Day 246, or September 3rd. Don't worship whatever you make.
Our thoughts today are rooted in Hosea chapter 8 verse 4. They set up kings without my consent.
They choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for
themselves, to their own destruction.
And now the big picture surrounding this verse. Throughout the Old Testament the prophets
constantly taught the people that things you could make were not worth worshipping. If
you were able to create them, that makes you their master, so don't treat them like gods.
Idol worship was a real problem for the Jews, as they were the only people who worshipped
an invisible god, and the peer pressure this created resulted in regular slipping into
practices like their neighbours, who had gods you could actually see and touch. Hosea condemns
Israel's golden calf that they had made to worship, even though the golden calf made
centuries earlier by Aaron had proved such an utter disaster shortly after Aaron's brother
Moses had led the Israelites out of the slavery of Egypt.
And now our action step for today. Of course we have come a long way since our ancestors
bowed down to idols, but in many ways we haven't progressed that far. We have simply swapped
stone idols for more sophisticated substitutes. You hear of successful people being described
as self-made, so that they can claim all the glory for their success. Of course if things
don't work out so well, they will say things like, someone up there doesn't like me, or,
Lady Luck hasn't visited me today. Of course they say this. Otherwise they would have to
accept the blame themselves, and that wouldn't suit, would it? Did you hear of the self-made
man who proved he was truly self-made by spending his life worshipping his Maker, Him? Jesus
said, If you cling to your life you will lose it, and if you let your life go you will save
it. Luke chapter 17 verse 33. Live for others and grow deeper. Live for yourself and remain
shallow.