Tag: idols

God's, US Blog, War

God’s At War – CBN 700 Club

Oct 21, 2024 by Percy Parakh

The Number One problem we face today is Idolatry. Please watch the above Video Clip, to identify the Idols we struggle with in this world today. The idols we face are quite sophisticated, and not as obvious as pot bellied Buddha’s, or figurines of various Idol God’s!

Book Review: Gods at War by Kyle Idleman

“Idolatry isn’t just one of many sins; rather it’s the one great sin that all others come from” (p. 22). So says Kyle Idleman in his new book Gods at War. Mr. Idleman says that, even though we may not bow down and worship actual carved images and such, we may still have idols that we worship; idols we may not even realize we are worshiping. At the end of each chapter, there is included a set of questions for determining if the reader is worshiping a false god or not. There is also a section called “Jesus, my portion” which, following the axiom ‘Idols are defeated not by being removed, but by being replaced’, shows the reader how all his or her needs are truly met only in Jesus Christ.

Worship God Only

Mr. Idleman also clarifies the phrase God spoke to His people, “you shall have no other gods before me” when he writes, “He wasn’t saying “before me” as in “ahead of me.” A better understanding of the Hebrew word translated “before me” in “in my presence” (p. 23). Therefore, the gist of this phrase is saying that God will not tolerate the worship of anything other than Himself. It’s not a matter of the priority of the things we worship in our lives; but rather, that we should worship nothing at all other than Him.

No Other Gods

The false gods Mr. Idleman points out, although there may be many more, are the gods of: food, sex, entertainment, success, money, achievement, romance, family, and, ultimately, the god of me. Mr. Idleman writes, “…our lives begin to take the shape of what we care about most. We each make the choice to worship, and then at some point we discover that the choice makes us. The object of your worship will determine your future and define your life. It’s the one choice that all other choices are motivated by” (p. 60). Let us look at the false gods about which Mr. Idleman warns us.

Food

Many today, especially in affluent America, are overweight. For many, it is because they find comfort in food from their uneasiness and struggles. Mr. Idleman reminds us that Jesus is the Bread of Life and we can only truly find peace by entering a faith relationship with Him.

Sex

Mr. Idleman reminds us that sex, in itself, is not bad (after all, God created it). God designed it to be a beautiful thing between a husband and wife. However, he writes that sex can become an idol when, “…the gift [becomes] more important than the giver. The beauty was not meant to be so much in the thing itself, but the love that brought it about…Sex is beautiful until it loses its spiritual content” (p. 96). Sex, or anything else, can become an idol when it is not implemented as God designed it.

Entertainment

Entertainment is quickly becoming the idol of choice in the United States. Technology has given us more electronic toys, television and movies are continually becoming more and more of a visual feast, and the pace of our lives is increasing due, in part, to the ease with which we can now access media from almost any place. For many, the continuous sensory onslaught prevents any thought of God, His lordship, our sinfulness, or our eternal destination from ever being heard. The constant din of our media-saturated environment muffles God’s call to our hearts. For all the good that technology has given us, there is also a high price to pay when we allow it to become the focus of our lives.

Success, Money, and Achievement

Mr. Idleman points out that it is too easy to become dependent on money; we see it as a sign of achievement or status, and, for many, it is what we rely on for our sense of happiness and well-being. Not that money is bad, we all need it to pay for the stuff we need, but that money can too quickly become what we depend on instead of God. After saying that many find in money their source of security, significance, and satisfaction, Mr. Idleman tells us that all these things can only truly be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ, “He provides us with security because he never leaves us or forsakes us. He provides us with significance because our identity and value are found in his love. He provides us with satisfaction because our souls were made for him” (p. 167).

Romance and Family

Although God is love, and the Bible clearly shows us that the family is an important, God-ordained, unit, there is still a danger of placing one’s love for one’s family before one’s love for God. Mr. Idleman tells us, “Worship is for God alone. He must be our deepest love—actually the source of every other love. For only when we love God properly can e begin to love others properly” (p. 209). Therefore, if we want to love our spouses and families as we should, we must first love God as we should.

Conclusion

A major motivating force fueling the sin of idolatry is the ‘god of me’. This is the self-centered attitude that puts self on the throne of our lives and gives no, or at least a limited, place for God. However, the Bible repeatedly tells us that God is to be the center of our lives. The original sin in the garden of Eden was motivated by a reliance on self instead of relying on God and His promises. This was the original idolatry…and it has only gotten worse since then.

Mr. Idleman’s book is a fantastic wake-up call for everyone to take stock of their lives. The book forces us to reevaluate our priorities to see if we have allowed anything to become more important than our worship of God. In the end, the book calls us to make sure that God is on the throne of our lives and, if He is not, to do whatever it takes to rearrange our lives so that He is.

