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IDOLS AND IDOLATRY --- PART 3

Why Does The Bible Consistently Condemn Idolatry?

Idolatry Reduces YHVH To A Deity That Can Be Manipulated:

Jacob told everyone in his household; ‘Destroy your idols, wash yourselves and put on clean clothing.’ -- Genesis 35:2. Why did the people have these idols? Idols were sometimes seen more as good-luck charms than as gods. Some Israelites, even though they worshiped YHVH, had idols in their homes, just as some believers today own good-luck trinkets. Jacob believed that idols should have no place in his household. He wanted nothing to divert his family’s spiritual focus. Jacob ordered his household to get rid of their gods. Unless we remove idols from our life, they can ruin our faith. What idols do we have? An idol is anything we put before YHVH. Idols don’t have to be physical objects; they can be thoughts or desires. Like Jacob, we should get rid of anything that could stand between us and YHVH.

Idolatry Often Arises Out Of Conformity To Our Environment:

When Moses failed to come back down the mountain right away, the people went to Aaron. ‘Look,’ they said, ‘make us some gods who can lead us. This man Moses, who brought us here from Egypt, has disappeared. We don’t know what has happened to him.’ -- Exodus 32:1. Two popular Egyptian gods; Hapi [Apis] and Hathor, were thought of as a bull and a heifer. The Canaanites around them worshiped Baal, thought of as a bull. Baal was their sacred symbol of power and fertility and was closely connected to immoral sexual practices. No doubt the Israelites, fresh from Egypt, found it quite natural to make a golden calf to represent YHVH who had just delivered them from their oppressors. They were weary of a god without a face. But in doing so, they were ignoring the Command He had just given them: Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish -- 20:4. They may even have thought they were worshiping YHVH. Their apparent sincerity was no substitute for obedience, nor excuse for disobedience.

Idolatry Is An Attempt To Make YHVH In Our Image:

Even if we do not make idols, we are often guilty of trying to make YHVH in our image, moulding Him to fit our expectations, desires and circumstances. When we do this, we end up worshiping ourselves rather than Elohiym who created us and self-worship, today as in the Israelites’ time, leads to all kinds of immorality. What is your favourite image of YHVH? Is it biblical? Is it adequate? Do you need to destroy it in order to worship the immeasurably powerful YHVH who delivered you from bondage to sin?

Idolatry Worships The Creation Rather Than The Creator:

Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living YHVH, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people or birds and animals and snakes. -- Romans 1:22-23. How could intelligent people turn to idolatry? Idolatry begins when people reject what they know about YHVH. Instead of looking to Him as the Creator and Sustainer of life, they see themselves as the centre of the universe. They soon invent gods that are convenient projections of their own selfish plans and decrees. These gods may be wooden figures, but they may also be goals or things we pursue such as money, power or comfort. They may even be misrepresentations of YHVH Himself; making YHVH in our image, instead of the reverse. The common denominator is this; idolaters worship the things YHVH made rather than YHVH Himself. Is there anything you feel you can’t live without? Is there any priority greater than YHVH? Do you have a dream you would sacrifice everything to realize? Does YHVH take first place? Do you worship YHVH or idols of your own making?

Idolatry Is Part Of An Overall Rejection Of YHVH:

Paul clearly portrays the inevitable downward spiral into sin. First, people reject YHVH; next, they make up their own ideas of what a god should be and do; then they fall into sin; sexual sin, greed, hatred, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip. Finally, they grow to hate YHVH and encourage others to do so. YHVH does not cause this steady progression toward evil. Rather, when people reject Him, He allows them to live as they choose. YHVH gives them over or permits them to experience the natural consequences of their sin. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out. Sinners must trust Moshiach alone to put them on the path of escape.

IDOLS AND IDOLATRY --- PART 2

In The New Testament:

The fullest discussion in the New Testament on idolatry [eidololatreia] and the idol worshiper [eidololatres] is found in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians. Earlier, Paul had told the Corinthians not to associate with those who called themselves believers but were still idol worshipers -- 1 Corinthians 5:9-11. After that letter the Corinthians must have asked Paul for more information on this matter. Thus, in this epistle Paul provides a response to their question. The [idol worshiper] is mentioned in -- 5:10-11, 6:9 and -- 10:7 and idolatry is spoken of in -- 10:14. The terms idolatry and idol worshiper are related to two other expressions. Idol [eidolon] is found in -- 1 Corinthians 8:4; 10:19; 12:2. Food sacrificed to idols [eidolothutos] is found in -- 8:1, 4, 7; 10:19. Paul condemns the idolatry that involved believer’s offering sacrifices to idols and then partaking of the food that had been sacrificed to them. The participants are called idol worshipers because their involvement in idolatrous sacrifices was seen as having fellowship with demons. Paul prohibited the eating of sacrificial food at the popular temples in the presence of idol-demons. As such, he shared the same view about idols as most Jews in his day. For the Jews, idols and heathen deities were identical. -- See 1 Thessalonians 1:9, where Paul contrasts idols with the living and true YHVH. To Paul, idols in and of themselves were nothing -- 1 Corinthians 8:4.

