Week 4: Idolatrous
Weekly Chapters: Exodus 18-38
Passage of the Week: Exodus 32:6
Adjective:
of or relating to idolatry
having the character of idolatry
Additional Meanings:
Adoration
Worship
Adulation
Fervor
Infatuation
Hero Worship
Idolism
Father God,
You are so amazing and loving. Your support is essential to my being. As I take this journey through Exodus, remind me of the purpose and give me the power to recognize my strengths and weaknesses.
Amen
Authentic vulnerability:
My work, my phone, binging TV shows on Netflix and Amazon, wine, stress, food, comparison, foul language are only some of my idols, things I put in front of my relationship with God. These are all the things that I put in front of the three things I tell myself are the most important: God, my spouse, and my family. Yet, they all have such a hold on me. Idolatry as witnessed in the Bible is so blatant: they make a calf in gold and worship it—for shame! Yet, here in our world, we have so many idols and we just shut our eyes to them. We are full of distractions and full of things that take our eyes off of God.
Bible Study:
As we read through Exodus, we are sometimes consumed by the details:
· How the tent of meeting was constructed
· The lamp stands with their intricate almond blossoms
· The ark of the covenant with its beautiful cherubim on top and its sturdy acacia wood structure overlaid in gold
But, what is God teaching us with these details? God’s tent of meeting was His home with the Israelites, His sacred space. God wanted to set himself apart as holy. He is supreme and worthy of sacrifices. He is telling His people that He is not to be ignored, nor are His sacred words that are kept written in the Arc. This is a daily reminder to His people that He alone is worthy of their praise. God had to create a physical monument of His power and worth or the Israelites would forget. In Exodus 33:3, God states that the Israelites were rebellious and stubborn.
The first time that Moses convened with God, his lack of presence and leadership in a relatively short time led the Israelites to be restless and what did they do? In their boredom, they decided to create idols.
How many times have you been bored and instead of turning to conversations with God (or even your spouse or children) have you tuned into Instagram to “convene” with others via social media? Or open our game apps on our phones to play a few games? Or binge-watch a few episodes on Netflix?
The Israelite idols seem so obvious, but what about our idols? They overpower our lives.
Every time I take out my laptop on a Sunday to “catch up” at work, I am cheating God and an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate as God commands us to do (EX 31:12-18).
We truly are stubborn and rebellious.
God continually gives us chances to win back His favor. I thought it funny, just like we do with our teenagers, God has to not look at us for a bit while He decides what to do with us (Ex 33:3-6) demonstrating His true love for us despite our idol worship.
God holds us accountable in our rebellion (Ex 34:5-7) and guides us to make good decisions concerning who we surround ourselves with (Ex 34:12). Yet, I still find myself consumed by the idols of our day: committing adultery against God (EX 34:16) by putting my present-day idols in front of Him.
So, how do I/we get back from our journey of consumption? One day at a time, we must work to build on the Godly, create time for thanks, remove distractions from God, give into the self-care that God commands on the Sabbath (Ex 31:12-18). We may remember leaving home for the first time, whether to college or on our own, whether by choice or by force, whether the memories were good or bad, the separation ended up being exactly what we needed and what was meant to be for our growth and development. This separation from our idols is the same. Slowly decrease or rip it off like a band-aid by taking Facebook or Instagram off your phone. Take time for self-care and time with God on the Sabbath. Breathe in the relief you feel, breathe in the blessings that will come by allowing God more time in your life.
Father God
Thank You for showing me your way. Thank you for guiding me into your presence and reminding me of my humanness. Through Your favor, I can conquer anything. For God, You are my light. Thank You for Your reminders in Your word. It guides me and instructs me. Lord, give me the strength to follow You. You are my father, my deliverer, and my light. I love You, Lord.
Amen.
Homework:
Look at your phone, through the settings you can look at the screen time on your device. Be aware of the time you spend on your device and the time you spend with God (mine is embarrassingly high on device time—full transparency I spend about 5 hours a DAY on my device and I have two AND in full transparency, I spend less of that with God, my Father, my Savior).
Sabbath: take time to refresh and renew. Spend time with God. Let His Spirit fill you, sing praises to him—maybe loudly in your car. Let His power wash over you. Cry the tears that come to you: tears of guilt, tears of acceptance, tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. Breathe in his presence. Spend time in gratitude with God and let Him fill you with his calm. Take a hot bath or shower to chase the stress away and take note of how this feels. This is time with God. Refresh and renew on the Sabbath.
Create a physical reminder of God and his power. It is needed. Reference the tent of meeting. Write in marker on your mirror, paint a picture, blow up an inspirational photo and place it where you can see it daily.
