Flee Idolatry!
Moreover, brethren, I want not that you 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 food; 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. (1 Cor. 10:1-6)
The Israelites had been highly favouredled and protected by God, but they had nevertheless fallen into idolatry. They had all
been under the cloud, which was God's presence with them on their wilderness journey. They had all passed through the waters when God had Moses raise his staff and
miraculously part the Red Sea so that they escape from the Egyptians. They all ate the same spiritual food, the manna that God provided for them every day of their journey. And they all
drank the same spiritual drink, the water from the rock that God provided for them. Yet despite having God's favor and receiving all these blessings, they still did evil.
Paul warned the Corinthians that many of the Jews who wandered in the wilderness had displeased
God, resulting in their destruction.
Paul cautions his readers not to be lulled into a false sense of security,
thinking that they could follow pagan customs without consequences,
but rather to do with what was pleasing to God, so they would not be punished as the Israelites had been.
Neither be you idolaters, as were some of them; as it
is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and
rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as
some of them committed, and fell in one day three and
twenty thousand. Neither let us test Christ, as some of
them also tested him, and were destroyed by serpents.
Neither murmur you, as some of them also murmured,
and were destroyed by the destroyer. (1 Cor. 10:7-10)
All these things were intended to be examples to all people in every generation, of what to do, or what not to do,
to live a life that is pleasing to God.
This passage warns us of four sins in particular that the Israelites were guilty of while wondering in the wilderness.
1. Idolatry
2. Immorality
3.Testing God
4.Murmuring and complaining
What do you think of when you hear the word "idolatry? It seems far removed from us in this day and age. Most of us probably think of man-made images, like the
golden calf or the many statues of false gods or idols of the pagans.
But it really is much more than just man-made images or statues. Idolatry is the worship of anything other than God himself. Idolatry begins in the heart:
anything you treasure more than God, anything you seek more than God, anything you put ahead of God in your life.
The idolatry committed by the Corinthians came in the form of eating things offered to idols in the idol temples. Paul was warning them of
danger they would be exposed to if they partook of the feasts that were celebrated in honour of idols in their temples.
Today, most of us don't struggle with idolatry in the form of an idol or image, or eating food that have been sacrificed to idols. Modern idolatry is even worse:
we worship self. We value our own wants and desires, our own ego and vanity, our own power and intelligence, thinking we are in control of our world and our destiny.
All idolatry of self has at its core the three lusts found in 1 John 2:16: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world.”
Modern worship of self can take on many forms, things we don't even recognize as idolatry. Materialism is one form of idolatry. It includes greed, covetousness, pride in
possessions, or discontent with the things we have and wanting more, better, newer. Somehow we are never satisfied, though. When we get what we thought we wanted, it doesn't fuldfill us,
we then want something else. We cannot be satisfied with material things because we were created to be full satisfied by God alone.
Pride in ourself often manifests in excessive work, and pursuit of the
almighty dollar more than pusuit of God. to the neglect of relationships, family, friends, and sometimes even health. Ego requires that we do more, more, more, to appear
smarter, better, and more successful in man'e eyes. Yet all our labors are useless to us in the end, because they have no eternal value. King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live on this earth,
said it like this:
For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and
then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked
for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What does
a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors
under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night
his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. (Eccl. 2:21-23)
We are never to think that we have not or never will be guilty of idolatry. We are all human beings, born under the curse of sin,
and with a heart prone to pridefulness and sin. We are all subject to various temptations, lusts, and forms of pride. Therefore, Paul warns his readers (then and now)
don't think you can't fall, because that's exactly when you will. But God in His infinite wisdom and great mercy, makes it possible for us to escape every
temptation. Our escape comes in three simple words: "Flee from idolatry."
Now all these things happened unto them for examples:
and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the
ends of the ages are come. Therefore let him that thinks
he stands take heed lest he fall. There has no temptation
taken you but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that
you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way
to escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my
dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. (1 Corinthians 10:11-14)
