The Idol

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE IDOL

Acts 7:39-43

39 "But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt — we don't know what has happened to him!'   41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

"'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? 43 You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile' beyond Babylon.

NIV

We are still in Stephan's response as he stood before the Sanhedrin. They are furious with him and produced false witnesses against him, accusing him of blasphemy against the Holy place and the law. He is recounting the history of Israel and how, while Moses was on the mountain of God for those forty days and forty nights, the children of Israel had Aaron make a golden calf for them to worship. Why is it so easy to worship what our hands have made rather than God? They said they did not know what happened to this fellow Moses. He was out of sight, and they put him out of their minds. However, what they could make with their own hands was visible and touchable. It could serve their pride, but in reality, it did nothing for them, for it was without eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mouth to speak. It could not perform miracles or any signs and wonders. Everything this golden calf was not and could not do, God was and could do and more. Yet the people refused to obey him, rejected him, and refused his plan for them to go to the land he had promised to Abraham. We cannot imagine the church today refusing to obey God. We cannot fathom that the church would not want to follow God's plan or make anything more important than God. The children of Israel made that golden calf their idol, and it could be said the Pharisees made the law their idol, rather than worshipping the One True God. Israel rejected God, and the Pharisees, the Chief Priests, and the teachers of the law rejected Jesus. We are so happy the church today has not created for itself any idols, but worships the Lord our God in spirit and in truth. We do wonder whether, over the years, the church has become distracted by creating or developing its own set of rules and regulations, or whether it has looked to its "Good works" to the point that they almost become an idol. Certainly, we would never turn away from our Lord or refuse to obey him, but have we added or idolized what we have done? Do we lift ourselves up, thinking how good, or religious, or spiritual we are, rather than humbling ourselves before the Lord, lifting Him up, glorifying Him and His name? Let us be careful not to think of ourselves more highly than we should, for just as the golden calf could not save the people, we cannot do anything or look to anything other than God to save us. Let us always face our God, looking only to him, forfeiting all else, not having idols, but submitting to his plan or purpose for our lives and for the life of the church.