I’ve been reading an excellent book by John Oswald on idolatry. Here are some key facts I’ve learned about idolatry in the ancient world.
- During the Old Testament era, the only monotheistic religion was that of the Hebrews.
- Other religions of the time were polytheistic, featuring multiple gods who interacted with nature and humans.
While studying the Roman Empire during the New Testament era, I read one author who mentioned that there were so many gods in the Roman Empire that they couldn’t be counted. This highlights just how widespread the belief in multiple deities was in the ancient world.
- People of that era believed that time was cyclical, with events repeating themselves in a circle.
The future was considered predictable because people could learn from past events.
- When problems occurred among humans, it was believed to be a result of conflicts or issues among the gods.
- Humans were seen as powerless against the actions and decisions of the gods.
The Hebrew, and later Christian, tradition views God in a completely different way.
- God is not part of the created world but exists outside of it.
When we speak of God being holy, the primary meaning is that God is completely distinct from creation. This ‘otherness’ is the foundational meaning of holiness.
In His otherness, God possesses attributes like righteousness, justice, love, and more, all of which reflect His holiness.
The main point of God’s holiness is that He is not part of creation, but rather, He is the Creator who stands outside of it.
- In the Hebrew/Christian view, the world is not cyclical, and events do not repeat endlessly. Instead, history is linear, with God actively guiding it toward His ultimate goal.
Eschatology refers to the belief that all of history is moving toward a specific goal. This goal is the Kingdom of God, where the Lord will rule the earth as it was always meant to be governed.
God stands outside of human history and reveals His will to His people. He personally enters into a relationship with them and guides them to the best life possible.
Distinct from the worship of the One True God, paganism offers a different way to relate to the gods.
When pagans seek to commune with their gods, they do so through idols. The idol is not merely a representation of their god; interacting with the idol is considered the same as interacting with the god itself.
Pagans sought to manipulate their gods by engaging with idols through magical practices. In contrast, the Hebrews were taught to discern God’s will through His revelation and respond to it.
God was seen as the King of all kings, and their duty was to listen to His word and respond, not only through ritual actions but also by living according to ethical standards.
Israel among the Gods
Israel’s role was to reveal the reality and character of God, showing His uniqueness in contrast to the many gods worshiped by their neighbors. They were to demonstrate this through their treatment of one another with righteousness, justice, love, mercy, and other expressions of God’s character.
Instead of fulfilling this role, they adopted the practices of the surrounding nations. They began worshiping their neighbors’ gods, which was often reflected in idol worship, performed on mountains, high places, and under groves of trees.
When God instructed Ezekiel to prophesy against the mountains and hills, He was addressing the shameful, idolatrous practices that His people were engaging in at these locations.
The word of the Lord came to me: “O mortal, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say: You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God!
Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I, I am bringing a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense stands shall be broken; and I will throw down your slain in front of your idols.
I will lay the corpses of the people of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars.
Wherever you live, your towns shall be waste and your high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and ruined, your idols broken and destroyed, your incense stands cut down, and your works wiped out.
The slain shall fall in your midst; then you shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 6:1-7).
The people were so determined to live life on their own terms that they traded their obedient relationship with the One True God for the manipulation of their lives through idol worship.
Sadly, this behavior didn’t end in 587 BC. It continues today, perhaps in more subtle forms, but still driven by the same desire to live on our terms rather than God’s.
God will not tolerate idol worship, both in the past and today, because it is harmful to our lives. First, it is not grounded in reality. There is One True God and the multiple gods of the world are not Him.
Second, it simply doesn’t work.
God is our Creator, and He knows how life works. He has given us the Bible and the presence of the Holy Spirit so we can learn from His Word and experience the Holy Spirit’s guidance and power, enabling us to live the best life possible.
I have included a link to a YouTube video by Timothy Keller. Please take a few minutes to listen to Keller’s very insightful message. It will be an excellent way to end today’s blog article.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 