10:14 Therefore, my
beloved, flee from idolatry.
Paul has spent this entire chapter giving examples of what
went wrong in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan. Egypt represents life
before we ever knew God or chose to follow Him and Canaan represents heaven.
The wilderness represents the struggle to leave Egypt behind and learn to trust
God completely. After all the examples Paul declared that there is nothing that
can tempt us to return to Egypt that God can't handle. Then he wraps it up with
a one line conclusion: "Therefore my beloved, flee idolatry."
What does he mean? There were three specific examples he gave
of what went wrong during the time in the wilderness: Murmuring, sexual
immorality, and ingratitude. Is ingratitude a form of idolatry? Sexual
immorality is idolatry too? Even complaining is idolatry? How? I thought
idolatry was worshipping carved images and false gods?
Today we need to explore and understand the difference
between fruit and the root. Let's take the example of the golden calf they
built and the craziness that followed. How did that whole scenario begin? Moses
was gone. Up to that point Moses had always been there. He was the leader in
their eyes even though he was only following the pillar of cloud and fire.
Already there was an element of idolatry. Moses was a god to them in a sense.
His absence created at least two things. Insecurity for some and opportunity
for others.
From the very beginning of the journey many were unhappy with
the directions. There was an easier and faster route to Canaan. Why were they
going the "wrong" way? This was the root. Do not lose sight of this
fact. As the journey unfolded and they faced adversities you can imagine the
thoughts of those who felt from the beginning that they had taken the wrong
route: "None of this would be happening if we had gone the right
way..."
So when Moses was gone a window of opportunity opened. Now
they good get this ship steered in the right direction. They formed a coalition
and went to Aaron to propose they make a new God to go before them. Did you see
what happened. The golden calf was the fruit of their idolatry not the root.
Idolatry in all its various forms is the desire to be in control and the insane
belief that we can manage our life better than God can.
We complain about what He provides because we become convinced
we'd be better off with something else. We pursue immoral relationships or
straight up self-gratification because we think we know what we need for
happiness better than God does. We ungratefully treat His provision because we
"know" there is better.
That's how Satan got Eve in the very beginning. The illusion
that outside the leadership of God there is more and better. That is the root
of idolatry. We are worshipping ourselves. Paul says very succinctly that any
time self rises up to murmur against God for any reason run hard and fast in
the opposite direction. Trust Him. Follow Him. Wait out the storm. Time will
reveal God knew exactly what we needed.
We are His beloved. Everything has a purpose and all things
work together for our good when we choose to love God and follow His purpose
for our lives.
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