Idolatry, India Blog

What Is Idolatry in the Bible? Its Definition and Significance

Jul 1, 2021 , by Percy Parakh

Idolatry Definition

According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Idolatry is “image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object.” Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Romans 1:21-25: men forsook God, and sank into ignorance and moral corruption (Romans 1:28).

The forms of idolatry are,

  • Fetishism, or the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc.
  • Nature worship, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as the supposed powers of nature.
  • Hero worship, the worship of deceased ancestors, or of heroes.

Idolatry in the Bible

In Scripture, idolatry is regarded as of heathen origin, and as being imported among the Hebrews through contact with heathen nations. The first allusion to idolatry is in the account of Rachel stealing her father’s teraphim (Genesis 31:19), which were the relics of the worship of other gods by Laban’s progenitors “on the other side of the river in old time” (Joshua 24:2).

During their long residence in Egypt the Hebrews fell into idolatry, and it was long before they were delivered from it (Joshua 24:14; Ezekiel 20:7). Many a token of God’s displeasure fell upon them because of this sin.

The first and second commandments are directed against idolatry of every form. Individuals and communities were equally amenable to the rigorous code. The individual offender was devoted to destruction (Exodus 22:20).

His nearest relatives were not only bound to denounce him and deliver him up to punishment (Deuteronomy 13:20-10), but their hands were to strike the first blow when, on the evidence of two witnesses at least, he was stoned (Deuteronomy 17:2-7).

To attempt to seduce others to false worship was a crime of equal enormity. An idolatrous nation shared the same fate. No facts are more strongly declared in the Old Testament than that the extermination of the Canaanites was the punishment of their idolatry, and that the calamities of the Israelites were due to the same cause (Jeremiah 2:17).

“A city guilty of idolatry was looked upon as cancer in the state; it was considered to be in rebellion, and treated according to the laws of war. Its inhabitants and all their cattle were put to death.”

Jehovah was the theocratic King of Israel, the civil Head of the commonwealth, and therefore to an Israelite idolatry was a state offense (1 Samuel 15:23), high treason. On taking possession of the land, the Jews were commanded to destroy all traces of every kind of the existing idolatry of the Canaanites.

The history of Israel is clearly outlined in the Bible. For generation after generation, they repeatedly fell prey to being drawn away from the Lord to serve false gods. This did not only happen to the common people, but to their kings, priests, and prophets, as well. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Timothy 4:4).

The sin of idolatry, or worshiping other gods, is in violation of the Law of God. As a matter of fact, it breaks the first two of the Ten Commandments. It is important to remember that disobedience is the original sin and therefore encompasses all sin. 

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth (Ex. 20:2-4).

Excerpt from Beware the Sin of Idolatry by Bible Pathway

Quotes about Idolatry

“There is nothing so abominable in the eyes of God and of men as idolatry, whereby men render to the creature that honor which is due only to the Creator” – Blaise Pascal

“The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.” – A. W. Tozer

“Verily, we know not what an evil it is to indulge ourselves, and to make an idol of our will.” – Samuel Rutherford

“You don’t have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them. Whatever you love more than God is your idol.” – Dwight L. Moody

“As long as you want anything very much, especially more than you want God, it is an idol.” – A. B. Simpson

Bible Verses about Idolatry

  • 1 Corinthians 10:7-14 – Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
     
  • 1 John 5:21 – Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
     
  • Colossians 3:5 – Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
     
  • Isaiah 45:20 – “Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.
     
  • Jonah 2:8 – “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.
Idolatry, India Blog

Why is Idolatry Forbidden in the Bible

Sep 1, 2020 by Percy Parakh
The Warnings Against Idol Worship

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;  (Revelation 9:20 NASB)

The condemnation of idolatry, usually defined as worship of any cult image, idea, or object, is found throughout the Bible. For example, the first two commandments state…
Then God spoke all these words, saying, 
“I am the  Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 
(1) “You shall have no other gods before Me.
(2)  “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 
(3) “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the  Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20:1-6 NASB)

Note: “Jealous” does not mean He is suspicious or distrustful, but that He demands exclusive devotion. 

