Idols

We have to be clear in our understanding that Christians live in the Kingdom of God and if the ‘Kingdom of Science’ draws us away from God, as it is want to do in most subtle ways, then it is time to cry ‘halt’! If Science, that set of tools mankind has developed to understand God’s Creation, takes us away from God and towards His Creation (which includes the brains of scientists), then we must check ourselves immediately.

It is not always clear when Science oversteps the mark and the problem is that our educational system presents us with an upside-down view of reality. We are taught that Science is the norm, even where there are inconsistencies and disagreements, and we are to follow its fragile liturgy at all costs, even if it presents an alternative to God’s Word.

The assault against the Word of God in our generation is across the board of all scientific disciplines, from biology to cosmology and even the social sciences of psychology and sociology. We are at the mercy of academia, who have presented us with a whole plethora of idols to worship, whether they be evolution, stem cell therapy, or even eugenics, abortion on demand and euthanasia. If any of these are at variance with the revealed Word of God then Christians must examine any involvement they may be having with them. At all times we need to ask ourselves not just whether we are giving God the glory, but whether we are worshipping alien gods, or even ourselves.

Let us consider these alien gods, these false idols. In biblical times, these would be crafted out of stone or precious metals, or a combination of materials. Looking at those that have survived to modern times and displayed in the British Museum, they are usually fairly horrific in appearance. To the Hebrew mind this wasn’t the issue, the physical form was an irrelevance. It is the function of the idol, what it represented, that defined it.

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. (Exodus 20:4)

These days we have lost the sense of this, even us Christians. With our Greek mindsets we judge by appearance, not function. That’s an ugly so-and-so, we might exclaim at a Canaanite Baal figurine, judging its lack of physical beauty but ignoring the fact that this so-and-so was worshipped as god even by some who should have known better. Ahab, yes it’s you we’re talking about here!

We may worship a celebrity (the word is from the Latin word for ‘honoured one’) because of her beauty, or a sportsman because of his ball skills, or a pop star because of his fine voice. This is all about the form, the physical attributes of the ‘object of adoration’. The function addresses the thoughts and feelings provoked in our spirits by the celebrity, sportsman or pop star. We throw resources at them (merchandising) and devote time to them (thinking about, watching or listening). They become an alternative to He with Whom we should be spending time and resources. Moderation is the watchword here, as the last thing we want is to be distracted away from our destiny as disciples of God.

This is an extract from the book, Hebraic Church, available for £10 at https://www.sppublishing.com/hebraic-church-101-p.asp

Who do you worship?