2. A “Faltered” People:
Short Term Memory: These masses had experienced the amazing deliverance of God, in the process of them being delivered from slavery form the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
And while on the way to their walk in the wilderness under leadership of Moses, they had personally experience the goodness and providence of God. When they lacked food God gave them Manna, when they needed water God gave them streams of water from the rock.
During day time they were under the shadow of cloud to protect them from the scorching sun and heat, during the night they were led by a pillar of fire for light and warmth. But they forgot all that pretty quickly and turn away from the Living God and are start looking for an idol whom the could worship and call god.
People lacked the personal connection with God: They did not have a personal relationship with God they always looked up to Moses to be the mediator for them. And in the absence of that leader they felt “lost” and “lonely” Aren’t there many so called Christians even today who lack a direct personal relationship and look up to a “priest” or leader to pray on their behalf.
The “Earthy Nature” of Man:
Man is “earthly” hence there is always that tendency to cling towards things of this earth: God knew that people may end up making idols, because they were taken from the earth. So he had given a clear instruction
People be nature live and breath in the physical world, and they tend to connect with spiritual aspects also in the physical terms which they can very easily relate with, so they fell into this dreadful sin of idol worship.
What does Bible Say about Idol worship:
God had already instructed them about the sin of idol worship even before he gave Moses and Israel the ten commandments.
- Leviticus 26:1 – Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up [any] image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I [am] the LORD your God.
- Hebrew phrase for idolatry is avodah zara
- which literally means “alien worship” Worship is considered “alien” when the worshiper is pouring out his/her life for a cause or a product other than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
- People of Israel turned to Baal, Ashera and other Pagan gods again and again when sin abounded.
There is a constant battle– the SPIRIT is Spiritual and the Body is EARTHLY
- God has placed Eternity in the hearts of man– the quest to find the truth in our hearts when he created us
Ecclesiastes 3:11
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
But since Satan is always trying to pull man to his side he will keep pushing people towards the sins of earthly nature, but for a strong christian he needs to constantly win the battle on a daily basis and avoid the evilness of earthly nature.
For the Bible says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.“
So dear friends continue to fight the battle and win on a daily basis and do not fall into the sins of earthly nature.
You may say “Hey I do not worship Idols”, “I go to church every Sunday, and I help the poor, and give to the church”. But read the next article about “The Golden Calf of the 21st Century” to learn more about how the golden calf presents itself in the current age.
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