Maybe you are hurting today because someone did or said that was rude, mean, inconsiderate, or insensitive. You aren’t alone; unfortunately, this happens way too much. Living within the confines of the world is a soul-damaging exploit. God cares about our hearts, minds, and souls and grieves when hurt. People are imperfect and will cause pain to one another. What does this have to do with idols? It’s not always the reason, but sometimes, we give others too much power over us. We allow them to define who we are, how we feel, what we do, and how we do it. This will always end in pain; it is also a form of idolatry. God gives us wisdom and strength to walk away from an ill-balanced place, put people on the ground with us where they belong, and put God back up on the throne so that we can live in grace.
The sorrows of those who run after[a] another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.
Psalm 16:4
Ancient Idols
God distinguishes two different idols in Leviticus 19—idols made by someone else and those we make for ourselves. Today, it is about the molten idols. These are intended to fill an unmet need or try to cover a place of unhealed pain. The imagery is so perfectly clear with just two words, “Molten gods.” To make a molten image, you have to have a mold. The mold is a cavity, so the empty place lacks space. Those molds naturally exist within us: areas of emptiness we need to fill. The artist takes metals from the earth, melts them in heat until they become liquid, and pours them into the mold. The liquid metal fills every part of the emptiness. When it cools, it hardens into the image. It’s that image that ancient cultures worshipped.
Making Modern Molten Idols
We have many homemade idols, but we only discuss one common one today. In modern cultures, we reconstitute experiences and things we see and experience in this life into our oven to merge them into a malleable form to pour into our waiting hearts. When it cools, it’s precisely what we think we need, but it becomes the eventual source of our pain and sorrow.
Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods (images cast in metal); I am the Lord your God
Leviticus 19:4
Why Idols Hurt Us
We are created as intelligent and complex beings. Worshipping something we can make will always bring our souls down to a base level, not befitting our true potential. When we worship an idol, we redefine greatness and cut our needs down to human form. God, Creator of the Universe, no longer defines us but them. Their anger rocks our world, we take the blame, it can’t be our god, or we get angery at them because they don’t live up to the level of worship we think they shoud. It always ends in pain. People hurt us, neglect us, can’t love ideally, and bring their issues into our lives. We may love it when we are being complimented, admired, or wooded by them, but when the double edge of flattery turns, it cuts us like a knife. We walk around bleeding and ripped to shreds, looking for someone to step in and save us, angry at a loving God whom we invited out through our worship of others.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 4:20
Need To Worship
God doesn’t tell us to stay away from idols because He wants to take away our fun and independence; He’s not insecure and needs our worship; He knows us, loves us, and created us with a need to worship. When we bow down to worship an idol, it will end in pain. I will end this with a quote from the great theologian Russel Brand. I am just kidding, but he is a wise observer, and I find the quote below fitting.
“We are a species that worships. If you do not access the Devine, you will worship the mondiel, you will worship the profane, you will worship your own identity, you will worship your belongings, you will worship the tempate lain before you by a culture that…gets you distracted and relatively dumb.”
Russel Brand
Prayer
Dear God, I realize I have created an idol from ___________. Their arrows, temper, and imperfect love pain me deeply because they were my god. My self-esteem hung on their love for me and their words towards me; what I thought was the perfect solution was the ideal weapon. Lord, I place you on the throne of my heart, where you belong. I choose to see myself the way you see me, not through another’s eyes. God, forgive me for the sin of idolatry and heal me so that I may walk in the life and freedom that you want for me and intended for me through Jesus’ sacrifice. In Jesus Name, Amen.
