Idols of the Heart
In the Bible, we see many examples of people turning away from God and worshiping idols instead. These idols were often made of gold, silver, or stone, but they could be anything that took the place of God in a person's life.
The warnings against idolatry are clear in Scripture. In the book of Exodus, God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses, and the very first commandment is, "You shall have no other gods before me." In Deuteronomy, God warns his people not to worship the gods of the nations around them, saying, "Their gods are like idols of wood and stone, made by human hands."
Despite these warnings, many people in the Bible turned to idols. The Israelites repeatedly fell into idol worship, even after God had performed miracles to rescue them from slavery in Egypt. They made a golden calf and worshiped it, saying, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." The prophet Jeremiah also warns against idolatry, saying, "They worshiped idols, which are not real gods at all, but only the work of human hands."
The consequences of idolatry were devastating. In the book of Judges, we see a cycle of disobedience, punishment, and repentance as the Israelites turn away from God and worship idols. They face famine, war, and captivity as a result of their disobedience. In the book of Kings, we see the downfall of Israel and Judah, as they turn away from God and worship idols. They are eventually conquered by foreign powers and taken into exile.
In addition to the devastating effects of idolatry, Scripture also points out the sheer silliness and stupidity of worshiping idols. In Isaiah 44:9-10, the prophet says, "All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing?" Similarly, in Psalm 115:4-8, the psalmist says, "Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." These passages highlight the absurdity of worshiping something that is created by human hands and cannot even fulfill basic functions like speaking, seeing, or hearing.
The story of Elijah taunting the prophets of Baal is a powerful example of the foolishness of idol worship. In 1 Kings 18, we see that the people of Israel had turned away from God and were worshiping Baal, a pagan god. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a test to see which deity was truly powerful. They both would prepare a bull, place it on an altar, and pray for fire to come down from heaven to consume the sacrifice.
The prophets of Baal went first and prayed all day, but nothing happened. Elijah then taunted the prophets of Baal, saying, "Shout louder! Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened!" (1 Kings 18:27). This mocking tone highlights the absurdity of worshiping a false god, who is no God at all! Elijah then stepped forward and prepared his altar, dousing it with water three times. He called out to God, and immediately fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, along with the entire altar.
The story of Elijah taunting the prophets of Baal reminds us that idol worship is not only foolish, but it also leads to disappointment and despair. When we put our trust in something that is not God, we will ultimately be let down. But when we put our faith in God, we can trust that he will never fail us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant, which was the symbol of God's presence among the Israelites. The Philistines took the Ark to the temple of their god, Dagon, and placed it next to the statue of Dagon. The next morning, the Philistines found that the statue of Dagon had fallen over and was lying face down on the ground in front of the Ark. They set it upright again, but the next morning, it had fallen over again, this time with its head and hands broken off. The Philistines realized that they could not contain the power of God, and they returned the Ark to the Israelites.
This story shows that idols, no matter how carefully crafted or revered, are ultimately powerless before the one true God. It is a reminder that we should not put our trust in anything other than God, who is the source of all power and strength. As the psalmist writes, "Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness" (Psalm 115:1).
Today, we may not worship idols made of gold or silver, but we still often fall into idolatry. Anything that takes the place of God in our lives can become an idol, whether it's money, heroes, success, relationships, sports, comfort, etc. These things can be good in themselves, but when we make them the center of our lives, they become idols.
The consequences of idolatry are just as devastating today as they were in biblical times. When we put anything before God, we lose our sense of purpose and direction. We will find ourselves feeling empty and unfulfilled, despite our worldly success. And ultimately, we risk losing our connection with God and facing the same consequences as those who turned to idols in the Bible.
So let us heed the warnings of Scripture and guard our hearts against idolatry. Let us put God first in our lives and trust that he will guide us and fulfill us in ways that idols never could. Let us worship the One true God over worthless idols. “True worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things. It is a right understanding of God’s nature and a right valuing of God’s worth” (John Piper).
Verses for study
Idol worship; worshipping other gods
Deuteronomy 5:8-10: command of God; idol worship forbidden
Isaiah 29:13-24: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”
Romans 1:25: "For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."
Exodus 32:19-20: golden calf
Deuteronomy 8:18-20: command of God
Deuteronomy 13:6-11: consequences of serving other gods
1 Kings 11:1-13: Solomon’s heart turned away from God toward other gods
1 Kings 18:20-22: Elijah took on the 450 prophets of Baal
2 Kings 17:6-23: the Israelites were taken into captivity for serving other gods and becoming like the nations around them
Ezra 10:10-11,18-19: the Israelite men again married foreign wives
Ezekiel 14:7: For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, I the Lord will let Myself answer him Myself.
Acts 17:16-31: Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
Worship of God
1 Chronicles 29:11: "Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all."
Psalm 95:6: "Come, let's worship and bow down; Let's kneel before the Lord our Maker."
Luke 4:8: “Jesus answered [Satan}, ‘It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”’”
Romans 12:1: "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Colossians 1:18: "He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything."
Revelation 5:12-13 - "Saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!' And every created thing which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, 'To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the dominion forever and ever.'"
2 Chronicles 7:3: “When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; his love endures forever.’”
Psalm 29:2: "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Worship the Lord in the majesty of holiness."
Psalm 66:1-4: “Shout for joy to God, all the earth!”
Psalm 96:9: "Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; Tremble before Him, all the earth."
Matthew 2:10-11: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
Matthew 14:30-33: When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are truly God’s Son!”
Luke 9:38-40: “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!”
John 4:23-24: "But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Philippians 2:9-11: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 3:16-17: "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Hebrews 12:28-29: "Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire."
Resources
“Gospel Treason” by Brad Bigney
“Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change” by Paul David Tripp
