Tuesday

Idolatry is the number one issue in the Bible. Idolatry makes its way into every book. More than 50 of the laws in the first 5 books are aimed at this issue. In the Bible there is no more serious charge than that of idolatry. Idolatry called for the strictest punishment, elicited the most disdainful denunciation, prompted the most extreme measures of avoidance and was regarded as the chief identifying characteristic of those who were the very antithesis of the people of God. The first 2 commandments focus on this issue:

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them." Exodus 20:2-5a

How would you define "idolatry"?

Here's how I define it: Idolatry is a perversion of worship. Idolatry values something or someone in a way that hinders or rivals the love and trust we owe to God. Idolatry is the ultimate expression of unfaithfulness to God. The first commandment, then, is the commandment that takes the reality of God seriously: as creator of the universe, as the sustainer of all beings, and as the one worthy of our worship. God will tolerate no rivals because none deserve to be on God's level.