I think most people, whether they are Christians or not, recognize that there are natural consequences for many of the things we say or do—some of those consequences are good, some, not so much.  As I hear news reports and observe the course of events within the United States, I cannot help but think about the consequences many ancient nations experienced as they rejected the God of the Bible and embraced the satanic “deities” of immorality, pleasure, opulence, greed, folly masquerading as “wisdom”, indulgence masquerading as compassion, and demanding personal “rights” while rejecting the admonition to “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

            The unveiling of the demonic “statue” in Detroit this past week ignited my thoughts about God’s responses to idolatry as recorded in the Bible.  The interesting thing is that I did not think we would see idols, as such, in this day and age—not recognizing the pervasiveness of Buddha “statues” displayed somewhat naively as art, yet representing false religion.  Other statues that divert attention from our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent  God are statues of the “blessed virgin”, a woman who lived and died with no other honor than to carry the life of the Son of God within her body—an honor we all may enjoy through the power of the Holy Spirit, if we so choose.

            I read an article published online by Charisma news stating that satanists at the satanic temple do not actually believe in satan.  I don’t know; though I am pretty sure that some do and some don’t—it doesn’t really matter.  According to the article, this is what they believe:  “The group views the devil as “a literary figure, not a deity—he stands for rationality, for skepticism, for speaking truth to power.”  I can also imagine that satan is quite content having people doubt his existence—essentially giving him more power in their lives, and he is about the power!

            As appalling as the demonic idol appeared to me as a Christian, I appreciate that a physical representation is given to the evil bound up in some of the gods of this age—the rationalism, the skepticism, and the ‘truth’ which is a lie.  “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

            “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.  For the Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:21-14)

            “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4).

            The Old Testament offers many examples of the consequences of idolatry—although I initially began my study of the word “because” focusing on all people and nations, I realized that scripture records primarily judgment executed on God’s chosen people.  As much as we would like to condemn at of those “pagans” within our society or culture, it is important to consider where we personally may harbor idolatry in our hearts.

            “And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us?  What is our iniquity?  What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’  then you shall say to them:  ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declared the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me…” (Jeremiah 16:10-12).

            The pagan barbarism of ancient civilizations is prevalent even now, as evidenced with the recent revealing of the Planned Parenthood videos.  If anyone has had any shadow of a doubt about the destruction of life caused by abortion, these exposés should convince Christians of its evil nature.  “Because the people have forsaken me have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents…. [I] will cause their people to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their life” (Jeremiah 19:4, 7).

            The apostle Peter also warns through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words.  Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:1-3).

            Solomon wrote, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).  Knowledge will increase, technology continues to advance and yet the idolatry and the evil that characterized ancient civilizations continue in the hearts and minds of those who reject God.  Let us, as His church, His people at this critical time in the earth’s history stand strong in the grace and knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ—“so that He may establish [our] hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13).