let's explore idolatry

7/29/2019 Let's explore idolatry

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Lets explore Idolatry.

Deu 5:8-9 You must not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters

beneath. You must not worship or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. I punish the sons,

grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me.

This is the only one of the Ten Commandments where the consequences of disobedience are spelled out in no

uncertain terms. The first commandment is to love God, so the worship of idols is expressly forbidden. At first sightit seems unfair to punish subsequent generations for the sins of their father or grandfather. However given the

patriarchal nature of Hebrew society, and the fact that more than one generation would live together or near at

hand, then it makes sense. If the grandfather adopted idol worship then it would probably continue down the

generations, father to son, especially if the local culture was also idol worshipping, even though the teachings of the

Torah were known. In the ancient world the family was the principal unit of socialization and the patriarchal father

ruled over all.

This generational dynamic can be observed today. The rich executive, on a large salary, who receives large bonuses

at the end of the year, who has holiday homes abroad, lives on a private estate and has his children go to private

school, is just as likely to socialise his children to accept the same set of values. These will be reinforced by relatives

and friends living within the same social status.

It is not only the rich or the aristocracy who educate their children with their values. The family who lives on a

sink council estate, alongside others in similar circumstances, who are on benefits, who work on the side without

declaring that income to the government, who let their children truant, are similarly creating a culture which will

replicate itself.

Unless there is some external input into these cultures, they will self-perpetuate. There are examples of the super

rich who have devoted themselves to charities, and the street kid who has achieved qualifications and obtained

satisfying employment. Nevertheless these and other idolatrous cultures are currently expanding.

It is appropriate to ask at this stage if these people are aware of their choices. In Matthew 7:3 Jesus reminds us thatwe may have a plank in our own eye, so to be careful about commenting on our brothers speck. Here Im

emphasising the plank as an inability to see outside of our family micro-culture. If we dont realize the idolatrous

nature of the way we live, how are we to change? The Johari Window is a useful tool to explain what we know or

dont know.


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The information I share with others is the social arena. The more I am honest with myself and open toothers, the larger the arena.

If I hide things from others and adopt a social persona, I am working behind a facade. However I can dropthe pretence if I choose and the facade will become smaller.

If I wish to know more about myself and how I appear or relate to others, I have to ask for feedback. Thiswill reduce the size of my blind spots.

Things that others are unaware of, and myself also, is the unknown. This also includes the unconsciouswhich will not be accessible without skilled psychological help.

If one were to describe an individual who was unaware that they were worshipping idols, (whatever that may mean

today), using the Johari window, one would say either that it was a blind spot--if others were aware of the idolatry,

or if all were unaware, then it would fall into the unknown box. It is only when one is aware of choices, even if one

chooses not to make them, that one can be considered culpable.

One can use the historical fight against slavery to illuminate changes in the Johari window. In the first instance,

slavery was an acceptable fact of society. That it was unacceptable was an unknown on the window. Once the

Christian understanding changed, the reformers pushed against the things they dont know and expanded the area

of agreement, the Arena until its abolition was accepted by all.

Of course, the use of the Window is most appropriate to looking at an individuals relationship to themselves and

others. Paul struggled with his own personality:

Rom 7:14-25. For we know that the law is spiritual but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. For I

don't understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want instead, I do what I hate. But if I do

what I don't want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in

me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot

do it. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! Now if I do what I do not

want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me. So, I find the law that when I want to do good,

evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. But I see a different law in my

members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my

members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God

through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve

the law of sin.

Here he complains against those hidden, unruly forces in his personality, the unknown box in the window.

Primarily, I would suggest, his unconscious. He has a clear idea of right and wrong but often finds himself unable to

do whats right. He is no different from all ofus.

As a man of his time, he considers sin as an entity living in his body acting through his flesh. Today we would talk of

unresolved unconscious issues or psychological complexes. Of course, the subjective experience hasnt changed. His

solution is to serve the law of God with my mind. Jesus makes the same comment about human frailty in Matthew

26:41, The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

Elsewhere he emphasises the same conflict and offers a different solution:

Gal 5:16-23. But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh . For the flesh

has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh,for these

are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you

are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity,

idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions,

envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before:

Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God! But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,

peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there isno law.


