And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Ex 32:31 KJV
Idols again! Even though Israel had seen the invisible God in action, they still wanted the familiar gods they could see and shape into whatever image they desired. How much like them we are! Our great temptation is still to shape God to our liking, to make Him convenient to obey or ignore. God responds in great anger when His mercy is trampled on. The gods we create blind us to the love our loving God wants to shower on us. God cannot work in us when we elevate anyone or anything above Him. Are any false gods in your life preventing the true God from living in you? You can’t be too sure!
“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (Ex 32:1-4KJV).
“gods of gold”: MADE OUT OF GOD’S PROVISION
Don’t forget that the children of Israel were in a transit through the wilderness. There was no factory where they could manufacture gold or any iron. It is important therefore, to know, the source of what became the gods of gold. It will interest you to find out: God provided the gold!
“And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. Ex 3:21-22 KJV
So then, the gods of gold was made out of God’s provision for the children of Israel. Note, there is the tendency and possibility of making idols out of God’s provision for us! In fact, there are many gods of gold being worshipped by people today which are made out of God’s merciful provisions for them. A great number of men have made gods out of the provisions of God for their lives. Everything and anything a man has is provided by God. For it is written, “A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above.” (John 3:27). And again, James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” God’s provision for human kind includes life, money, material, wife, husband, children, cars, talents, ability, position, houses, spiritual grace and giftings etc. But unfortunately, these provisions of God, whether directly or indirectly, have become the object of worship in the lives of many people. Note, it is a great abuse of Divine provisions whenever the gifts of God becomes a distraction to the service of the God who gave them. It is an act of great wickedness when a man or woman allow the provisions of God to replace God in their lives. It is a heavy act of ingratitude when God’s blessings become the “gods of gold” in our lives. In fact, it is a great sin! Yes, that’s what the Bible calls it-the great sin of idolatry!
Idolatry is the worship of images that are not God. We think of idols as statues of wood or stone, but in reality an idol is anything natural that is given sacred value and power. Anything that gets in the way of worshipping God the way He should be worshipped is an idol! Anything or anybody that stands in the way of complete loyalty to God is an idol. Anything you are more devoted to more than God is an idol. Anything that draws your affection away from God is an idol. It could be persons, positions or possessions; it could be men, material or money; it could be a habit, relationship or fellowship. Idols don’t have to be physical objects; they can even be thought or desires. An idol is anything we put before God. And unless we remove idols from our lives, they can ruin our faith.
“gods of gold”: AN ABUSE OF GOD’S PROVISIONS
Hope the gift of God in your life has not become an idol of worship. Hope you have not made “gods of gold” out of what God in His mercy has provided for you. Hope the car that you supposed to be driving is not the one driving you. Hope the technological devices like T.V, phones and social media have not gain lordship over your life. Hope yours is not like the Israelites who confessed, “O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us.” Note, God’s provisions can easily turn into idols when we lose sight of God’s bigger picture of the reason for such provisions. God’s provisions of gold for the children of Israel was to find expression in the ultimate reason of their deliverance from Egypt-to serve God. Moses had said to Pharaoh “The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness” Ex 7:16 KJV. God would later demand for the gold and other material resources from the children of Israel for the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness. Note, God’s provision is and should be for His service.
That car is given you to experience speed in serving God and His people. That wife is given you to help you fulfill God’s mandate over your life. Those children are given you to raise as arrows of deliverance in the Hands of the God-their Giver. That family is given you for the establishment and extension of God’s kingdom on earth. That position is given you to represent God and project godly principle and policies. That money is given you to touch lives and advance the cause of His Kingdom on earth. Your graces and giftings are for the honour and service of the Most High God only. Any attempt to change their inherent function or purpose is to make an idol out of them and that is an abuse!
“gods of gold”: AN INVITATION TO GOD’S WRATH!
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. Ex 32:26-27 KJV
God abhors and frowns at idolatry. God detests it with passion and move swiftly in judgment against people or persons who try to share the glory due to HIM ALONE. God often save His harshest criticism and punishment for those who worship idols. About three thousand men fell to the judgment sword of the Levites as a result of the gods of gold. On several occasions, God allowed the Israelites to be punished severely by their enemies every time they turned to worship idols. In the days of Elijah, God shut the heaven over His people such that there was no rain or due for the space of three and a half years! God turned the heart of king Nebuchadnezzar into that of an animal and drove him from among the living to eat grasses with animals when he turned himself to a god of gold to be worshipped. King Herod was smitten by God’s angel and eaten alive by worms when he spoke and people equated his voice to the voice of God. God is a jealous God and will not share His glory with any man. BEWARE OF IDOLATRY! Be careful of making gods out of God’s provisions for you. Such attitude will attract divine displeasure. “They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.” Deut. 32:16
“gods of gold”: A CALL TO REPENTANCE
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. Gen 35:2-4 KJV
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. Ezekiel 14:6 KJV
Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. Josh 24:23 KJV
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 1 Sam 7:3 KJV
Today we can allow certain values to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for meaning and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshipping these things. But with the amount of time they occupy in our lives, they can grow into gods that ultimately shift our hearts from God. What idols do we have? Today, God is calling us to self-examination and repentance. Idols today are more subtle than gods of wood and stone, but they are just as dangerous. Whatever holds first place in our lives or controls us becomes our god. Money, success, material goods, pride or anything else can be an idol if it takes the place of God in our lives. There is no difference between commitment to these idols and commitment to those made of wood, gold and stone. The Lord ALONE is worthy of our service and worship and we must let nothing rival HIM. If we have “foreign gods” in our lives, we need to ask God to help us dethrone them, making the true God our first priority.
Thanks for reading. God bless you!