And many, many other verses endorse the commandment that prohibits idolatry. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:4 NASB)

You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 26:1 NASB)

I said to them, ‘Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the  Lord your God.’ (Ezekiel 20:7 NASB)

I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. ‘I am the  Lord your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and observe them. (Ezekiel 20:18-19 NASB)

Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations. (Ezekiel 14:6 NASB)

Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘you shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'”  (Matthew 4:10 NASB) but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.  (Acts 15:20 NASB)

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. (Romans 1:22-25 NASB)

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (1 Corinthians 10:14 NASB)

In fact idolatry is singled out in the Bible as the most abominable of sins

Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel sin, provoking the  Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols. (1 Kings 16:12-13 NASB)”

Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; For they are a perverse generation, Sons in whom is no faithfulness. ‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation, (Deuteronomy 32:20-21 NASB) 

Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land: “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not within her?” “Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, with foreign idols?” (Jeremiah 8:19 NASB)”I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations.”  (Jeremiah 16:18 NASB)

All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. (Jeremiah 51:17-18 NASB)

The Consequences of Idol Worship

In the Old Testament Isaiah and Ezekiel  were very clear as to the fate of those who indulged in idolatry,The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the  Lord alone will be exalted in that day, But the idols will completely vanish.

Men will go into caves of the rocks And into holes of the ground Before the terror of the  Lord And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble. In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble. (Isaiah 2:17-21 NASB)

They will be turned back and be utterly put to shame, Who trust in idols, Who say to molten images, “You are our gods.”  (Isaiah NASB)They will be put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation. (Isaiah 45:16. 42:17 NASB)’So as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare. (Ezekiel 5:11 NASB)

“So your altars will become desolate and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols. “I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars. “In all your dwellings, cities will become waste and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and desolate, your idols may be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out. (Ezekiel 6:4-6 NASB)

So were Paul and John in the New. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, (1 Corinthians 6:9 NASB)

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 NASB)

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:5-6 NASB)

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,  (Colossians 3:5-6 NASB)

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; (Revelation 9:20 NASB)

“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8 NASB)

All of which brings us to the question of why? Why was idolatry so strongly condemned in the Scriptures – so strictly forbidden with such severe consequences for disobeying very express commands to stay away from idol worship.

Idols.. Images of gods or Demons in Disguise?
Elijah And The Priests Of Baal:

It is interesting that when Elijah challenged the priests of Baal atop of Mount Carmel to persuade their god to perform a miracle, the pagan priests beseeched their god without the use of an idol, which certainly indicates that Baal was not just an idol, but rather one of the polytheistic gods that could be worshipped through an idol.While the ancients believed that Baal was a god, the Bible is very clear that false gods are nothing more than demons which accounts for the strongly worded commandments against their worship.

Note how the Bible does not differentiate between sacrifices made to idols and sacrifices made to demons and that wine poured out as a libation, or drank by the worshipers was the “cup of demons””They sacrificed to demons who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New gods who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread. (Deuteronomy 32:17 NASB)

They (the Israelites) did not destroy the peoples, As the  Lord commanded them, But they mingled with the nations And learned their practices, And served their idols, Which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood. (Psalms 106:34-38 NASB)

What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols (Gk. eido?lon) is anything, or that an idol (Gk. eido?lon) is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons (Gk. daimonion) and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons (Gk. daimonion). You cannot drink the cup of the  Lord and the cup of demons  (Gk. daimonion); you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons (Gk. daimonion). (1 Corinthians 10:19-21 NASB)

In other words the pagan images, the lifeless statues of ancient gods and goddesses were simply the face of the daimonia (demons) which may also be one explanation for the hideous faces given many of these images (Ex. the eight-armed, demonic looking, goddess Kali depicted as holding a skull in one of her hands) are far more than man made images.

It is fair to conclude the characterization of such deities as “Zeus,” “Amun-Ra,” “Demeter,” and “Isis,” were simply the classical names attributed to specific fallen spirits. The images (falcon headed statues, animal forms, etc) provided a point of focus. It is interesting to note that each of these deities has specific characteristics such as nature, gender and authority which would probably not be the case if they were nothing but inert man made statues. See The New Age and Devil Worship

In other words, Apollo was a real personality; Osiris was a genuine underworld fiend; Hecate actually lived, and still does! Ishtar, the goddess of love and war who played a major role among the Canaanites as Astarte (the Israelites knew her as Ashtoreth) was a real live demon. Isis, one of the most important deities of ancient Egypt is still revered by pagans today.

The Hindu gods Shiva and the eight-armed demonic looking goddess Kali depicted as holding a skull in one of her hands are far more than man made images. It is no wonder the apostle John warned believers to beware of them.Little children, guard yourselves from idols.  (1 John 5:21 NASB)
 
Idolatry and Other Religions

Hinduism: In Hinduism, “an idol or an image is not a lifeless form but a living embodiment of God thus “a superior form of divine worship” [01]. Even the most philosophically sophisticated and ethically advanced Hindus usually worship before idols. To add to which, occult practices such as those condemned in Deuteronomy 18:9-14 [divination, telling fortunes, interpreting omens, consulting a medium etc. are common in Hinduism.

