Deuteronomy 27:15
“Cursed be the man that makes any graven or molten image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and puts it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.”
The people of Israel weren’t to have any sort of idols connected to their worship. The Lord was a living god who didn’t want to be represented by an idol.
An idol is confining. Paul referenced this as walked through Athens (Acts 17:22,23). The city was full of idols. Each one had it’s own focus. Some were gods of knowledge, others were gods of strength, some were gods of the harvest, as so on. The Lord isn’t singular in His strength, compassion or wisdom. Any idol would be a limitation of who He is.
Culturally, idols were popular in Moses’ time. All the other nations had them. The Israelites had recently come out of Egypt. They has witnessed them be part of their culture for centuries. The Egyptians were a wealthy nation. There was much opulence associated with the idol worship. The Israelites were poor and enslaved. Part of them probably envied the wealthy worship.
Our culture has it’s idols. They aren’t in stone. They are immersed in philosophies, attitudes and drives. They are disseminated through the school system and entertainment. Some times they are formed by court rulings.
How do we live in an idolatrous culture? Jesus answered it when He was asked about having to pay taxes. Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God, what is God’s (Mark 12:17). While in the culture, we can participate in what is good and avoid the parts that are ungodly. I’ve heard it said that we should “eat the apple, but spit out the seeds”.
Lord, thanks for all the good in the world. Help us to avoid the evil. Help us not to construct any idols.