Idolatry

The Israelites worshiped a golden calf in the desert, this was a more blatant form of idolatry, with an actual idol to see, feel and bow before.

 

"Idolatry is not the by-product of forgetting God; it is the means by which we forget Him.... All existential forgetfulness [i.e. forgetting God] begins with suppression, builds on the energy of idolatry, and binds us to an illusion that both numbs the heart to what is missing and blinds us even to our forgetfulness." - Allender (emphasis added)

We remember the Ten Commandments, specifically the First and Second commandments, which read:

"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing 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 them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." - Exodus 20:3-6

We are to take this grouping of verses as a whole commandment, (consisting of two parts) - Worship only the ONE true and living God, and serve Him in such a manner as to bring blessings upon the future generations.  Sadly, due to the Fall of man (see Gen. 3), our hearts are, in the words of John Calvin, idol factories : “The human heart is a factory of idols…Everyone of us is, from his mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.”

A convicting related verse is 1 John 5:21: "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." I know that in my own life I struggle with idolatry.  Realizing that has helped me to consider what I am investing my time, and energy in.  If the activity does not bring Glory to God's name, I should not be engaged in it.  Whatever I am doing must be conducted in such a worshipful manner as to leave no doubt in my mind, and in the minds of those observing my conduct, whom I worship.

My aim, with Christ's aid, is to worship and serve Christ alone!