We can even learn from comic strips: Dagwood & Blondie:
Blondie
looking in mirror at new dress with Dagwood and sales woman standing behind.
Blondie: "What do you think of this dress, honey?" Dagwood: "Too
expensive!" Blondie: "And what do you think?" Sales Woman:
"You should definitely buy it!" Blondie: "Sold!" Blondie at
register getting box and says: "See how important a second opinion
is?"
We can always find someone to justify our actions! Even if it is
only one person…the one in the mirror! Whenever we allow the “number
1”
slot in our heart to be filled with anything other than God, we are in trouble.
It quickly becomes a “cancer” to our soul. We don’t call that idolatry many times because it
does not involve statues of gold, stone or wood.
Idolatry has nothing to do
with objects and everything to do with the condition of our heart…the
objects are just the symptom to a far greater problem. As we go through this
section we will discover some clear consequences of allowing our heart to open
up to idolatry.
Judges 18:3-13 When
they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man,
the Levite; and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here?
And what are you doing in this place?
And what do you have here?” He
said to them, “Thus and so has Micah done to me, and he has hired me and I have
become his priest.” They said to
him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are
going will be prosperous.” The
priest said to them, “Go in peace; your way in which you are going has the Lord’s approval.” Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people
who were in it living in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and
secure; for there was no ruler humiliating them for anything in the land, and they were far from the
Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.
When they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their
brothers said to them, “What do
you report?” They said, “Arise, and let us go up
against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will
you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land. “When you enter, you will come to a
secure people with a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, a
place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.” Then from the family of the Danites,
from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war set out. They went up and camped at
Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan to this
day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim.
They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the
house of Micah.
Interestingly,
these Danites recognize this Levite. How? Scripture does not say, perhaps by
previous acquaintance, he might be a well know priest, or maybe they only
recognize that he was a Levite. Since it was his voice that they identified, it
is possible he had an accent that all Levites had. I know from living in the
Philippines, that Filipinos can tell where each other have come from based on
the accent in their Tagalog. I can’t hear it, but they can.
They ask
this Levite what he was doing there and why. He tells them what Micah had done
for him. This is the first affect of idolatry:
#1 Your most
important question becomes: What is in it for me?
As we move from loving the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we discover the “other trinity” - Me, Myself and I!
Amazingly, these Israelites have become so callous,
after hearing what this Levite is doing…which they should know is
unscriptural…they still seek his counsel! This is the second affect of
idolatry:
#2 You seek
Vindication not Truth!
Like our
illustration from Blondie, you will seek counsel from anybody! Your agenda is
to hear what you want, not what reality is.
The Levite’s counsel to the five men is to, “Go
in peace, God is with you!” We must ask, where did he get that? He is
serving idols! Why would they listen to him?
This again illustrates a major difference between a “call” and
a “job.”
When you represent God you share His counsel, no matter the consequences. When
you have a job, you do what it takes to keep that job! Tell them what will make
them happy!
Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 13:16
Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly.
Proverbs 15:14 The
discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
Proverbs 17:24 A
discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of
the earth.
A Call is
based on the “master-servant” relationship, a job is based on the "employer-employee” relationship. The difference is
huge! A servant considers the one that is served, in this case this Levite is
to represent God and His truth, no matter how it would upset the Danites. An
employee considers what will secure their job! Very much like the political
scene today. Whatever will get the votes…that is where my conscience will land! Is it a wonder that our society
is spiritually bankrupt?
Consider a different era when leaders stood by
their convictions, even if the votes were not there:
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Saturday Evening Post "Ideally, when Christians meet, as Christians, to take counsel together, their purpose is not or should not be, to ascertain what is the mind of the majority but what is the mind of the Holy Spirit - something which may be quite different."
We have
3 more affects to look at, but for now, do a heart check. Are the two most
important questions you ask yourself: “Does this please God?” and “What does
the Scripture state?” If not, then what are the first questions you ask
yourself? Why? Remember, just like a physical tumor, when it is a tumor in your
soul, early detection is essential.
