Idolatry

I have heard many a sermon about idolatry and they usually go something like this: ‘who or what do you
worship… what is the centre of your life… to what do you give most attention to…that is what you
worship.’ After hearing such a sermon I always would think to myself ‘well, I don’t really put anything at
the centre of my life. I don’t give more attention than I ought to anyone or anything. I go to church, I go
to bible study’. But I don’t think I realised that idolatry can be something much more subtle. Idolatry is
more commonly about trusting something, or someone, else than God. Who or what do you put your
trust in?

What or who do you trust to comfort you? To whom or to what do you turn to when you’re feeling
down or troubled (or in trouble)? Do you reach for that packet of chocolate biscuits? Do you open a
bottle of wine or other drug? Do you rely on people to make you feel good? What do you trust to make
you feel better?

One theory of drug or alcohol addiction is having certainty for the immediate future, feeling safe in the
unknown, finding security in that familiar state of being. The addicted person subconsciously thinks: ‘I
know that no matter how I may hurt inside, or how I fear life, if I take that drug or have so many drinks,
eat that chocolate, I will feel exactly the same as I always do when I consume. It takes the fear out of
dealing with my feelings (perhaps, for what happened in the past) and it gives me security about the
unknown of tomorrow’. That is idolatry. It is putting your trust in something else than God. Idolatry is
not merely about worshipping an idol, it is about putting your trust in anything or anyone else but God.

So who or what is it that you trust for the future? Is it your superannuation, your investments, your
inheritance perhaps? Whatever you turn to or put your trust in is what you are treating as your god. This
is why it has been said that the true church is only found in persecution…in tribulation or suffering. For
then it will be plain to see who or what people put their trust in. If you haven’t learnt to put your trust in
the Lord in easy times, you will not trust Him in the difficult times. If you live in a country where
proclaiming your faith in Christ may cost your life then you truly are trusting God when you commit to
Him.

Who or what do you trust to bring you justice? Do you trust revenge? Do you trust a counsellor to give
you answers? What do you trust to bring control to your life? Is it a routine, a job? Is it cutting yourself?
Who do you trust to give you emotional security? These may be confronting questions but they are
relevant to so many people in our society, indeed to all of us.

It may seem harsh to talk about idolatry when people are at a loss or have been hurt and are seeking
comfort or control or security. But all these things that I've mentioned will eventually let us down. We
should also understand that God equates idolatry with adultery. When you engage in idolatry you’re
committing adultery against God. Consider…who is the one most hurt? Is it the adulterer or the
husband/wife being cheated on? God is telling us that it grieves Him when we engage in idolatry. So
much so, that He equates it to adultery committed against Him.

On the other hand God says to put our trust in Him and He will comfort us, He will provide us with
security. He will show us the way towards healing and wholeness.

Consider now, the different words the Bible uses for trust in the Old Testament. One is aman. It means
to believe in, to have faith in. to be assured. Like when a toddler is about to jump off a wall into the
arms of his father knowing for certain he will be caught. Another is mahseh, designating shelter, safety
and protection, it’s a noun from the word hasah which is when you feel helpless, in danger and you run
to that safe place. Then there is yahal, a confident waiting for. Like waiting patiently in the rain because
you know for sure that the bus is coming to take you to your destination. Batah means a sense of well-
being, a sense of security…the feeling the toddler has after he has jumped and he is secure in the arms
of Dad. In fact we are told that we can approach God and call Him ‘Abba’ the word for Dad or Daddy.

These are the Hebrew words used in the OT to tell us to trust in God. And you know what? All these
words, when the OT was translated into Greek, are translated to the one Greek work. Pistis…and that
Greek word, when used in the New Testament, is translated into English as the word faith. To whom or
what you put your trust in is who or what you have faith in!

Don’t engage in idolatry, rather put your faith and trust in God because all those other things will
eventually let you down. In fact, more often than not, they’ll end up causing you more harm than good.
But rather ‘commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will act’ (Ps 37:5).