Combatting Idolatry
This is the first day of the New Year, January 1st, a great way to start the New Year with a prayer meeting. We can always look back and we can always look ahead. It's a good time to remember God's goodness and God's greatness. I want to turn to a passage of scripture, Isaiah chapter 6.
This is more a focus upon God's greatness. Here's where Isaiah gets a visionary close-up of God on his throne. The very first thing we learn in this chapter is that King Uzziah has died. He came to the throne at the age of 15 and he reigned for 52 years. He was a good king for the most part, but at the back end of his life his pride got the better of him and he tried to usurp the responsibilities of a priest, then he came under divine judgment by way of a leprosy. And now he's dead and when you lose a king or you lose a president; that can create a lot of instability.
And apparently that's what happened, there was a crisis of sovereignty in that country of Israel. Even Isaiah the prophet has to get his eyes on the ultimate king, the real king of the nation, the king of kings. And here Isaiah sees the glory of his holy majesty and is humbled, it brings him to see himself in more depth as a sinner. But here's one of the best prophets of the Old Testament, humbled, broken and even shattered.
Isaiah 6:1-5,
As I said, today is the first day of January, and maybe most of you know this, but the month January is named after the Roman god Janus. He has two heads, apparently, he looks backward and looks forward. It might seem strange that the God of providence would allow a great country like America to have one of its calendars named after a Roman god. Mars is the god of war. So it's not just January but Mars as well. Perhaps it just reminds us that we live in a sin cursed world, and until Jesus comes back again this present world will always be shaped to some degree by idolatry or false worship. Man by nature, we know from Romans 1, is an idolater. He changes the truth of the creator and worships the creature. Idolatry will always be part and parcel of our existence here on planet Earth. Idolatry can plague our hearts too.
There are two clear warnings in the Bible with respect to God's people. 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 John 5, “Little children, guard yourself from idols.” And one of the reasons why we need to constantly, constantly have our noses in our Bibles is to know the true and living God and to cultivate a right and accurate knowledge of him. We're always prone to lose our senses and our perspective when it comes to God and even when it comes to ourselves.
So here's the question, how do you fight and combat idolatry? Let me give three quick rapid fire answers.
This is more a focus upon God's greatness. Here's where Isaiah gets a visionary close-up of God on his throne. The very first thing we learn in this chapter is that King Uzziah has died. He came to the throne at the age of 15 and he reigned for 52 years. He was a good king for the most part, but at the back end of his life his pride got the better of him and he tried to usurp the responsibilities of a priest, then he came under divine judgment by way of a leprosy. And now he's dead and when you lose a king or you lose a president; that can create a lot of instability.
And apparently that's what happened, there was a crisis of sovereignty in that country of Israel. Even Isaiah the prophet has to get his eyes on the ultimate king, the real king of the nation, the king of kings. And here Isaiah sees the glory of his holy majesty and is humbled, it brings him to see himself in more depth as a sinner. But here's one of the best prophets of the Old Testament, humbled, broken and even shattered.
Isaiah 6:1-5,
“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet and with two he flew. And one called to another and said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
As I said, today is the first day of January, and maybe most of you know this, but the month January is named after the Roman god Janus. He has two heads, apparently, he looks backward and looks forward. It might seem strange that the God of providence would allow a great country like America to have one of its calendars named after a Roman god. Mars is the god of war. So it's not just January but Mars as well. Perhaps it just reminds us that we live in a sin cursed world, and until Jesus comes back again this present world will always be shaped to some degree by idolatry or false worship. Man by nature, we know from Romans 1, is an idolater. He changes the truth of the creator and worships the creature. Idolatry will always be part and parcel of our existence here on planet Earth. Idolatry can plague our hearts too.
There are two clear warnings in the Bible with respect to God's people. 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 John 5, “Little children, guard yourself from idols.” And one of the reasons why we need to constantly, constantly have our noses in our Bibles is to know the true and living God and to cultivate a right and accurate knowledge of him. We're always prone to lose our senses and our perspective when it comes to God and even when it comes to ourselves.
So here's the question, how do you fight and combat idolatry? Let me give three quick rapid fire answers.
1. Regularly pray those big biblical prayers.
- Think of Moses’ prayer, “Show me your glory,” Exodus chapter 32.
- Jesus, “Hallowed be your name,” Matthew chapter 6.
- The Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 3, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us.” So those are big prayers, reminds us of how big our god is.
2. Maintain and cultivate a sense of God's greatness and majestic holiness
Regularly hear and meditate upon what God says about himself. In other words, read your Bible.
- God said to Moses, “I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God almighty,” Exodus 6.
- Revelation 21, “I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.”
- Isaiah chapter 57, “I am the high and lofty one whose name is Holy.”
- Isaiah 46, “Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is no other.”
3. Remember the great things God has done and is doing
The Bible speaks of three great works of God.
But as we think back, brethren, over the past year, I'm sure we have good reason to give thanks to God for his mercy, for his grace, for all of the gifts that we receive from him. He gives and gives, what have we that we have not received. He might not have given us everything we wanted, but he gave us everything we needed. And we should thank the Lord, it's good to give thanks to the Lord.
- The work of creation, he made all things, he sustains all things, Colossians 1.
- Hebrews 1, he's the God of providence, that's the work of everyday providence. He controls the all things of Romans 8. Everything that happens in your life, in my life and the world at large is under the control of God.
- And the third great work of God is the work of salvation. Psalm 68, “Our God is a God who saves.” Matthew 1, “They shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.”
But as we think back, brethren, over the past year, I'm sure we have good reason to give thanks to God for his mercy, for his grace, for all of the gifts that we receive from him. He gives and gives, what have we that we have not received. He might not have given us everything we wanted, but he gave us everything we needed. And we should thank the Lord, it's good to give thanks to the Lord.
Posted in Pastor Devotional