Jesus was tested by a religious leader who asked, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
“He said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
“This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-39).
The Ten Commandments are split just as Jesus suggested. The initial four commandments guide us on loving God, while the remaining six instruct us on how to love each other.
God is not an object to be used for our needs. Instead, he is a caring Father who should be loved. This explains the importance of the second commandment.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.
“You shall not bow down to them or serve them” (Exodus 20.4-5).
The Nature of Idols
People make idols. We often fear them and sacrifice to them. But, our main aim is to manipulate them for our own needs.
Money is a good example of an idol in our society. Many people love it, work hard for it, and even make sacrifices to obtain more of it. Yet, their ultimate aim is just to use it.
Isaiah recognized how idol worship can blind us, making it hard for us to see the truth in our actions.
They do not know, nor do they comprehend, for their eyes are shut, so that they cannot see, and their minds as well, so that they cannot understand.
No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten.
Now shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”
He feeds on ashes; a deluded mind has led him astray, and he cannot save himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a fraud?” (Isaiah 33.18-20).
God wants his freed people to avoid the trap of idol worship. He desires for us to live in a loving relationship with him.
Self-Examination
We may find Isaiah’s sarcasm towards idol worshipers of his time amusing. Yet, it’s important for us to reflect on our lives and examine if we have unknowingly let idol worship creep in too.
What about the following? Are we spending too much time and focus on certain things, perhaps even more than our bond with God?
(1) Celebrities and Influencers: Think about the uproar over the recent Taylor Swift concert in Kansas City.
(2) Technology and Gadgets: How connected are we to our phones?
(3) Political or Religious Figures: In some cases, political or religious leaders can become idols for their followers.
(4) Sports Teams and Athletes: Who isn’t ready for the upcoming football season?
We could keep adding to the list with family, work, hobbies, and more. But what truly matters is this: What are we spending our time and energy on that distracts us from God?
God’s Jealousy
The prophet Hosea highlighted the tragedy of wasting all of God’s blessings on an idol.
She did not know
that it was I who gave her
the grain, the wine, and the oil
and who lavished upon her silver
and gold that they used for Baal. (Hosea 2.8)
When we use God’s greatest blessings for things less than God, he is rightfully jealous.
“For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me
“But showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 5b-6).
Like me, you recognize that you’ve inherited traits from your parents. Some of these traits are great, while others aren’t so good.
The Bible refers to these less-than-perfect traits as iniquities. These are thoughts that lead us to act in ways that don’t align with God’s plans for our lives.
Iniquities can be handed down from parents to kids and their kids. It’s a fact we must accept. Our world’s idols, if served, can lead our offspring to repeat the same issues.
Rudy Ross is a numbers man. He’s figured out what God’s grace or loving-kindness would look like if it existed for a thousand generations.
Starting from the dawn of time, he believes that God’s grace has been present in every generation and continues to this day.
Despite our problems, we can rely on God’s grace. He forgives us and gradually shapes us to resemble him each day.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 