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Here he advises to live by the Spirit. I suggest that this entails letting God into the deepest reaches of the

personality, the unconscious, to effect a change.

Paul would not be ignorant of Jeremiah 31:33,

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.

and Ezekiel 36:25-27:

I will sprinkle you with pure water and you will be clean from all your impurities. I will purify you from all

your idols. I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone

from your body and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative and you

will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations.

Both texts speak of Gods power to change individuals. Presumably, either by spiritual guidance from a friend, which

is internalised, or by God acting directly through our unconscious. And the outcome of this inner change could be

viewed as insight or more properly, intuition, on the Johari Window.

However, the sins listed by Paul need to be clarified. If they were all simply the result of wilful action, then indeed

they are sins. But what would one say to a person, common these days, who exhibits uncontrollable outbursts ofanger. Or another individual who has been so saturated by commercial advertising that they are constantly envious?

The question is simply: do they have any choice?

Our modern civilization with its addiction to money and power has left so much unaddressed; our need for

beauty, for poetry, for art, for mystery and dreams, to find love, the meaning of life, for personal contact

with God. The rush of modern life has left each of us with the niggling conscience that this is the sort of life

we want to have, indeed, that we ought to follow. But not only do we not follow our conscience; we dont

know where to find something, some philosophy, some religion, which somehow synthesizes all these

needs together. People today- young people especially- are so often asking the ultimate questions, looking

for the right things, but in the wrong places. The metanarrative of modern art, in all its forms from moviesto songs to novels, records the distraughtness of humanity, our malaise, the hidden longing for deliverance

and redemption which there is not far beneath the surface of us all. But with all due respect to the forms in

which this is expressed- the fineness of the art, power of the wordsmithing, the screenplay... modern men

and women are groping like the blind in search of a wall of support, desperate for some familiar guide

towards the true path. The self-introspection of internet blogs, humanity's increasing preoccupation with

itself, is the result of a failure to find that path. They rage in vain against a society which has lost its spiritual

roots. (Duncan Heaster: The Real Christ).

In terms of Deuteronomys idolatry, there is no idolatry without knowing of a real God. To those rushing round to

buy the latest designer goods, the most advanced mobile phone, the 3-D TV and the latest 4X4, these are all

legitimate activities (to them), to give pleasure and meaning: retail therapy with a vengeance! Of course they cannotsatisfy in the long term, but only those who know God can see them as false idols.

And what of the psychologically damaged? The child who has been molested, who ends up repeating his

experiences as an adult. The woman who cannot commit herself to an intimate relationship and so ends up having

unsatisfactory serial lovers? The man who is so stressed he explodes in road rage? Can they be thought of as

exhibiting wilful, sinful behaviour? If there is no intervention, of whatever description, their behaviour will remain

unchanged. They all may be lucky and find a therapy which gives them self-awareness and some control of their

emotions. It would be at this stage that they might regard their previous behaviour as unacceptable. Broken

personalities are common in the modern world given the breakdown of families, neighbourhoods and social values.

So perhaps pity rather than condemnation is appropriate here. Jesus rightly cautions:


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Mat 7:1Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and

the measure you use will be the measure you receive.

The overarching concept ofsin is a violation of that which Gods glory demands and is, therefore, in its essence the

contradiction of God. (The New Bible Dictionary. IVP).

However the Jewish words which translate as sin include the concept of deliberate wrongdoing, moral and religious

deviation, rebellion and missing the mark. In one way or another they are prevalent in modern society.

As Christians we are called to follow in Jesus footsteps:

Luke 4:18-19. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointedme to proclaim good newsto the poor.

He has sent meto proclaim releaseto the captives

and the regaining of sightto the blind,

to set freethose who are oppressed,

to proclaim the yearof the Lord's favour."

Perhaps in the light of what we know of our current culture, we could re-write this to read:

He has sent us to proclaim good news to the poor who are overwhelmed by affluence all around them,

release to the captives of capitalism, and the regaining of sight to those blinded by their circumstances, to

free those oppressed by psychological traumas, to proclaim that God loves and forgives them all.

let's explore idolatry

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