God. May we repent of worshipping anything or anyone outside of the Lord.
Prior to Moses' time on the mountain, the Lord gave the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel. The people heard all the words of the Lord and proclaimed together: "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 24:3). The first commandment was that they would have no other gods before the Lord. The second commandment was that they were not to make for themselves a carved image or anything created to represent the image of God to them. Now, just forty days after Moses ascended upon the mountain, the people forgot their unified assent and broke the second commandment of the Lord.
It is important to note that they did not seek to worship another god, but that they wanted an image of God that they could see and touch. Back in Egypt, the Israelites saw all kinds of graven images to the different gods. One of the major gods in Egypt was Apex. Apex was created in the image of a bull. He exemplified great power and virility to the people. Now, we see the Israelites looking back to this Egyptian form of worship and creating the one true God in the image of Apex, the bull god. While Apex had power and virility, he did not lead his people out of slavery; he did not provide for his people; he was not a god of love or one who would have fellowship with his people. Creating God in this image limited his divine nature. Only two aspects his divine nature were conveyed.
That is the problem with idolatry. There is no way for human beings to fully represent the Lord. He is beyond our comprehension and creation. In Moses' absence, the Israelites wanted a god they could see and touch. They began to doubt this unseen God. In that doubt, they crafted an idol to represent God, and God said they "corrupted themselves." Idolatry draws the human heart from devotion to the one true God, and something tangible, though something lesser, gets put upon the throne.
What does idolatry look like today? An idol is anything that pulls us away from whole-hearted devotion and worship of the Lord; it is anything that captivates our hearts above the Lord. An idol can be our bank account, our career, our family, our home, our hobbies, our appearance, or our children. The list can go on and on, and it differs from one person to the next. There is always the temptation to replace devotion to the one true God for devotion to lesser, created things.
Like Moses, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness. However, instead of meeting with his Father, he endured temptation by the devil. After forty days of fasting, Satan offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory if he would just bow down and worship him (Matthew 4:9). What he was saying is that Jesus could have all of this without the cross, without all the suffering that was before him. Jesus rebuked the devil and quoted Scripture: "For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve'" (Matthew 4:10).
There is always the temptation to exchange the glory of the Lord for a created thing. Often it is easier, faster, or just feels right in the moment. However, idolatry leads to corruption. Our hearts are created to worship, and God has called us to worship him and him alone. Any other form of worship "corrupts" us.
Reflection:
Where do you see the tendency to idolatry in your life? Often, the good gifts in our lives are the very things Satan tempts us to worship or to put our trust in instead of God. May we repent of worshipping anything or anyone outside of the Lord.
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