What about today’s conflicts?

About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.” When they heard this they were enraged. . . . the city was filled with the confusion. . . . some cried out one thing, some another. . . . the assembly was in confusion. . . .  for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”. . . . the town clerk quieted the crowd, he said. . . . “the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis. . . .  these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. . . . . For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. (Acts 19:30–41)

These days with certain leaders part of great conflicts, I’m encouraged by this passage. The Christians were threatened because the idol makers were afraid their business was in danger. This was not a battle about truth, but about money. However, it was settled by a third party who simple suggested if the idol was in control, they had nothing to worry about. 

He didn’t say “If Paul’s message is true, you better pay attention” yet that pops into my mind as I’m hearing both sides of a debate over one leader. Some say he is right and has a righteous plan, and others say he is deranged and destructive. With this story, the solution is not to riot over it, or let personal fears cause conflict. For Christians, the solution is to trust God. In this event, the believers were taken captive but they did not retaliate or even verbally respond. And how did God rescue them? He sent an unnamed town clerk who reminded the fearful idol worshipers to do things lawfully rather than be charged with rioting over something they could not justify.

In other words, the Christians were not breaking any laws. What does that tell me? Behave during these current events just as they did. Let the opposition to righteousness do whatever they are doing and let God take care of His people and take care of those who are more worried about money and their reputation, etc. than about their accountability to God. He will use whatever method needed to keep His promises to care for His people.

Lord, when I saw the topic for today, at first I didn’t see what it had to do with me, but today we are spending time with a person that thinks the idol worshippers in world leadership are going to win. My reaction was to oppose that notion, but now see that I just need to trust You. You will do whatever is right and I do not need to say anything or try to prove that these leaders are far more interested in self and power than they are in blessing others. Grant me the grace to stay silent. You are sovereign and always love and protect Your children. In this case, I don’t need to say a word. Amen. 

 

God can use anything to protect His people

At least once people became upset with Christianity for economic reasons. Acts 19 tells of a threatening situation to those whose wealth depending on making shrines to an idol worshiped in Ephesus. When they heard about the Gospel and about Paul denouncing idolatry, they feared their idol ‘Artemis’ would be “deposed from her magnificence” and they would lose their livelihood. A protest started and a crowd pushed into the theater dragging Paul’s companions with them.

But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. (Acts 19:30–31)

The Asiarchs were high-ranking civic officials in the province of Asia, an unexpected source of protection. What happened next was two hours of yelling and crying out support for Artemis, but the town clerk eventually quieted the crowd. He reminded them of their history with this idol then said,

Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” (Acts 19:36–40)

In other words, if they wanted to get rid of the Christians, they needed to be careful of not breaking the law themselves. Their fears and self-centered motivation would not stand up in a court of law. Their rioting was putting them in further jeopardy. Besides, was not their city “a temple keeper of the great Artemis and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?” If what they believed was true, then let their god take care of this ‘enemy’ or threat to their livelihood.

This story reminds me of a political situation in this week’s news. Our prime minister was accused by another political leader of several illegal actions. He reacted by threatening to sue his accuser of libel. However, the accuser is certain of his accusation so is daring the leader to take him to court. His response is much like the one posed by the town clerk. “Let the legal system decide.” If wrong is wrong, it will come out. If this is libel, that will come out.

These days it is not often that Christians are protected by law or by non-Christians. We are accused of many things, mostly that we hate or down-grade some groups of people. Our issue is not the people but their actions. What they do is against the will of God because those actions are harmful. Are we certain about our stand? Certain enough to invite a legal trial that proves our point?

The Word of God is the ground we stand on. I know that I can have personal biases too, so need to watch where my convictions come from. I also need to be certain that when I point fingers, I’m not guilty of something myself. I cannot say hate idolatry is wrong if I have my own set of idols, or hatred is wrong if I am hateful. I must always remember that when I speak against sin, that I am also a sinner.

This means the entire human race falls into the same category before God. We all sin and fall short of His glory. (Romans 3:23). Apart from Christ, none of us have any hope. In Christ, there is forgiveness and grace, new life and the promises of God. He is the only division line. Apart from Him, like Paul said, I am the worst of sinners.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, You remind me often that finger-pointing has three fingers pointing back at me. I can so easily criticize others but when brought before the only righteous Judge, I am just as guilty. Without Christ, I’ve no claim. Only in You can I say I am forgiven and washed clean. Give me Your righteous attitude toward others, Christian and otherwise. You alone know the heart and You alone are able to change lives, even bring idolaters to worship only You. And as the story of the riot in Ephesus shows, You alone can protect Your people from hate and destruction.

Exodus is over, but what about Babylon?

Isaiah 13:1–14:23, Luke 5:1–39, Job 4:1–11

This week God has shown me how His dealings with me are like Exodus and like Babylon. Exodus speaks of being released from the bondage of sin. It is about salvation and new life. God has done that for me.

However, Babylon is about an exile that God used to purify His people. They had become idolatrous, but their time in Babylon cleansed them from idolatry.

This is deep stuff. Three years ago I prayed that God would bring me into a total surrender to Him. I had no idea what to expect. Had I, maybe I would not have asked for such a thing because immediately things began to happen to test my faith. These experiences were revealing and painful. I began to see how little I trusted God and how many idols I was trusting instead. The experiences of Israel in exile in Babylon are vivid descriptions of what God was doing in my life.

Isaiah said to them, “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come! Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame . . . I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.” (Isaiah 13:6–8, 11)

I wanted to skip all those parts, but was compelled to read them today after being encouraged by a woman’s testimony on the radio. She also confessed her idols. She wanted power and control, and relied on people to meet her needs instead of God. Anything we rely on instead of Him is an idol.

