What is Idolatry? Online Bible Study Week One

The theme of the first week of our study is getting down to the basic answer to the question, What is idolatry? And I want you to know, I am loving this study so far on the worship of idols (known in the King James version of my childhood as “graven images”).

The Very First Commandment

As I was studying this week, it struck me as very significant that the Lord commands us to worship no one other than Him as the very first commandment. That says a lot to me about its importance. That first commandment is at the core of all the others. I don’t think that it would be a stretch to say perhaps that idolatry is the root of sin, and the rest of the commandments are symptoms of the problem. If we can get at the root of sin, idolatry, we can overcome it. (And notice the second commandment is a specific piece of the first commandment.)

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but Me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” (Exodus 20:2-5b)

We Become Like What We Worship

We become like what we worship. As humans, it is our tendency to copy and mimic others. That seems to be something that we sort of fall into, maybe even subconsciously. This verse from 2 Kings really caught my attention this week.

They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the LORD’s command not to imitate them. (2 Kings 17:15)

I can look at my kids and see the truth of this verse. When my kids have been around other children, they mimic them—whether their attitudes and actions are good or bad. Naturally, I want my children to be around those who set a good example in their actions, reactions, and attitudes. And I realize many times that I am not a good example. Sometimes the very things they mimic are the weaker aspects of my personality. And it just makes me that much more aware that they love me and they treasure me, and they are becoming like me, no matter whether it is good or bad. So if I’m going to mimic something, I want to mimic the Lord, and they will follow me as I follow Christ.

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. ~The Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 11:1)

I have to admit that I really excited to know what God has been revealing to you this week, so I can’t wait for our Facebook chat tomorrow night at 8 pm (CST). What I love about every Bible study I have ever done is that it never fails to reveal how personal God is with each of us. He meets every one of us no matter where we are. The way that we answer these questions, how we apply them to our lives, is going to be unique for each one of us. So there’s no wrong answers! If you can’t make the chat, please leave a comment below about what this week’s study has meant to you.  See you tomorrow night!

ONE MORE THING ABOUT THE FACEBOOK CHAT

 

Just one more thing about the Facebook chat that you might be interested in: LifeWay will be giving away several goodies each week, and if you love LifeWay stores like I do, then you know that means great Christian resources! I know that some of you might feel a little nervous at first about joining in the discussion, but hey, you could win something!  So tell your friends, and I will see you there!