Behind the idol however, was a demon -- 10:20. The eating of sacrificial food at the meals in pagan temples was condemned by Paul. It was understood that the participants thereby became united to demons -- see 1 Corinthians 10:19-21. However, Paul had no problem with those who purchased food that had been left over from these events and that was later sold in the marketplace. In his judgment, if they ate it at home, they were not participating in idolatry. They could eat this food with a good conscience; unless of course, in doing so they would be the means of destroying a weaker believer. For the sake of such believers, one should abstain. This was a matter of conscience -- 10:25-29. But going to pagan festivities and eating meals offered to idols was not permitted in any form. The Corinthians had participated in these meals regularly before they became believers. Apparently, they had continued to do so after their conversion. In Corinth such meals were the regular practice both at national festivals and private celebrations. Paul considered the gods to be demons. They were thought to be present at these events because the sacrifices were made to them. Thus, to participate in these events was to join oneself to demons and thereby become an idol worshiper. The ancient Israelites had been carried away into idolatry by their pagan neighbours on several occasions. They were tempted to participate in these pagan celebrations -- for example, Numbers 25; compare Exodus 32:6. The festivities involved all sorts of immoral behaviours. In -- 1 Corinthians 10, Paul referred to this apostasy of the Israelites and used it as a negative example. Because the Israelites became involved in pagan festivities, they were carried away into idolatry and sexual immorality. These acts brought YHVH’s wrath and destruction. Paul mentions idolatry in his other epistles. But the fullest discussion is found in -- 1 Corinthians. Nonetheless, Paul speaks out against actual idolatry and what we might call figurative idolatry [i.e., idolatry in the sense of desiring something above YHVH]. In -- Romans 1:18-32 sexual immorality and other sins are ultimately traced to idolatry.

The Gentiles, who should have known that YHVH existed, as shown in creation and conscience, abandoned the immortal, invisible YHVH in exchange for mortal, visible images [i.e., idols]. Because of this abandonment, YHVH gave them over to do the filthy things their hearts desired -- 1:24. Thus, idolatry is included in Paul’s list of what he calls [the works of the flesh] -- see Galatians 5:19-20. And idol worshipers are included in the catalogue of all those evil people who will not inherit the Kingdom of YHVH -- see 1 Corinthians 6:9. In -- Ephesians 5:5 Paul again includes idolaters among those who will not inherit the Kingdom of YHVH. However, such idolaters are not just those who go to pagan temples and worship idols. They are those who are greedy. The best translation reads: -- No fornicator or impure person or greedy person, which is the same as an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Moshiach and of YHVH. The point seems to be that the greedy person who makes his desires his god is much the same as an idolater. Thus, greed and idolatry are made synonymous. The parallel passage, -- Colossians 3:5, makes this clear. It specifically says greed is idolatry.

IDOLS AND IDOLATRY --- PART 1

Idols are man-made images worshiped as deities or gods:

Idolatry is giving worship to anything other than the one true YHVH. Idolatry is the spiritual worship of an idol. Many idolaters literally serve idols. In ancient Egypt statues of gods were regularly clothed and fed. One account of the worship of a false god Baal, is recorded in 1 Kings. At Mount Carmel the priests of Baal cried and limped around the altar. They cut themselves with swords and lances -- 1 Kings 18:26-29. Baal worship was widely followed by Israel during the period of the monarchy.

