Flee Idolatry

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“Flee from idolatry…” Institute of Biblical Discipleship.com Bible study # 71 by Nolan McFadden A Bible text: 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 Referring to the Hebrews when they were in the wilderness with Moses, the apostle Paul declared, “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-14) As Christians, why does our Lord Jesus through the apostle Paul command us to “flee from idolatry”? Before we are able to understand why this command is found in the New Testament, we must first consider our LORD’s commands through His servant Moses to the descendants of Israel. While they were camped at mount Sinai, Jehovah made a covenant with “the children of Israel.” The LORD God of Israel sent His servant Moses to deliver and establish His covenant with the Hebrews. In Hebrews 8:1-13 this is known as the “old covenant” (or Old Testament). It is also known as “the law of Moses” (Luke 24:44, Acts 13:39; 15:5, 1 Corinthians 9:9). This covenant included very specific commandments, ordinances and laws for the descendants of Israel who are known today as the Hebrews or Jews. Two of these important commands are found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. The LORD God of Israel commanded: 1) “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2) 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) In this Bible text the LORD is commanding His people not to practice idolatry. Idolatry was the common practice of the people of the pagan nations at that time. Those who made the wise choice to obey

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Jehovah and His commands were blessed people. Those who chose to disobey God’s commands and practice idolatry were a cursed people (Deuteronomy 28-29). As Gentile believers in Christ Jesus (Christians), we have been “grafted in” the eternal family and inheritance of the LORD God of Israel as adopted sons and daughters (Romans 8:11-17; 11:11-23, Galatians 3:1-29, Ephesians 1:1-13). When does this happen? At the very moment that we choose to repent of our sins, believe the message of the gospel and personally receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior in prayer, we become adopted sons and daughters of the LORD God of Israel (John 1:12-13; 5:24, Romans 10:8-13). Moreover, there is no other means of salvation for Jews or Gentiles except by personal faith in Christ Jesus the only, true Messiah, Savior and eternal King of Israel. In John 14:6 Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” Likewise, while preaching about Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Acts 4:10), the apostle Peter proclaimed, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) The apostle Paul explained, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all [Jews and Gentiles], to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:5) Consequently, speaking about “Jesus” the author of Hebrews boldly declared, “But this man [Jesus], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he [Jesus] is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession [before God the Father] for them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25) I. Idolatry defined A. In the New Testament an idol is “an image [or object] to represent a false god,…” (1) B. In 1 Corinthians 10:14 the word “idolatry” is translated from the Greek word ειδωλολατρίας. Idolatry refers to “image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object.” (2) Idolatry is service to or worship of idols [or images]. (3) II. Kinds of idolatry A. Worship of or service to a pagan false god or goddess in the form of an object (usually of wood or stone) or image (Exodus 20:3-4, Deuteronomy 5:7-9, Psalm 96:5, Daniel 3, Acts 19:23-37, Revelation 13). This includes bowing down to the object or image. Jehovah commands, “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:…” (Exodus 20:4-5) B. Worship of or service to an object or image of a person or angel in Heaven in place of worship or service to Jesus Christ or God the Father (Exodus 20:4-5, Deuteronomy 5:7-9). This includes bowing down to the image or object. It is believed that this person or angel has power to intercede in behalf of the one petitioning. For example, praying to an image of Mary, the angel Gabriel or to

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one of the “saints.” The LORD commands, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,…Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:…” (Exodus 20:4-5) C. Idolatry of heart: This involves directing our supreme love, devotion and loyalty toward someone or something (money, work, spouse, child, education, recreation, etc.) in place of God in our lives. (1 Samuel 2:29-30, Matthew 10:3738; 13:22, Ephesians 5:5) For example, in Ephesians 5:5 the apostle Paul taught that the “covetous man” is an “idolater.” This implies that he is an idolater in the desires of his heart. III. Idolatry is a sin against the true and living LORD God of Israel. Idolatry is often referred to as an “abomination” by Jehovah. A. In 1 John 3:4 we read, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law [of the LORD].” In this Bible passage “the law” refers to the LORD’s eternal, moral law revealed in His biblical commands. Idolatry is disobedience to God’s command found in the Bible. Therefore, idolatry is a sin against God. B. In numerous Scriptures idolatry is called an “abomination” by our LORD. See 1 Kings 11:1-14, 2 Kings 23:13, 2 Chronicles 36, Isaiah 66:3, Jeremiah 32:27-31 and Ezekiel 7-9, etc.) C. In Romans chapter one Paul included idolatry in his list of the sins of fallen humanity (Romans 1:23-25). D. Likewise, “Idolatry” is regarded as a sinful work of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. E. We find “idolaters” in the category of “the unrighteous” in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. F. According to Revelation 21:8, without genuine repentance, “idolaters…shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” IV. All the gods of the nations are idols. (Psalm 96:5) A. In 1 Kings 11 we find some of the names of the false gods worshipped and served by the pagan people and nations in ancient times. B. All of these false gods and goddesses were pagan idols. All who worshipped them were “idolaters.” The hand of the one, true and living LORD God of Israel was against them. They were a cursed people living in cursed nations in spiritual darkness under the judgments of Jehovah. V. Every idol represents a devil (a fallen angel). Thus, sacrifices to an idol are sacrifices to a devil (a fallen angel). (1 Corinthians 10:20-21) A. The apostle Paul explained, “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.” (1 Corinthians 10:20-21)

