No other gods

Christendom disagrees about many things, but I believe it agrees that the God whom we serve does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He therefore always thinks about things in the same way. His understanding does not increase, and his views on various matters thus do not vary.

He said long ago: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” And we can be sure that he still instructs us in the same way. He also advised his people saying: “Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou shalt make thee…” It appears that God knew his people would indeed build an altar to him — and well and good — but the problem would be that the people would also set up beside his altar — alongside it — altars to idols.

Many Christians today go to church, pray to God, and study his word — and well and good — but the problem is that alongside this, in their lives — beside God — there are things that are even an abomination to God.

An idol beside our God can in principle develop out of anything that becomes so important to us that we sacrifice to that altar too much of our resources, our time, and our energy. But above all we are warned not to begin communicating with the spirit powers of darkness:

“There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiceth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah…”

We may easily belittle small and, in our opinion, insignificant things. When some transgression seems trivial to us, we do not take the trouble to put the situation right. But Scripture says: “He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much.” And whoever “stumbleth in one point, he is become guilty of all.” In the end a person does not commit a small sin or a great sin, but simply sin, which separates them from God.

Thus no one should treat the unfruitful works of darkness lightly — for example by reading horoscopes, which are predictions inspired by the powers of darkness and thus a gateway deeper into such spirituality and spiritism against which we are warned. Scripture calls a covenant-breaker such a person who “goeth and serveth other gods, and worshippeth them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded…”

Long ago the prophet Elijah came near unto all the people, and said: “How long go ye limping between the two sides? if Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The walk of God’s own is limping if alongside God there are other gods that are not really gods at all. But “the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”

Scripture:

Deut 5, 16, 17, 18 2 Chr 16 Luke 16 Eph 5 James 2