537 - A Warning against Idolatry

A Warning against Idolatry

“…Be very careful! (…said Moses to the people of Israel). 

You did not see the Lord’s form, on the day He spoke to you, from the heart of the fire, at Mount Sinai. 

So, do not corrupt yourselves, by making an idol, in any form—whether of a man or a woman, an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. 

And when you look up, into the sky, and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced, into worshiping them. 

The Lord, your God, gave them, to all the peoples of the earth. 

Remember that the Lord rescued you, from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, in order to make you His very own people …and His special possession, which is what you are today. 

“But, the Lord was angry, with me, because of you. 

He vowed, that I would not cross the Jordan River, into the good land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you, as your special possession. 

You will cross the Jordan, to occupy the land, but I will not. 

Instead, I will die here on the east side of the river. 

So, be careful not to break the covenant, that the Lord, your God, has made with you. Do not make idols, of any shape or form, …for the Lord, your God, has forbidden this. 

The Lord, your God, is a devouring fire; He is a jealous God. 

“In the future, when you have children and grandchildren …and you have lived in the land, for a long time, do not corrupt yourselves, by making idols, of any kind. 

This is evil, in the sight of the Lord, your God ….and it will arouse His anger.  He will say:

“Today I call on heaven and earth, as witnesses against you. 

If you break My covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land, which you are crossing the Jordan, to occupy. 

You will live there only a short time; then you will be utterly destroyed. 

For the Lord will scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive. There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. 

But, from there, you will search again for the Lord, your God. And, if you search for Him, with all your heart and soul, …you will find Him. 

“In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the Lord, your God …and listen to what He tells you. 

For the Lord, your God, is a merciful God; …He will not abandon you or destroy you…

…or forget the solemn covenant He made, with your ancestors. 

Deuteronomy 4:15–31 (NLT)

Praise be to God!



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