Riding Ourselves of Idols

Judges 7:2

² The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me,’…”

Observation

            In chapter 6 of Judges, we find that Israel has turned away from God yet again (a common occurrence). They have begun worshipping and offering sacrifices to foreign gods. Now they find themselves being tormented by the Midianites. Every time the Israelites plant a crop, the Midianites destroy it, carrying off their livestock as well. The oppression is great, the suffering unbearable, and their hearts are melting with fear.

            In the midst of their plight, they begin calling out to God for deliverance. This is a typical scene for most of the Old Testament. The Israelites rebel and then they become mindful of Yahweh. It is then that God answers their cry. He weeds the army of Gideon down from 20,000 to 300. The primary concern that God offers, is that the Israelites will try to take credit for the victory and praise and worship their own abilities.

Application

            A passage of scripture that deals with people that have turned to worshiping idols does not seem to resonate very well today. I only know a few people who have idol in their homes, none of which claim to be Christian. In most cases, these folks probably would not consider them gods. So, how do we understand such a passage? Perhaps we need to gain understanding about what an idol really is.

            Tim Keller said, “An idol is anything you require in addition to God to be happy.”¹ This is a great definition. The Israelites did not simply get rid of God (since they really couldn’t), they merely added other gods into the mix of their worship. They were the practicing the worst type of ecumenicalism. They were trying to allow all religions into their own. In our case, we may not see ourselves sacrificing to other gods, but we might see that we are putting our trust in other things to make us happy, achieve our goals, and have success.

            Sadly, both in the congregation and amongst clergy we are guilty of jumping from promise to promise in hopes of achieving success. For most pastors there is great pressure to measure success in numbers. We have bought into the concept that, true pastoral success is ever increasing numbers. More people, bigger budgets, and larger facilities, is the goal. However, success can become a god that we serve. Success is an ugly monster that creates slaves that run from sacrifice to sacrifice. It becomes oppressive and creates horrible anxiety. What if God were calling us to something better than results driven ministry?

            Is it possible that God simply wants our undivided love, and trust? What if the leader God is looking for is one who will fall on her or his knees and seek his face. What if success was never the goal, but faithfulness was the desire of God? When we achieve our success through our strengths and our abilities, we risk becoming boastful. Oh, we might look humble on the outside, but that inner pride often raises up. We hide it from others, but like the teenager lifting weights, we flex our muscles in the privacy of our own bathroom mirror. Perhaps, it is time that we consider trusting more of God than our own abilities. Perhaps it is time to destroy our idols and worship the True and Living God, Yahweh.

Prayer

            Father, You alone are God. There is none other above you. The gods that we have trusted have made us horrible slaves to ambition, success, and achievement. We have slept with these idols and the kingdom has suffered greatly. We have tried to be clever and relevant. We have withheld truth, and to correct we have created false truths. Forgive me O God for loving another. There is One God! Jesus, thank you for coming and showing us that life is not about visible successes, but it is about being faithful to the will of the Father. May, the Holy Spirit dwell so strong within me that I might live as you are living, speak as you are speaking, and do as you are doing.  – Amen

¹ David A. Busic, Perfectly Imperfect: Character Sketches from the OLD TESTAMENT.

            Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2013.