Toward the end of the passages, I became encouraged by a more positive prophecy: “For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord’s land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon . . . .”(Isaiah 14:1–4)

Job also helps me recognize the taunts of the enemy while I struggled under the hand of God. One of Job’s friends told him that he was suffering because of sin. While that was closer to the truth for me, this taunt was a distressing lie for Job . . .

“Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands. Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees. But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope? Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.” (Job 4:3–9)

Regardless of whether they are true or not, taunts and accusations are painful. Many times I lost sight of what I had prayed and thought God had abandoned me. It took time to realize that He was doing what I had asked Him to do.

Today’s NT verses depict a real event in the life of Jesus and of Simon Peter, yet I also see myself in what happened. Jesus was speaking to a crowd from a boat. When He was done, He told Simon to, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”

As soon as they obeyed, the nets filled up and began to break. They called for help and wound up with so many fish that the boats were sinking.

In a great sense of weakness and inability, like a fishless fishermen, God sends to do things that seem useless, yet when I obey, He does the unexpected and my boat is filled! At the same time, this is still “Babylon” and I feel like Simon Peter who “fell down at Jesus’ knees saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’” (Luke 5:4–11)

Right now, the idols seem to have been smashed (will they come back?). I know fear and have a great sense of weakness because I deeply realize that all I am and can do depends totally on Jesus Christ. I’ve known this since my exodus, yet now I know it in a deeper way, a way that is both liberating and terrifying.

For that, Jesus says to me as He said to Simon, “Do not be afraid . . .” Because He loves me, and because He is sovereign, I can leave everything and follow Him.

Futile Wandering and Unreal Idols

Numbers 26:1–65, 1 Corinthians 8:1–9:27, Psalm 22:1–13

I’ve traced my family tree to two people in Scotland for whom I cannot find ancestors. From those two came more, but not a huge crowd. Our tree does not have uncountable branches, nor is it up into the six figures, unlike the children of Israel. They went into Egypt with 70 people. More than 600,000 came out, but only two of those survived the wanderings in the wilderness. The rest died and their children were now ready to enter the land God promised them.

“These were those listed by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who listed the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, ‘They shall die in the wilderness.’ Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.” (Numbers 26:63–65)

What surprised me in this OT reading is the results of the census taken just as they were about to enter the land of promise. After 40 years of wandering, just over 600,000 were counted, and the first thought that came to mind? God’s people are not fruitful when we have said ‘no’ to God and then spend far too long wandering around, complaining besides!

The NT reading is not connected to genealogies and wandering about. It is about idolatry. The new Christians knew it was wrong, but they wondered what to do with the food offered to idols. Of course the idol doesn’t eat it, but is it okay for God’s people to eat it?

Paul answered their question: “Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘an idol has no real existence,’ and that ‘there is no God but one.’ For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Corinthians 8:4–6)

Today’s idols are seldom statues of wood or metal. Americans tend to worship money, power, status, and sometimes put people on pedestals. Can we say these have “no real existence” as Paul did? Is it correct to think that anything I ‘worship’ is really not there, not in existence as an idol, only in my mind?

These idols are not puffs of smoke or imaginary, but I don’t think that is what “existence” means here. For an idol to have real existence, it has to have at least some of the power and qualities that its worshipers put on it. That is, if I worshiped the almighty dollar, then to be a real god, that dollar has to deliver what I expect of it. Otherwise it is not worthy of worship. Without getting into the power of money, I can easily agree with Paul; idols really don’t exist. They are gods of the mind, not gods of reality.

The difference between these idols of the mind, even those with substance or flesh and blood, is what they are compared to God. They are powerless, unable to meet our expectations. In that way, they are not real. As for God the psalmist says, “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” (Psalm 22:3–5)

God is real and omnipresent. He dwells even in my praise, and unlike any idols I’ve ever considered, He hears and answers prayer. We can trust Him and He will never let us down — because He alone has ‘real’ existence. 

Do I carry my god, or does God carry me?

How would I react if the person working next to me came into the office one morning and set a box on his desk, telling everyone that his god was in that box? How would I respond if he opened the box and took out a folded paper figure and said that this figure was going to make him a great success and fulfill all his needs? How would that person respond if it was me who had the box?

The idols forbidden to God’s people in the Old Testament were carvings created by men and carried by oxen from one place to another. In a description from Isaiah 46, God says “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”

When laid out in such certain terms, the foolishness of worshiping an idol is clear. However, idol worship can creep into the heart of anyone. As John Calvin said, the human heart is an idol-making factory. We were created to worship, to seek a god that would meet our needs. While we don’t carve idols in our culture, even Christians can fall into the worship of things like money, prestige, people, ideals, education, sports, and so on.

Our less obvious idols even bear some resemblance to what God says about these visible and man-made carvings. For one thing, they are carried like burdens by those who worship them. The person who thinks that fame and fortune will rescue him from all troubles becomes captive to the idol they worship, serving it with all his heart and soul, but that idol like all idols cannot deliver . . .  

They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity . . . They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. (Isaiah 46:1–13)

Instead of carrying the burden of an idol, God calls to us: “Listen to me . . .  (you) who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”

Then He adds, “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?”

The gods of then and now may resemble one another, but nothing compares to the true God, the one of whom Jesus said, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength . . .” (Mark 12:28–31)

Idols, then and now, are useless. Anything that seems to be powerful about them is an illusion. They are completely unable to pay back any of the homage we give them . . .  

Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. (1 Corinthians 8:4–6)

Whatever I rely on instead of God is an idol that cannot deliver. It cannot forgive me, wash away my sin, or make me a better person that is equipped to minister to others. Nor can any idol make the claim of being the only God who stands alone and is superior to all. How foolish to create a god to replace the one who created me and sustains my existence.