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B. Subsequently, each idol was an image of a devil – a fallen angel. When people worship an idol or image they are in reality involved in Devil worship. In Revelation 9:20-21 we find that the people of the world (“world citizens”) during the future time of “great tribulation” will be involved in some form of Devil worship of which they refuse repent. The apostle John observed, “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21) C. A new, global, mandatory form of idolatry will be introduced during the future global reign of the antichrist. World citizens will be required to worship an image of the antichrist (“the beast”) and receive a global economic “mark” in their right hand or forehead in order to “buy or sell” in the new global order of the antichrist. In Revelation 13:11-18 we read, “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:1118). VI. Throughout human history, the LORD God of Israel has judged the sin of idolatry. A. Idolatry was the sin that repeatedly brought the LORD’s judgment on ancient Israel and Judah (1 and 2 Kings, Jeremiah 32, Ezekiel 7-9). God continues to judge nations because of this abomination (Exodus 20:1-5). B. Likewise, the Devil worship and required worldwide idolatry of worshipping the image of the Antichrist will result in the judgments of Jehovah being poured out throughout the world in the “time of the end.” See Revelation chapters 6-19. VII. There is hope for idolaters who repent of the sin of idolatry and turn to God to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Ezekiel 18:18-32, Acts 17:22-31; 20:21; 26:18-20, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10)

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A. In the epistle of 1 Thessalonians the apostle Paul wrote to Christians who had turned from the sin of idolatry “to serve the living and true God.” Paul proclaimed, “For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10) VIII. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. A. When our Lord Jesus was tempted by “the devil” in the wilderness, He responded, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10) We choose to follow our Lord’s example in Matthew 4:4-10. We will worship and serve only the LORD our God. Our supreme love, loyalty and obedience is to King Jesus. As genuine Christians, we will not serve idols or images of Buda, Mary, the saints, an angel, the antichrist or anyone else. We will serve the LORD God of Israel! Praise be to our Lord Jesus! B. We choose to reject the sin of idolatry and worship and serve only the LORD God of Israel. However, we have a great problem. It is called sin. Our sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-8, Romans 3:10-23). We must have forgiveness for our sins from God in order to be accepted of Him, and be able to worship Him in truth and in spirit. This is why God the Father sent His Son Jesus to die as a sinless sacrifice for our sins (1 Peter 3:18). In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 the apostle Paul wrote, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:…” C. Subsequently, we must serve and worship God the Father through His eternal Son Jesus who is the only sinless mediator “between God and men.” (1 Timothy 2:5) In John 14:1-6 our Lord Jesus promised, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God [the Father], believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” D. Thankfully, Jesus made God´s plan of salvation so clear when He proclaimed, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son [Jesus], that whosoever [including your name] believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not

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condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18) Likewise, the apostle John declared, “He that believeth on the Son [Jesus] hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36) E. We have made the decision to repent of our sins and believe in Christ Jesus and His gospel message (Mark 1:14-15, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). In prayer, we have committed our hearts and lives to Jesus as our Lord and Savior (John 1:12-13). As a result, we are promised God’s “mercy,” “blessing,” “peace” and an eternal “inheritance…reserved in heaven…” in the Holy Bible (Exodus 20:6, Matthew 6:33, Romans 8:16-39, Ephesians 1:1-23, 1 Peter 1:1-5, Revelation 14:12-13). As our Brother Paul boldly proclaimed, “For whosoever [including your name] shall call upon the name of the Lord [Jesus – 10:9] shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you All. Amen.” Revelation 22:20-21 Ω © 2017 Nolan McFadden copies by permission of author

End Notes: 1. W. E. Vine, VINE’S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORDS, (Iowa Falls, Iowa, RIVERSIDE BOOK AND BIBLE HOUSE), pp. 583-585 2. www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/idolatry/ 3. Ibid., VINE’S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORDS, pp. 583-585