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Saturday Thoughts on Idolatry

By Dan | August 9, 2008

Just a brief thought for today. Have you noticed how vulernable the Israelites are to idolatry in the Old Testament. Over and over again the pattern of God’s people turning to idols, getting in trouble, calling out to God, getting rescued, but then going back to idols again. It almost seems ridiculous.

Just read Judges 8 and you see Gideon deliver the Israelites out of the trouble they’d gotten themselves into when they went after idols and as soon as the victory is won, they’re already pushing things. They want him to rule over them instead of God. He seems noble at first, and then all of a sudden he’s making an ephod which ends up turning into something akin to an idol. Then the people are back to worshipping Baal again.

It’s so frustrating. You just want to pound those Israelites for their stupidity. How could they do that? I wouldn’t fall away that easily.

Or do we? Think about how many times you’ve been rescued from some problem, and how you prayed to get out of it. How long was it before a sin snatched you back again? Maybe even a sin that you were rescued out of?

We may not worship blocks of wood, but you know what, it was never really about the blocks of wood. It was about what they represented, people trying to manipulate things and take a hold of power. Oftentimes are sins are quite the same. They just not as obvious since we’re not bowing down.

Praise our God for continaully delivering us so that we can be forgiven and keep following.