"Thus says the Lord God: "Clap our hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. He who is far off shall die of pestilence, and he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high tree, on all the mountain tops, under every green tree and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols. And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land desolate and waste, in all their dwelling places, from the wilderness to Riblah. Then they will know that I am the Lord."
Ezekiel 6: 11-14
God is against idols. He doesn't tolerate them. As it is in Ezekiel 6, the Lord disciplines the Israelites, even though they are His chosen tribe, because of their abominations.
In our lives as Christians, we might think that "Hey, we're bornagains. And we do not wordship those scary statues other people do. We don't have to worry about stoking God's wrath by worshiping one!"
But of course, we are wrong! For scary statues of saints aren't the only idols we may be serving, there are a lot of material things that, whether we admit it or not, we turn into our personal idols.
For some, it's money. For others, it their career or studies. While sometimes, idols come in the form of our own love for our family, our boyfriend or girlfriend, or sometimes even lust itself. And lust comes in different forms as well.
I've met several people in my still short life who sacrifice their time for God for their work because they are so afraid that if they won't work during Sundays or hold off even an hour for a special time with God, they would loose a sizable sum that will hugely affect their income status. They unwittingly turned their job, and their salary, into an idol.
Luke 16: 13 rightly says, " No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despised the other. You cannot serve God and money."
The Lord is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). He cannot tolerate it that we, His children, serves another God---an idol---aside from Him. That is why He said that He will bring the sword, famine, and pestilence against the people who turns their back on Him. His hurt and anger against idolatry was too much that, in Ezekiel, He allowed the His people to be plague so much. Just to bring them back to their senses that they may know who their real master is.
And this disciplining doesn't take any exceptions. Even the ones away from the family is affected, even the ones who survived their other relatives, as long as the idolatry is part of the whole bloodline. God's punishment to idolatry is so severe that only by cutting the curse of idolatry by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is the only way to escape such punishment. But for us Christians, we may still experience some "spank on the rear" everytime we forget. Even King David, a man besides God's own heart, was punished for his adultery with Bathseba.
This happened to me during my first year in college. I was so involved in my studies--so driven to be a college or university scholar, that I started missing cell groups, not praying even for 30 mins a day, or even having my LRT. It was so disgusting but I didn't mind doing those "backsliding things" then, I needed to be a scholar! But ended up being a mediocre student.
Those times really did depress me to the point that I thought I was really stupid. But then, one day, as the bus I was riding drove by the express way, my attention was caught by a certain billboard. It said "WE NEED TO TALK.---GOD"
I was so convicted that I prayed silently then and there. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want the guy beside me to see me crying so I held off. But deep inside, I was really crying my heart out. I could not believe I can do that to the God who pours favor in me. And it became the turning point of my new life as a college student.
I developed an idol. God wanted me to see it so He taught me by dealing with my grades. After I realized my transgression, God showed me that I am no mediocre, stupid student as I took myself to be after not achieving my goals.
Today, my grades keep going up. God is helping me maintain them. And He's also teaching me to love Him more and more above everything else.
Matthew 6:33, " But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Ezekiel 6: 11-14
God is against idols. He doesn't tolerate them. As it is in Ezekiel 6, the Lord disciplines the Israelites, even though they are His chosen tribe, because of their abominations.
In our lives as Christians, we might think that "Hey, we're bornagains. And we do not wordship those scary statues other people do. We don't have to worry about stoking God's wrath by worshiping one!"
But of course, we are wrong! For scary statues of saints aren't the only idols we may be serving, there are a lot of material things that, whether we admit it or not, we turn into our personal idols.
For some, it's money. For others, it their career or studies. While sometimes, idols come in the form of our own love for our family, our boyfriend or girlfriend, or sometimes even lust itself. And lust comes in different forms as well.
I've met several people in my still short life who sacrifice their time for God for their work because they are so afraid that if they won't work during Sundays or hold off even an hour for a special time with God, they would loose a sizable sum that will hugely affect their income status. They unwittingly turned their job, and their salary, into an idol.
Luke 16: 13 rightly says, " No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despised the other. You cannot serve God and money."
The Lord is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). He cannot tolerate it that we, His children, serves another God---an idol---aside from Him. That is why He said that He will bring the sword, famine, and pestilence against the people who turns their back on Him. His hurt and anger against idolatry was too much that, in Ezekiel, He allowed the His people to be plague so much. Just to bring them back to their senses that they may know who their real master is.
And this disciplining doesn't take any exceptions. Even the ones away from the family is affected, even the ones who survived their other relatives, as long as the idolatry is part of the whole bloodline. God's punishment to idolatry is so severe that only by cutting the curse of idolatry by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is the only way to escape such punishment. But for us Christians, we may still experience some "spank on the rear" everytime we forget. Even King David, a man besides God's own heart, was punished for his adultery with Bathseba.
This happened to me during my first year in college. I was so involved in my studies--so driven to be a college or university scholar, that I started missing cell groups, not praying even for 30 mins a day, or even having my LRT. It was so disgusting but I didn't mind doing those "backsliding things" then, I needed to be a scholar! But ended up being a mediocre student.
Those times really did depress me to the point that I thought I was really stupid. But then, one day, as the bus I was riding drove by the express way, my attention was caught by a certain billboard. It said "WE NEED TO TALK.---GOD"
I was so convicted that I prayed silently then and there. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want the guy beside me to see me crying so I held off. But deep inside, I was really crying my heart out. I could not believe I can do that to the God who pours favor in me. And it became the turning point of my new life as a college student.
I developed an idol. God wanted me to see it so He taught me by dealing with my grades. After I realized my transgression, God showed me that I am no mediocre, stupid student as I took myself to be after not achieving my goals.
Today, my grades keep going up. God is helping me maintain them. And He's also teaching me to love Him more and more above everything else.
Matthew 6:33, " But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
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