Idolatry – Ancient and Modern
I believe that the world has always been very religious. Ok, you may think that statement is ridiculous. Church-going people usually think that our largest institutions in education, government and business are religion-free, not to mention smaller institutions.
Maybe I’m off on the statement based on how most people define religious. However, Merriam-Webster defines religion by the following:
relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity <a religious person> <religious attitudes>
of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances
3a) scrupulously and
conscientiously faithful b) fervent, zealous
You may agree that one or more of the above definitions would describe a great many people, including even atheists, communists, etc. But the above definitions may not apply to some people. There are many agnostics who simply admit they neither believe in, nor reject an all-powerful God. We also know some folks who are neither fervent nor zealous toward anything.
However, the Bible shows that all people have a god of one kind or another, and they serve that god in their hearts today.
In Biblical times, Pagan nations believed in and worshipped
heavenly and earthly gods. In ancient
For ancient
However, without a standard of right and wrong expected by his god, he would lack the moral character to achieve true success. In other words, his behavior would cause problems for both himself and others. Even though the nations believed their gods protected them, their gods were only worth as much as the wood or metal they were constructed of.
What is modern idolatry?
In the New Testament, idolatry has a deeper meaning. Jesus came to magnify God’s laws and commandments (Isa. 42:21). He came not to throw out God’s laws written in the Old Testament, but to teach the law’s spiritual intent. Jesus himself said,
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the
Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt.
The Greek word used here, pleroo translated fulfill, cannot mean “abolish” or “cease to exist.” Pleroo means to make full, as in filling a cup to the top, or filling a fishnet to its full capacity. While the English word fulfill usually means “to make full,” it can also mean “to bring to an end.” So, some confused interpreters somehow think that Jesus came not to destroy the law, but to put it to end – that is, he performed the law for his believers so they don’t have to. While that interpretation makes no logical sense, the next verse says:
"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18).
Has heaven and earth passed away yet? So neither has the law passed away. But this verse implies that the law can somehow pass away when all is fulfilled. The Greek word here is ginomai, which can mean to come to pass. When can ALL come to pass for God? God is eternal. It appears Jesus was using a colorful way of saying that the law will never pass away. The reason the law will never pass away is because it is eternal just as God is eternal. The way of God is eternal, and its basic principles are written down into Ten Commandments. These Ten Commandments can also be broken down into two commandments – 1) love for God, and 2) love for neighbor. The first four commandments are about love for God, the next six commandments are about love for neighbor.
To further illustrate what Jesus meant by “fulfilling” the law, he said the sixth commandment against murder wasn’t simply against the physical act, but it also addressed even the hatred that leads one to think about murdering another human being, even if one does nothing.
Jesus came to change the heart of his followers to love God and neighbor, and hating another human being whom God loves is incompatible with love.
When a young man came to Jesus to ask what good thing he
could do to have eternal life, Jesus answered, “keep the commandments.” He then listed at least six of the ten pillars
of God’s law – the Ten Commandments (Mat.
What was the problem? Hadn’t God given the young man everything he had in the first place? Couldn’t God have provided his needs if he had decided to follow His Son, Jesus Christ? The problem was that he was a covetous man and loved his possessions more than God. His god was wealth because he loved it more than God.
In God’s eyes, idolatry isn’t simply worshipping images made out of wood or gold, but having trust in anything that takes the place of trust in God.
The Apostle Paul understood this when he said:
“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5).
He calls covetousness idolatry because it is covetousness when an individual desires something that is not lawfully his. He covets when he isn’t thankful for what God has given him. He does not love God for giving him everything he has. He wants more than God has given him, and he will usually go about getting it anyway. His god is the object of the coveting, which can be money or any other thing he desires to possess. Coveting is at the root of every sin. This is idolatry.
To God, there are only two ways of life. A life devoted to him and his laws, or a life devoted to self and disobedience to his laws. One way is worshipping the true God, the other is worshipping a false god.
But continuing Paul’s thought: “Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience” (Col. 3:6).
At the close of this age, God will be angry about widespread fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness (idolatry). Idolatry today and in the future isn’t simply worshipping wooded images – and God is no less angry about modern idolatry than he was with the ancient form.
