Exodus 7:1 the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh”.
Anything that replaces God becomes an idol. Idol need not be an image of a flying bird, creeping reptile, walking, crawling or swimming animal. It need not be in the shape of a human deity. Work that replaces worship, power that replaces purity and flattery that replaces fellowship, is idolatry. What we idolize we will worship and God hates idolatry. He detests idolatry for two reasons. Firstly because we replace Him with a lifeless idol and secondly because the very idol that we worship becomes a snare to our lives. The Lord God made Moses the God to Pharaoh and bolstered the commission of Moses. He overturned Egypt that was steeped in idolatry with the very idols they worshipped.
The Egyptians worshiped ‘Osiris’, god of the underworld, that ruled over the Nile. The waters that they worshipped turned into blood. It was a major offence to kill frogs in Egypt, as ‘Heqet, the frog headed goddess was the god of fertility and birth. The frog deity jumped over the dinner plates and their beds! ‘Geb’, the god of the earth/dust turned into lies in the heads of the Egyptians and tortured them. The fourth plague was scarab beetles(flies). Fly was the Egyptian symbol of eternal life. The fifth plague was disease on livestock. The bull God Apis that they revered was also diseased, and died! The magicians and necromancers would sprinkle ashes from the demonic altar to bless the people. The ashes/blessings turned into painful boils on the Egyptians. The sky goddess “Nut” that was worshipped for seasonal rains, rained down hail and destroyed the crops. Then, locusts swamped Egypt like a thick cloud and completely hid the sun. It was like an eclipse of the sun and locusts destroyed the leftover greenery of Egypt. The ninth plague of darkness also shunned their sun god ‘Ra’. The very idols that the Egyptians worshipped ruined Egypt.
The present day idols may not be the bee, beetle or bull. It could be the phone, phony pompousness, position, power, pride, popularity or even people. The idol is the enemy.
Idolatry is destructive:
1. People: When people take priority over principles than purity, they become idols. In trying to gain favour with people, if we refuse to take a stand for God, we unconsciously glorify humans above the Living God. Compromise, people pleasing, flattery, sweet-talk and slur are demonic. Never play along with slanderers to be accepted or gain popularity. Pleasing people is idolatry.
2. Power: Craving for power and prominence is idolatry. Many popular celebrities commit suicide because fame and flattery turns into unhealthy frenzy within their soul. Dissatisfaction and depression opens the door to the spirit of death. “Popularity is totally overrated.” – Kathleen Hanna. Power and prominence that turns into pride is a self-destructive nuclear weapon.
- Possessions: Money is a good servant but a ruthless master. Possession that rules our principles is demonic. Our principles must manage our possessions. Possession, wealth and prosperity without common sense is dangerous.
The very idol that people worship is the demonic trap that will torment them.
Proverbs 11:4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
Prayer: Father God, if there is any idol, people pleasing, power craze or possession controlling my life, I surrender and demolish the idol today. Amen.
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