Only after the exile did the worship of other gods cease among the Jews. The pagans believed that worshiping several gods was superior to worshiping one God.
That is to say, they felt that more was better. For example, many of the pagan religions included sexual immorality with temple prostitutes as part of their religious rituals. This practice became appealing to many of the Israelites. But God required His people to obey the high moral standards defined in His law in order to maintain a saving relationship with Him. They had to resist the pull toward immorality and other sinful practices accepted and practiced by the pagan religions.
The demonic powers were able to provide temporary material and physical benefits for the worshipers. Fertility gods promised the birth of children; weather gods promised agreeable conditions for abundant crops; warrior gods promised protection from enemies and victory in battle.
It is only a piece of wood or stone, carved by human hands. It has no power of its own. Both Moses Dt and the psalmist Ps declared false gods the same as demons. The power behind idolatry is the power and activity of demons, who have much influence in this world. Christians know, of course, that the power of Jesus Christ is greater beyond any limit than that of demons.
He has the power to produce counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders 2Th ; Rev , 13 ; ; and to cause or provide physical and material benefits to some people. Thus, a literal translation of murti as idol is incorrect, for Brahman is not actually confined to the idol.
Additionally, Hindus believe that any object is worthy of worship, as it contains divine energy. Whether that be a slab of stone or a mosaic, the idols are designed with embedded symbolism, which set the style, proportion, colors, and legends associated with the deity. For example, Lord Shiva may be represented as a masculine idol with a third eye on his forehead, as a half-man, half-women figure called ardhanarishvara, or as a Lingam statue.
Regardless of his representation, worshippers will perform devotional practices around the statue, as they do with all idols. They will sing community hymns, bhajans, kirtans and aartis, expressing their devotion to the specific deity. As images of God we are given a sacred task. The task is to reflect that image in our lives each day.
A mitzvah is a brushstroke; a well-lived life an ephemeral yet indelible work of art. An idol is the work of our hands. A divine image begins in the work of one's heart. In the Israelites' wanderings through the desert they constantly confront the majesty of the natural world. It is a place where the constructions of human beings have no place. Yet when Moses disappears the world suddenly appears not majestic, but desolate. They build the Golden Calf, as if in substitution.
Moses is no longer there to represent God so they seek to replace him with a statue. But when Moses returns it is with the message that God wishes the Israelites to fashion something sacred not of gold, but of goodness, not from their jewels but their lives. Rabbi Akiva taught that God's love is not only that we were made in the Divine image, but that God told us that we were made in the Divine image.
Music idols like Britney and Madonna. Sports idols like Jeter or Manning. Fashion idols like Gucci, Armani or Prada. We even have television shows to make our own "American Idol. But wait a minute. Isn't that just pop culture?
Modern life? Isn't the second commandment about worshipping the golden calf and graven images? When the Bible uses the word 'idol', that's what it's getting at. In Driscoll's theology, every person has a deep inner need to worship something.
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