Buddhism: Although there does not seem to be any evidence of the promoting of idol worship by Buddha, statues of him flood the world of present day Buddhism. The official position is that “The images are erected as a mark of respect and appreciation for the highest achievement of enlightenment and perfection by an extraordinary religious teacher”. Symbols which helps the Buddhist “recall or to remember the Buddha”. The reality is probably a little different, with very little “pure” Buddhism being practiced in the world today. The ultimate aim of Buddhism is “Nirvana”, a perfect peace of mind that is free from suffering, desire, anger and the cycle of rebirth. The individual becomes one with the universe. See The Message of the Bible

Islam itself condemns idolatry, but has fundamentally unbiblical views of God and Salvation (See Section on Islam)

The Final End of Idolatry

One of Isaiah’s prophecies concerning the end times says thisThe pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, But the idols will completely vanish. (Isaiah 2:17-18 NASB)

As did Micah and Zechariah”I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications. “I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you will have fortune-tellers no more. “I will cut off your carved images And your sacred pillars from among you, So that you will no longer bow down To the work of your hands. “I will root out your Asherim from among you And destroy your cities. (Micah 5:11-14 NASB)

“It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. (Zechariah 13:2 NASB)As Isaiah said “the Lord alone will be exalted in that day”End Notes[01]

Reasons For Idol
Worship in Hinduism. http://www.hinduwebsite.com/idols.asp
Idolatry, India Blog

Why Is Idolatry Attractive -Read Post before Audio.

Aug 30, 2019 by Percy Parakh

Most Westerners have struggled at one time or another to understand the attraction of idolatry in the ancient world. What could be so compelling about an inanimate block of wood or chunk of stone? Hard core idolatry feels as tempting as beet juice. It’s likely someone out there loves a frothy glass of obscure vegetable extract, but the temptation doesn’t weigh heavily on our souls.

But idolatry made a lot of sense in the ancient world. And, had we lived two or three millennia ago, it almost certainly would have been tempting to each one of us. In his commentary on Exodus, Doug Stuart explains idolatry’s attraction with nine points. You’ll likely want to save this list and file it for future sermons or Bible studies.

  1. Idolatry was guaranteed. The formula was simple. Carve a god out of wood or stone and the god would enter the icon. Now that you have a god in your midst, you can get his (or her) attention quickly. Your incantations, oaths, and offerings will always be noticed.
  2. Idolatry was selfish. Scratch the gods backs and they’ll scratch yours. They need food and sacrifices; you need blessings. Do your stuff and they’ll be obliged to get you stuff.
  3. Idolatry was easy. Ancient idolatry encouraged vain religious activity. Do what you like with your life. So long as you show up consistently with your sacrifices, you’ll be in good shape.
  4. Idolatry was convenient. Gods in the ancient world were not hard to come by. Access was almost everywhere. Statues can be used in the home or on the go.
  5. Idolatry was normal. Everyone did it. It’s how woman got pregnant, how crops grew, how armies conquered. Idolatry was like oil: nothing ran in the ancient world without it.
  6. Idolatry was logical. Nations are different. People are different. Their needs and desires are different. Obviously, there must be different deities for different strokes. How could one god cover all of life? You don’t eat at one restaurant do you? The more options the better. They can all be right some of the time.
  7. Idolatry was pleasing to the senses. If you are going to be especially religious, it helps to be able to see your god. It’s harder to impress people with an invisible deity.
  8. Idolatry was indulgent. Sacrificing to the gods did not often require sacrifice for the worshiper. Leftover food could be eaten. Drink could be drunk. Generosity to the gods leads to feasting for you.
  9. Idolatry was sensual. The whole system was marked by eroticism. Rituals could turn into orgies. Sex on earth often meant sex in heaven, and sex in heaven meant big rain, big harvests and multiplying herds.

Can you see the attraction of idolatry? “Let’s see I want a spirituality that gets me lots, costs me little, is easy to see, easy to do, has few ethical or doctrinal boundaries, guarantees me success, feels good, and doesn’t offend those around me.” That’ll preach. We want the same things they wanted. We just go after them in different ways. We want a faith that gets us stuff and guarantees success (prosperity gospel).

We want discipleship that is always convenient (virtual church). We want a religion that is ritualistic (nominal Christianity). Or a spirituality that no matter what encourages sexual expression (GLBTQ). We all want to follow God in a way that makes sense to others, feels good to us, and is easy to see and understand. From the garden to the Asherah pole to the imperial feasts, idolatry was the greatest temptation for God’s people in both testaments.

A look around and a look inside will tell you it still is.