{"id":90766,"date":"2021-03-12T11:13:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T16:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/animism\/"},"modified":"2023-10-07T22:24:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T02:24:41","slug":"animism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/animism\/","title":{"rendered":"Animism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Exodus 20:3-6: Thou\nshalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven\nimage, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the\nearth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down\nthyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,\nvisiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and\nfourth generation of them that hate me. And shewing mercy unto thousands of\nthem that love me, and keep my commandments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The definition of idolatry,\naccording to Webster, is \u201cthe worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or\nreverence for some person or thing.\u201d An idol is anything that replaces the one,\ntrue God to any degree. The most prevalent form of idolatry in Bible times was\nthe worship of images that were thought to embody the various pagan deities\nwhich guarded against evil while promoting good.&nbsp; The culture arrayed themselves in tattoos,\nbody piercings, jewelry and charms which, at their root, were incorporated into\none\u2019s life believing that they offered spiritual prowess. Today, it is not\nuncommon for someone to carry a \u201clucky charm\u201d such as a rabbit\u2019s foot or 4-leaf\nclover or athletes to wear the same clothing.&nbsp;\nDoes the Bible speak to this kind of regard and, if so, what is the\ninstruction?&nbsp; To determine the answer, we\nturn to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Historical Context: Moses was the author of the Book of Exodus (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Exodus%2017.14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Exodus 17:14<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Exodus%2024.4-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">24:4-7<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Exodus%2034.27\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">34:27<\/a>), &nbsp;written between 1440 and 1400 B.C.&nbsp; <strong>The\nword \u201cexodus\u201d means departure \u2013 both a physical and spiritual departure.<\/strong> In\nGod&#8217;s timing, the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt marked the end of a\nperiod of oppression for Abraham&#8217;s descendants (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Genesis%2015.13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Genesis 15:13<\/a>), and the beginning of the\nfulfillment of the covenant promise to Abraham that his descendants would not\nonly live in the Promised Land, but would also multiply and become a great\nnation (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Genesis%2012.1-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Genesis 12:1-3<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Genesis%2012.7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">7<\/a>). The purpose of the book is a connecting\nlink between the origin of the people in God\u2019s promise to Abraham (Genesis\n12:2) and the beginning of the theocratic kingdom under Moses.&nbsp; The people of promise were miraculously\nredeemed from servitude and placed under the Mosaic Covenant so that they might\nbecome a \u201choly nation\u201d (Exodus 19:6), an avenue of blessing to the Gentiles\n(Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 42:6).&nbsp; <strong>The Book of Exodus, then, stresses\nredemption and consecration, literally \u201cto set apart\u201d.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Grammatical Usage: <strong>V. 3<\/strong> \u201cbefore Me\u201d in the Hebrew carries\ntwo thoughts: 1) \u201cin opposition to Me\u201d and 2) \u201cin My presence\u201d which grammatically\nimplies that His uniqueness is overlooked (cf. Vv. 22-23); <strong>V. 4<\/strong> \u201cgraven image\u201d is in the Hebrew \u201cpesel\u201d literally meaning,\n\u201ccarved word or stone,\u201d from \u201cpasal\u201d meaning \u201cto carve.\u201d&nbsp; It should be noted that from a grammatical\nperspective that 34:17 specifically cites \u201ccast idols\u201d made from molten metal\nwere forbidden; <strong>V. 5<\/strong> \u201cbow down\u201d is\n\u201csahah\u201d in the Hebrew and means, \u201cworship or revere\u201d; <strong>V. 6<\/strong> \u201cshowing\u201d in the Hebrew is \u201chesed\u201d meaning \u201cloyal love.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Literal Application: \u201cYou shall have no other gods in opposition to Me or\n(even) in My presence (God is omniscient).&nbsp;\nYou shall not make for yourself any carved wood or stone in the form of\nanything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.&nbsp; You shall not worship or revere them; for I,\nthe LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the\nfathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing My\nloyalty by My love to a thousand [ generations] of those who love Me and keep\nMy commandments.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Contextual\nInterpretation: The message is crystal clear \u2013 the worship of God is to be\nspiritual, not material.&nbsp; Israel was\nforbidden from having regard, in a spiritual sense, for anything in the created\nrealm \u2013 existing or subsequently fashioned \u2013 which in any way competed the one\ntrue God\u2019s existence and position.&nbsp; Since\nGod is spiritual no material representation can possibly resemble Him.&nbsp; To attribute any spiritual quality to the\ncreation was forbidden as it detracts if not ultimately denies the very essence\nand nature of the one true God.&nbsp; His\nuniqueness (20:3) requires unique devotion.&nbsp;\nAbsence of such dedication is sin and has a spiritual as well as\npractical effect upon future generations.&nbsp;\nDisloyalty to God is punished while loyalty to God is rewarded, loyalty\ndefined as those who show their love by their obedience (1 Jn 5:3).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Scriptural Comparison: From the beginning, God\u2019s covenant with Israel was based on exclusive worship of Him alone (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Exodus%2020.3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Exodus 20:3<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Deuteronomy%205.7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deuteronomy 5:7<\/a>). The Israelites were not even to mention the names of false gods (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Exodus%2023.13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Exodus 23:13<\/a>) because to do so would acknowledge their existence and give credence to their power and influence over the people. Israel was forbidden to intermarry with other cultures because they embraced false gods &#8211; God knew this would lead to compromise. The book of Hosea uses the imagery of adultery to describe Israel\u2019s continual chasing after other gods, like an unfaithful wife chases after other men. The history of Israel is a sad chronicle of idol worship, punishment, restoration and forgiveness, followed by a return to idolatry. The books of 1 &amp; 2 Samuel, 1 &amp; 2 Kings, and 1 &amp; 2 Chronicles reveal this destructive pattern. The Old Testament prophets endlessly prophesied dire consequences for Israel if they continued in their idolatry. Mostly, they were ignored until it was too late and God\u2019s wrath against idol-worship was poured out on the nation. But ours is a merciful God, and He never failed to forgive and restore them when they repented and sought His forgiveness. <br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In reality, idols are impotent blocks of stone, wood, or metal power exists only in the minds of the worshipers. The idol of the god Dagon was twice knocked to the floor by God to show the Philistines just who was God and who wasn\u2019t (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/1%20Samuel%201.1-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1 Samuel 1:1-5<\/a>). The \u201ccontest\u201d between God and His prophet Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is a dramatic example of the power of the true God and the impotence of false gods (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/1%20Kings%2018.19-40\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1 Kings 18:19-40<\/a>). The testimony of Scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship. Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, and that is something He will not tolerate (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.logos.com\/passage\/niv\/Isaiah%2042.8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Isaiah 42:8<\/a>).<br> Even today there are religions that instruct devotees to bow before statues and icons, a practice forbidden by God\u2019s Word, as well as market charms for one\u2019s person.\u00a0 The significance God places upon it is reflected in the fact that the first of the Ten Commandments refers to idolatry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Conclusion: Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and\nimages and false gods although the possession of and regard for \u201clucky charms\u201d\nis idolatry. Our modern idols are many and varied. Even for those who do not\nbow physically before a statue or have a charm in their possession have sinned\nas idolatry is a matter of the heart\u2014pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony,\na love for possessions, belief in another source of good is ultimately\nrebellion against God. Is it any wonder that God hates it?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exodus 20:3-6: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[524],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Animism - Grace Evangelical Free Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Animism - Grace Evangelical Free Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Exodus 20:3-6: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 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