Today, we consider the second of the Ten Commandments: the prohibition against idolatry.
"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:4-6
Do you think every Christian understands this?
My recent impression is that, surprisingly, they often do not.
So, what exactly is an idol in the context of biblical idolatry?
1. Objects of worship at shrines and temples
As Japanese people, we have likely visited shrines and temples since birth—for events such as the first shrine visit (*miyamairi*), Shichi-Go-San, weddings, funerals, memorial services (like the third-year anniversary), offerings at the family altar, burning incense, ancestor worship, and so on.
Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21)
偶像礼拝リスト
・Let us repent of them all and cast them aside.
2. The sun, nature, and spirits believed to dwell in all things
This refers to what is known as nature worship, animism, or the belief that spirits inhabit objects. Japan is rich in nature, which perhaps makes it easy for these things to become idols. The sun, in particular, is often turned into an idol—for instance, when people say, "The Sun Deity (*Otentou-sama*) is watching you!"
"Son of man, have you seen this? You will see things that are even more detestable than this."
~Are they not worshipping the sun, facing toward the east? Ezekiel 8:15-16
・Let us repent of all these and turn away from them.
3. Things we value more than Jesus, or things at the center of our hearts
Even things that seem good on the surface become idols when we value them more than Jesus. Common examples include money, work, family, knowledge... and *ourselves*! A "transactional faith"—where we sit on the throne of our hearts and treat Jesus like a servant to fulfill our wishes—is nothing less than idolatry.
Ultimately, we are turning the desires of the flesh—money, power, control, the need for approval, and sexual desire—into idols.
The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their pursuit of money, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many terrible sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10)
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:26)
・Let us repent and make Jesus our highest priority!
・Let us welcome Jesus into the center of our hearts!
4. Things we obey more than Jesus
To "believe in Jesus" means to "obey Jesus." (John 3:36)
To "love Jesus" means to "obey Jesus." (1 John 5:3)
To "confess Jesus as Lord" means to "obey Him as Master." (Romans 10:9)
If there is anything we obey more than Jesus, that thing is an idol. We must be careful, as church conventions, traditions, and a pastor's knowledge are not always in line with the Bible. In such cases, the church, tradition, or the pastor can become an idol.
Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. Rebellion is as the sin of divination, and arrogance is like idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being king. (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
・Let us place Jesus first in our obedience.
Of course, we should generally submit to the authorities and rules of our workplaces, communities, and churches; however, when they conflict with the Bible, we must choose Jesus.
5. Things we depend on other than Jesus
To "believe in Jesus" means to "depend on Jesus."
If there is anything other than Jesus that we depend on, that thing is an idol. We are depending on it if we feel unsettled, unfulfilled, anxious, or unable to find a solution without it.
Common examples include depending on medical care for healing, depending on work for money, and depending on the church or a pastor for faith. Recently, there has been a surge in a form of idolatry where people depend on AI for all kinds of information.
For instance, when it comes to illness, some people think only of medical treatment. Even their prayers—"Please use this medical treatment..."—reveal a dependence on medical care. Conversely, those who demand only miracles—"In the name of the Lord, be healed, sickness!"—are also engaging in idolatry. We should first ask, "Jesus, please heal this sickness." Then, Jesus will decide whether the ways will be medical treatment, natural healing, a miracle, or something else.
"This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you," declares the Lord, "because you have forgotten Me and relied (depended) on false things." (Jeremiah 13:25)
・If you are depending on something else, repent and depend solely on Jesus.
6. Things we fear other than Jesus
The Bible repeatedly tells us to "fear the Lord." However, if you fear the devil, failure, the eyes of others, calamity, organizations, those in power, society, or social media, these things become idols.
"Do not wrong one another, but fear your God; for I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 25:17)
Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" (Revelation 19:5)
Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent..." (Acts 18:9)
・If you fear anything other than God, repent and choose instead to fear Jesus.
7. Idols to Watch Out For, Especially Now
・Pastors, churches, denominations, traditions... when it comes to practicing your faith, do you simply accept what you are taught by pastors or the church without question, rather than reading and reflecting on the Bible yourself and interpreting it through the Holy Spirit? Doing so turns pastors, churches, and denominations into idols. You must discern everything!
The Jews here (in Berea) were more open-minded than the Jews in Thessalonica; they received the word with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if what was said (by Paul) was true. Acts 17:11
・A different Jesus... For example, the idol of "Jesus who is merely gentle," which is worshipped in many churches. Jesus is love, but He is also a righteous One. He is One to be feared.
"Not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:7)
・"The Atmosphere" (Kuuki)... This refers to the concepts of "The Study of 'Atmosphere'" and "Nihon-kyo" (The Religion of Japan) authored by Shichihei Yamamoto. Many people worry about the eyes of society (how others evaluate them) rather than the eyes of God, and they yield to peer pressure. That is yielding to evil spirits; it is idolatry.
【日本教1】なぜ日本でキリスト教が広まらないのか。たったひとつの理由。国家的カルト宗教「日本教」の正体【山本七平】#43
【衝撃作】『同調圧力』要約|なぜ日本人は『空気』に殺されるのか?社会を蝕む5つの罠と抜け出す方法 - YouTube
・The Emperor... Since the Meiji era, many churches compromised by participating in the state-led veneration of the Emperor. It seems that the atmosphere surrounding such Emperor worship is spreading once again.
【現代でも起こり得る】美濃ミッション代表・石黒イサク氏が語る「日本式迫害の真実」 - YouTube
・AI... What concerns me most lately is the rapid escalation of AI technology. Experts predict we will reach AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)—intelligence surpassing that of humans—within two or three years. This appears to be linked to the "666," the Mark of the Beast, and the Image of the Beast.
We are seeing an escalation of real-life examples: people saying AI is "incredibly convenient," "gives more reasonable answers," "makes work easier," "doesn't judge me but stands by me," "is my best friend," or even "I married an AI (!)" or "AI pastor (!!)."
Isn't it terrifying? Something ominous has already begun. AI surveillance, management of our finances, control of our thoughts... it has already started.
The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced everyone... to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark... The number is 666. (Revelation 13:14-16)
AIの機運と危険:ジョン・レノックスThe Opportunities and Dangers of AI - Professor John Lennox
【衝撃の結果!】最新の研究でAIに相談する人ほど不幸になる事が判明!
【危険】AI時代の落とし穴 ― 聖書が語る5つの真実
Repenting of idolatry now serves as vital preparation for the end times.
Let us pray together.
Let us fight this battle together.