28 March, 2024

Lesson for Sept. 19, 2010: God Rejects Idol Worship (Exodus 32:1-10)

by | 13 September, 2010 | 0 comments

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 19) is written by Phil Roberts who serves as senior minister with Hill-N-Dale Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky.

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God Rejects Idol Worship (Exodus 32:1-10)

“I don’t want a relationship.”

I remember those words of rejection from 20 years ago almost like yesterday. They were preceded by the phrase, “I think we need to talk,” and followed by my label of being “dumped.”

Rejection hurts, and motivates. We are motivated by the pain of rejection and the fear of further rejection. But should feelings or fears of being rejected by God ever come into the picture?

The psalmists surely felt so. Psalm 44:9 echoes several other psalms when it says, “But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.”

In this week”s lesson, we see that God rejects idol worship and””when necessary””those who cling to it.

Our jealous God rejects in this way because he does want a relationship.

Questions for discussion: How do “rejection issues” tend to motivate your behavior? Have you ever felt rejected by God? Why? Do you fear rejection by God? Should you?

The Power of Negative Thinking (Exodus 32:1-6)

It would be inappropriate to acquit Aaron of his huge part in the “calfgate scandal.” Nevertheless, he did have an accomplice””an entire nation who implored him to do something. Their plea bore a striking resemblance to the arguments of a snake””disregard God”s commands, scoff at accountability, and reach your highest human potential by looking within.

My sister and I are just 11 months apart. When we were about 3 and 4 years old, we were forbidden to touch a pepper plant in our living room. With our combined 7 years of wisdom, we reasoned together that touching and taste-testing peppers could do us no real harm. After fulfilling our curiosity, we walked away from the plant, seemingly unaffected.

A few minutes later, after rubbing our eyes with our pepper-tainted hands, we understood the full power of our “forbidden fruit.” Tears, screams, and half a day of swollen eyes rendered spanking unnecessary. I”m convinced that””had either of us been an only child””the “peppergate scandal” never would have occurred.

The sinful people of Israel gave Aaron the confidence to sin badly, culminating in a ridiculous proclamation attributing power and deliverance to a big, shiny cow, which somehow then got lumped into a “festival to the Lord.” Rather than repenting of idolatry and destroying the calf, Aaron attempted to incorporate worship of the one true God . . . into idol worship.

Missionary friends tell me that syncretism is prevalent in other cultures””Christianity combined with ancestor worship, or even voodoo. It sounds ridiculous to our “modern American minds,” and yet I find many nonbiblical or even pagan ideas have been fused with biblical Christianity in our churches . . . and even in my own thinking.

When we boil it down, Christian humanism, Christian pantheism, or Christian existentialism are simply forms of idolatry, and make about as much sense as worshipping a cow at a festival to the Lord.

In Romans 12:2, Paul calls us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Maybe it”s time to do an idol worship inventory, and let our minds be renewed as we repent.

Questions for discussion: What humanistic or nonbiblical ideas do you find yourself buying into? Why do we tend to “syncretize” them instead of just repenting?

The Rejection of Idolatry . . . and Its Adherents (Exodus 32:7-10)

The irony of “calfgate” is that Aaron and the Israelites completely rejected the first two of God”s Ten Commandments . . . right before the “first printing” was complete. Exodus 32 is a nightmare: God contemplates destroying his people, Moses breaks the tablets as he witnesses the revelry, and the people literally consume their golden calf before many of them are consumed for their sin.

God””and God alone””deserves our full worship. The idols of materialism, humanism, independence, sin””and the ultimate idol of self””need to be destroyed by us, or they will be destroyed with us.

God ultimately will reject those who cling to the idolatry he has rejected. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, Paul puts it plainly: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit thekingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Just a few chapters later, in 1 Corinthians 10, Paul gives a powerful and even scary analogy between the Israelites” Old Testament idolatry, sin, and grave consequences, and our own New Testament idolatry, sin, and grave consequences.

He concludes with these sobering yet hope-inspiring words:

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don”t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:11-13).

Through the testimony of God”s Word, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the influence of godly voices, we can reject the kind of idol worship that God has rejected!

Questions for discussion: How big are the consequences of New Testament idol worship? Why is the idol of self so alluring? What gives you hope we can join God in rejecting idol worship?

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*All Scripture references are from the New International Version, unless otherwise indicated.

HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Sept. 13: 1 Corinthians 10:1-11
Sept. 14: 1 Corinthians 10:14-21
Sept. 15: Psalm 135:13-18
Sept. 16: 1 John 5:13-21
Sept. 17: Exodus 32:15-24
Sept. 18: Exodus 32:30-35
Sept. 19: Exodus 32:1-10

ABOUT THE LESSON WRITER: Phil Roberts serves as senior minister with Hill-N-Dale Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. He and his wife, Lisa, have four children: Ashley, Benjamin, Casey, and Danielle. Phil graduated from Milligan College in Tennessee in 1993.

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