Worship of self-made Idols
The Tower of Babel. Genesis 11:1-9.
Enoch had walked with God (Gen. 5:22) as had Noah (Gen. 6:8-9), but wickedness reigned (Gen.6:5).
The plan to build a tower to reach to heaven. vs. 3-4.
God’s reaction: confound their language and scatter them. vs. 5-9.
Rachel steals her father Laban’s images (teraphim). Genesis Ch. 31.
The Lord tells Jacob to return from Haran to Canaan, the land of his father. vs. 3.
Jacob prepares his wives Rachel and Leah, and their children to depart secretly. vs. 17.
Rachel had stolen the images of her father Laban. vs. 19.
Laban catches up with them and accuses Jacob of stealing his idols. vs. 27-32.
Laban searches for his gods and cannot find them because Rachel had sat on them. vs. 33-35.
Gideon, one of the Judges of Israel made an Ephod of golden earrings…Judges 6:11-16, 22-26, and 8:22-27
God calls Gideon to defeat the Midianites. Judges 6:11-16.
Gideon’s fear. vs. 22-24.
Gideon instructed to throw down the altar of Baal of his father and offer a sacrifice to God. vs. 25-26
Gideon defeats the Midanites. Judges 8:22-23.
He requests the ear-rnigs taken from the enemy who were Ishmaelites. Judges 8:24-25.
Gideon made an ephod and put it in his city. vs. 26-27.
And the people went and worshipped it. vs. 27b.
The man Micah had an house of gods and made an ephod and teraphim… Judges 17:1-6.
Micah had stolen his mother’s 1100 shekels of silver and offers to return it. vs.1-2.
His mother says blesses be thou of the Lord my son. I had dedicated to the Lord to make a graven image…vs.3-4.
Micah makes an ephod and added it to his house of gods and consecrates his sons to be priests. vs.5-6.
Micah invites a Levite who is from Bethlehem to be his family priest. Judges 17: 7-13.
The wandering levite. vs.7-9.
Micah’s offer to the Levite. vs. 10-12.
Micah pretends to follow the Mosaic law expecting God to bless him. vs.13.
God’s condemnation of graven images. Exodus 20:4-5.
Michal, daughter of king Saul, and one of king David’s wives had a terphim. I Samuel 19:10-16.
King Saul sees David as a threat to his kingship and tries to kill him. vs. 10.
Saul sent messengers to David’s house to slay him in the morning. vs. 11.
Michal let David escape through a window and he escapes. vs. 12
Michal puts an image in David’s bed. When Saul’s messengers arrive, they find an image in the bed. vs. 16.
Michal would later mock David and would have no children. II Samuel 6:15-16 & 20-23.
Reason for idol worship.
It has been said: There is a void in the heart of man that only God can fill. Psalm 42:1. “As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
Preferential theology. In ancient Athens there were more than 12 gods including the “unknown god” referred to by the Apostle Paul. Acts 17:22-29.
Pride of human intellect. The majority of religions in history have been and are polytheistic, worshipping many gods.
Modern day self-made idols.
Anything that becomes more important to man than God is an idol. Romans 1:25 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator.”
Preferential theology.
Money and material things.
Physical appearance.
Entertainment.
Phones and technology.
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Posted on Facebook May 7, 2024.