What Is An Idol?
“Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake: to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach. Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.” Habakkuk 2:19
In studying the Old Testament, which, by the way, is an interesting, informative, and revealing work of God, we see that the people of ancient Israel were prone to let the nations surrounding them (who were not worshippers of Jehovah God) influence them into idol worship. I have often wondered how a nation who had been shown the power and sovereignty of the LORD God many, many times throughout numerous generations could turn their collective back on God and depend on idols of wood, stone, or metal which were inanimate objects created by man. An idol cannot heal the sick, raise the dead, nor perform any other type of miracle. It can’t walk or talk or even think. Idols are basically nothing. So how does one come to believe in an idol?
There must be something out of the ordinary to attract people to idols. And then it dawned on me: behind every idol lies the power of Satan. One doesn’t worship a man-made idol unless he or she receives something from it. Position, wealth, prestige, sex, pleasure, power, and fame can be sought through worshipping idols. An idol doesn’t hold one accountable for his or her sins, but neither can an idol bring relief from the guilt of sin. A idol doesn’t require one to live an honorable, righteous and selfless life. Just the opposite. An idol doesn’t warn its followers about dangers that lie ahead and neither can an idol bring comfort in times of sorrow. An idol can, through the power of Satan, bring a temporary joy, but like a drug, can bring one down quickly to the edge of hell.
So, yes, there is power in idols, but no pardon, fun but no freedom, existence, but no eternal life, and lust but no real love. We must constantly be on guard because it is really easy to become an idolater. What is an idol? It is a person, object, position, goal, career, or anything that comes between a man or woman and the Lord. God made “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me” the first commandment for a reason.