In The Old Testament:

Abraham’s ancestors were worshipers of idols in Mesopotamia -- Joshua 24:2. Archaeological digs in that area have revealed the images of numerous deities. Mesopotamian religious literature reveals the worship of many gods. The Israelites’ tendency toward idolatry was in part the expression of the universal human longing for a god, one can see and know through the physical senses. Most of the idolatry of the Israelites was borrowed from their neighbours. The descendants of Jacob spent more than four hundred years in Egypt. There, they were exposed to people who worshiped many gods. At Sinai, while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments from Adonai, the people were demanding that Aaron make gods for them -- Exodus 32:1-6. He fashioned a golden calf, following an Egyptian form. The whole bovine family was worshiped in Egypt. It was after his stay in Egypt -- 1 Kings 11:40, that Jeroboam became king of Israel and set up golden calves. One was at Bethel and one was at Dan -- 12:26-33. That action earned him the label as being the one who made Israel sin -- 2 Kings 3:3. As early as Genesis there are references to the [teraphim] or household gods. The teraphim that Rachel stole from Laban could be hidden in her camel’s saddlebag -- Genesis 31:34. It seems however, that in the time of David such idols were larger.

When Saul’s men came to kill David, Michal, David’s wife and the daughter of Saul, helped David to escape. She then took such an image and placed it in a bed to make the men think that David was sick -- 1 Samuel 19:11-16. The prohibition of idolatry is stated in the second Commandment -- Exodus 20:4-5: [Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, ADONAI your Elohiym, am a jealous YHVH who will not share your affection with any other gods! -- Compare 34:17; Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:15-19; 27:1-5. This Commandment is an extension of the first, for it seeks to preserve YHVH’s uniqueness and to protect His Glory. The definition of idolatry was broadened during the time of Samuel. He confronted King Saul with the charge that stubbornness is the same as idolatry -- 1 Samuel 15:23. Previous to the conquest of Canaan, Adonai kept warning Israel against marrying the natives. Adonai had ordered Israel to destroy the people of the land. This measure was intended to prevent the weakening of moral life in Israel -- Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3-4. This principle is again unfolded in the New Testament -- compare 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14. The history of Israel showed the practicality of the prohibition against such marriages. Inevitably, they led to apostasy. Perhaps the saddest example is Solomon -- 1 Kings 11:1-8. When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart to other gods, so that he was not wholly true to the Adonai his Elohiym -- 11:4. In the time of the judges there was a disgraceful case of idol worship -- Judges 17-18:31. The mother of a man named Micah took two hundred pieces of silver and had a silversmith make them into a graven image for her son. He hired a wandering Levite to be his priest, but men from the tribe of Dan came along and took the Levite, the image and his clothes.

They set up this idol at Dan and used it as an object of their worship -- 18:30-31. In Scripture the kings of Israel are evaluated on the basis of what they did with respect to the [high places] or idols. Asa removed all the idols his ancestors had made -- 1 Kings 15:12. He would not let Maacah be queen mother because she had an abominable image made for Asherah. He cut down and burned the image -- 15:13. The Israelite king Ahab however, was an idolater -- 21:26; compare 16:30-33. Hezekiah destroyed the high places, broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim -- 2 Kings 18:4; 2 Chronicles 31:1. He also put an end to a strange cult that illustrates the nature of idolatry. Moses had lifted up on a pole a bronze serpent to save the Israelites from death by snakebite -- Numbers 21:9; compare John 3:14. That rite had been preserved until the time of Hezekiah. But Israel worshiped and burned incense to it. Hezekiah destroyed it -- 2 Kings 18:4, because what had been an instrument for good had become a thing of evil. The prophet Isaiah described the making of an idol in human form -- Isaiah 40:19-20; 44:9-17. Images were cast in a mould using molten metal -- 40:19; Isaiah 44:10. Statues were forged by smiths -- Isaiah 44:12, carved from wood -- 44:13-17 and overlaid with precious metal -- 40:19. Small clay images and plaques were also moulded and fired in a kiln and statues were sculptured from stone. The psalmist spoke out against idols and images -- Psalms 96:5; 97:7; 106:34-39. The helplessness of idols is described in -- 115:4-8 and -- 135:15-18. The northern and southern kingdoms of Israel went into captivity because they forsook YHVH and served idols. The Jews were well aware that idolatry had brought them into captivity. During their time in Babylon, they developed a hatred to idols that has marked Judaism to this very day.

If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag.
#deuteronomy 23:24 #kitetzei

There is a consistent difference made between harvesting and eating off the vine in #torah. For example, in shemitah years, you are allowed to pick and eat what you need for the day, but not to harvest in bulk for storage or for commercial purposes. Remember that as you read the stories of Yeshua and his disciples in the Gospels.

You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest.
#deuteronomy 23:19 #torah

The dollar, the Federal Reserve, the banking industry...the entire American economy is based on sin. It doesn't matter how efficient or effective a system is, if it's based on sin, it's wrong. I'm not talking about free enterprise, but about unjust weights and measures, usury, property taxes, etc.