There Is No Other

“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

You would think this should not be a difficult piece ofadvice to follow. The voice of God thundered from Sinai in the second command:

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anythingin heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall notbow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourthgeneration of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations ofthose who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6).

Within the month, the people of Israel were busily buildingan idol, a golden calf. It did not last long.

Rachel, Jacob’s wife, stole her father’s household gods. Allof the sons of Jacob had idols.

“So Jacob said to his household and to all who were withhim, ‘Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves andchange your clothes.’ … So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had andthe rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem” (Genesis35:2, 4).

King David’s wife, Michal, had an idol.

“Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, coveringit with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head” (1 Samuel 19:13).

Jeroboam built two golden calves, one in Bethel and one inDan.

In this age of tolerance, we have accepted foreign idols aslegitimate, alternative forms of worship. To speak against the idolatry of otherreligions is considered bigotry, intolerance, and hatred of other people. Theresults of speaking against the secular culture are even harsher.

“Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from thenations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to godsthat cannot save. Declare what is to be, present it – let them take counseltogether. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past?Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God anda Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of theearth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:20-22).

This post coordinates with today's reading in the Tothe Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan,please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us.

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