Idolatry in the future
The book of Revelation describes a future widespread condition of idolatry in the world. It even describes idolatry in ancient terms; that of metallic, stone, and wooden images:
“But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk” (Rev. 9:20).
Can we imagine a future time when all of mankind is
worshiping actual wooden carved idols? Even after one-third of humankind
is killed by the plagues of God? (see
Also consider that our future idolatrous world, except the true Christians, will worship the beast of the apocalypse:
“…And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:7-8).
It seems hard to believe that every individual on the planet
would worship a political leader as a god. Imagine Jews and Muslims adoring
a man as God -- unthinkable! Also, if the beast is European, Christian
Evangelicals have been predicting the European beast for many years, and they
are not ready to worship this person and/or government as God. It’s also
hard to imagine eastern powers like
The author humbly thinks that the coming beast will not be worshiped in the sense of “divine adoration” that a Christian typically has for God. The Greek word translated “worship” here is proskuneo, which can simply mean obeisance, or a gesture of respect – signaling cooperation. So this political leader will have the cooperation of all the nations. The primary reason he will have this cooperation is due to the military power of the state (Rev. 13:4). Fear gains respect in this world!
The only enemies of the state will be true Christians (Rev.
13:7). They will neither fight for nor against the state (
So the idolatry we see in this case is forsaking the laws of God for the laws of the state. In other words, obeying man’s government over God’s government. To the world, it’s not idolatry it’s fitting in. To the Christian, it’s idolatry and a great trial, even unto death for some (Rev. 13:7).
We have seen that idolatry in the New Testament can be in various forms. On the pervading idolatry of our times, Edmund Opitz opined:
“There are half-gods, false gods, and tribal deities—idols all. We worship the gods of power, wealth, fame, or pleasure—or whatever else evokes our highest priorities. Some god you must have [emphasis mine]. Whatever thing you value so much that you would sacrifice all other values to it; whatever elicits your ultimate devotion; that which you invest your most ardent emotions in—this is your god…”
“…Every human being is capable of first-rate loyalty and dedication, and logically we need to match this up with a first-rate object, the Object of ultimate concern—the one true God. Only the Supreme Being, God, merits the utmost devotion and consecration of which human beings are capable” (Religion: the moral basis for Freedom, p 205-206).
Identifying idolatry for Christians
Any thought, action or deed that is not the will of God defined by his holy and perfect law is service to a false god. The goal of Christians is to identify sin in their life, repent, and change; to develop the mind and character of Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:5). This includes identifying and removing idolatry from our lives, even if it is in seemingly limited forms.
As we have seen, a false god can be anything that we devote ourselves to or have trust in above God. Usually, we find time for the things in life we love. How much time during the week do we spend with God? Is it hard to find time to pray? How about Bible study and meditation? Idolatry can sneak into our lives because we simply don’t make time for God. If we were to count the minutes we spend on every category of activity in our lives, how high on the list would prayer, bible study and meditation rank?
For most people, it’s much easier to watch TV for two hours per night than study God’s word for one hour. Entertainment can be a false god if it occupies much of our life, leaving little for God in our life.
Money can be a false god. Most Americans today are highly mortgaged and have to work very hard to make their payments. There is nothing wrong with working hard, nor is there anything wrong with owning a large house, a BMW, etc. However, when one has to pile on debt for all this stuff, he is probably not focusing that hard on God’s purpose for him. He certainly didn’t learn being leveraged to the hilt reading the book of Proverbs or other financial wisdom contained in the scriptures. What else was he doing with his time?
So can we agree that the world is religious, but not toward the true God of the scriptures? As a result this world has no moral direction. And it’s heading toward utter destruction, but God will intervene to save humanity from itself (Matt. 24:22). Godspeed that day toward the Millennium and a worldwide worship of the true God.
Recommended
This article has only touched on a few truths of the Bible. The United Church of God publishes many booklets that will help you better understand valuable biblical truths. Please request your free copies of What Is Your Destiny?, The Gospel of the Kingdom, and You
Can Understand Bible
Prophecy