Israel’s neighboring cultures understood their gods and human relationships very differently from how we view them in America today. They believed that humans were subject to the whims of the gods.
When the gods were at war, humans experienced conflict as well. The victory of one god over another was reflected in the triumph of one nation over another.
The idols of Israel’s neighboring countries were more than mere statues or objects of devotion. People believed that when they interacted with an idol, they were directly engaging with the deity it represented.
For example, when rain was needed, they believed it was produced by one god engaging in intercourse with another, with rain symbolizing the “seed” of this union. To encourage the gods to provide rain, people and cultures would enact these interactions in front of the idols through ritual prostitution and human intercourse.
This was their way of attempting to influence the gods to fulfill their needs and desires.
Israel’s God was markedly different from the idols and gods of neighboring nations. In the first of the Ten Commandments, He proclaimed Himself to be the only God. Furthermore, He commanded that there should be no representation of Him in the form of an idol.
God created His people to offer an alternative to the nations of the world. They were to reflect God’s character—His love, justice, righteousness, faithfulness, and more.
However, rather than transforming the cultures around them, they were influenced by those cultures. As a result, they erected idols and engaged in detestable practices, mirroring the behavior of their neighbors.
Here is a summary of God’s indictment of Israel’s practices (Ezekiel 16.15-22).
- Israel trusted in its beauty and used fame to engage in idolatrous practices with anyone passing by.
- Garments were used to create elaborate places of worship for idols, which was unprecedented.
- Beautiful jewels of gold and silver, given by God, were used to make male images for idolatry.
- Embroidered garments, oil, and incense—gifts from God—were offered to these idols.
- God’s provisions of bread, flour, oil, and honey were given to idols as pleasing offerings.
- Sons and daughters, belonging to God, were sacrificed to idols as offerings.
- Israel forgot its humble beginnings and God’s saving acts, instead turning to abominations and idol worship.
Each act performed for pagan deities mirrored the items in the temple that were meant to be dedicated to God. People took the devotion intended for Yahweh and redirected it to the deities of neighboring nations.
No wonder they called this behavior an “abomination.”
Manasseh even went so far as to include child sacrifice in his devotion to pagan gods (2 Kings 21:6). Nowhere in Scripture does God call for child sacrifice, yet this did not stop the king from committing such an act.
Idolatry in 2024
Henry Blackaby describes an idol as anything that serves as a substitute for God. Tim Keller expands on this idea, explaining that an idol is something in our lives that we feel we can’t live without.
What in your life acts as a substitute for God? If it were taken away, would you struggle to find meaning or the desire to live?
Israel’s religion had become syncretistic. While they professed to serve Yahweh, they also served the gods of neighboring nations. We can fall into a similar pattern, claiming to serve our Lord and Savior while allowing substitutes for God into our lives.
It’s essential to examine ourselves carefully, lest we face the same kind of judgment that Ezekiel pronounced on the people of 590 BC.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It’s on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
Real Voices 