HOSEA 4:12

“My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them; For a spirit of infidelity has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful, departing from their God.”

I have mentioned before in my blogs that my dad was a great carpenter. He had a way with wood. He could take a piece of wood and turn it into something beautiful. He could make furniture or build a building. But one thing my dad never did was turn a piece of wood into an idol.

Israel had gone after the false gods of the land and had made idols to represent them. They would bow down to a wooden figure that had been carved by man. Why was this wrong? Commandment number 2! God had told them through Moses to never make any kind of image to worship. He was the only one worthy of worship, and no image could represent Him.

APPLICATION

I have missionary friends around the world who live in places where this is very common. In fact, in some countries there are thousands of temples with tens of thousands of idols that people worship. This isn’t just an Old Testament story. It’s still going on today. Satan still has people fooled into thinking all those idols mean something.

Here in America where I live, we don’t see that as much. But we certainly have our idols. We may not go to a temple and bow down to them, but we sure worship them. We bow down to entertainment and power and money and lust. We pour out our affections on things that can never give us peace. They are just like those wooden idols in Israel.

Are you being faithful to God? Are you bowing down only to Him? He is the one, true God deserving our praise. Don’t let anything come between you and pure worship today. Give Him your affections. Give Him the honor due His name.

I will bow before no other god. I will lift my hands to You alone, O Lord. You are worthy of my praise.