Greetings,
The wisdom of Solomon imparts understanding of the cyclical nature of life. He declared, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, ‘See, this is new’? It has already been in ancient times before us” (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10). One aspect of human behavior which fits this observation is idolatry.
Speaking of ancient times, Israel, after their experience in Egypt, never completely ridded themselves of the tendency toward idolatry. As soon as Moses departed up the mountain to commune with God, the people immediately reverted to paganism. “…Come, make us gods that shall go before us … They have made themselves a molded calf, and worship it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:1,8). This reads as an outdated action based on an antiquated religious system. Yet this type of religious idolatry follows Israel throughout its history. Man tries to reduce God to the physical in an effort to comprehend the incomprehensible. “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?” (Isaiah 40:18). These questions could well be posed to our society today.
The fact is that idolatry is alive and well today. It is an active ingredient in social conditioning. Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun – it is just packaged differently so as to camouflage the true intention of distracting from the true God. The modern presentation of idolatry involves the self.
An outstanding example of this was a recent festival held in Nevada. The annual “Burning Man” festival runs over nine days and is ostensibly devoted to art and music. Some 70,000 people flock into a temporary desert “metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance”. This year’s theme was Radical Ritual, where participants were asked “to create interactive rites, ritual processions, elaborate images, shrines, icons, temples and visions.” Ten basic principles have been established by the organizers. These include Radical Self Reliance and Radical Self Expression. “Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and our recognition of our inner selves.” (From: The Ten Principles of Burning Man).
Those of us who live near this annual activity know that the verbiage boils down to one thing. In reality, it is a festival of the unrestrained self. Drugs, alcohol and sex help fuel self-expression and self-reliance. With an entrance fee of up to $1200 this event draws from a wide spectrum of society and is not relegated to one subset. It is a serious pagan orgy, which has a wide appeal. The ancient Israelites would be proud to see the golden calf tradition being upheld thousands of years later. The track record is clearly established. Man consistently attempts to “change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man” (Romans 1:23).
Now, before you consider that idolatry has no relevance to your life, consider what the Apostle Paul said in this regard. “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Clearly, idolatry is of the heart and mind and Paul associates it with the “old man” which is tightly bound up in self (verses 8, 9). The first and second commandments are directed against idolatry of every form. We need to be mindful of Solomon’s words: “That which has been is what will be”. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) How anchored in the self are we? Are we truly putting God first in all things – or are we kidding ourselves? Are we falling prey to some of the many aspects of daily living that cause our love and desire for God to diminish?
God has warned us that the overwhelming aspect of the “last days” would be a love of self. As self-love grows, so does self-reliance and self-expression. Unfortunately, both are readily discernible within the Church. Christ identified these attitudes as the characteristics of the Church of the Laodiceans. A mind focused on self will say, “…I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing…” (Revelation 3:17). This mind-set allows physical things to obtain a higher priority than they should. Moderation involves constraint of self and putting forth effort — and the self does not want to do that.
We have been called to be zealous and energetic in the development of a “new man.” This new man is the answer to the questions posed by Isaiah. As Paul points out to the Church in Colossae, “… put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:10). The self is to be replaced by the image of Christ who is the image of the Father. Any other image is idolatry.
Warm regards,
Brian Orchard
