Are We God's ALONE?

“You must put four tassels on the hem of the cloak with which you cover yourself—on the front, back, and sides. [Deuteronomy 22.12]

Although I have speculated on this passage before (Four Tassels?), today I realize there is actually a very good explanation for this distinction and it is found in Numbers:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the LORD instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do. The tassels will help you remember that you must obey all my commands and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the LORD your God!” [Numbers 15.37-41]

Although I am sure there is some deep revelation as to why there are "four" tassels, the significance is seen simply in their existence. The four tassels distinguish the person wearing them as a worshiper of God alone. 

Why do I emphasize God "alone" in the paragraph above? I do so because of the last part of Numbers 15.37-41:

I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the LORD your God!” [Numbers 15.37-41]

God and "the land of Egypt" have quite the documented history. The fact that God brought His people "out of the land of Egypt" makes a clear distinction of God in His omniscience. And, it is here we should understand that this distinction has everything to do with the prevention of idolatry. Consider this:

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!” The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry. [Exodus 32.1-6]

From the time God distinguished Himself as the "God who delivered His people out of Egypt," the title was established that idols have competed for ever since. The occasion of Exodus 32.1-6 contains the defining characteristics of idols:

• They are the result of impatience (the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain)
• They are man-made (make us some gods)
• They are costly (the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron)
• They claim glory that is not theirs (O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!)
• They induce guilt that needs to include God (Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!)
• They lead to pagan revelry (they indulged in pagan revelry)

But this article is not about idols. It is about tassels. The tassels are an intentional and distinct reminder to God's people that they are His alone and therefore tassels cannot be discussed without discussing idolatry.

Tassels also serve as an intentional witness to all others that the person wearing them is distinctly God's alone. This also means, "no idols."

The question looms over us then: "Are there any distinct indicators in our lives that we are God's alone?" Or, do we look and act (are we 'slaves to Egypt') just like everyone else?

Jesus was no less demanding for distinction that we are His (God's):

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]  

Father, I feel pretty good not having mentioned debt, insurance, medicine and technology as the four major idol groups of our day... That said, help us to see that idolatry is not that hard to recognize if we indeed know the symptoms for what idols are. Open our eyes to the reality of idols born of our ways of impatience, man-made solutions, where our money goes, the glory we give, the need (guilt) we feel to justify our solutions, and the general pagan revelry surrounding man-made solutions. Help us to make a distinction in our lives so that our ways - or the ways we give up - serve as tassels to say that we are Yours alone. So be it.

Idolatry Is The Way Of Man Without God

“But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter. In those towns that the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the LORD your God has commanded you. This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the LORD your God. [Deuteronomy 20.15-18] 

We should understand that the Promised Land (Canaan) had its own thing going on with God entirely unrelated to Israel.

“Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’ But recognize today that the LORD your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the LORD has promised. “After the LORD your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The LORD has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The LORD your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people. [Deuteronomy 9.1-6]

The detestable "wickedness" of the people of the Promised Land that aroused God's anger against them started and ended with idolatry. Just the context of Deuteronomy alone (up to this date in the One Year Chronological Bible readings) declares the problem of idolatry over and over (I apologize for the length, but the numerous references below prove the point).

“You saw for yourself what the LORD did to you at Baal-peor. There the LORD your God destroyed everyone who had worshiped Baal, the god of Peor. But all of you who were faithful to the LORD your God are still alive today—every one of you. [Deuteronomy 4.3-4]

So be careful not to break the covenant 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. [Deuteronomy 4.23] 

“In the future, when you have children and grandchildren and have lived in the land 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 will arouse his anger. [Deuteronomy 4.25] 

“So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The LORD is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other. [Deuteronomy 4.39] 

So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the LORD your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy. [Deuteronomy 5.32-33]  

“You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, for the LORD your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth. [Deuteronomy 6.14-15]

“When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you. This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols. For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. [Deuteronomy 7.1-6] 

“You must destroy all the nations the LORD your God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you. [Deuteronomy 7.16] 

“You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction. [Deuteronomy 7.25-26] 

“But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the LORD your God. [Deuteronomy 8.19-20] 

Then the LORD said to me, ‘Get up! Go down immediately, for the people you brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted gold and made an idol for themselves!’ [Deuteronomy 9.12] 

“But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods. [Deuteronomy 11.16] 

But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before. [Deuteronomy 11.28] 

“When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods! “Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. [Deuteronomy 12.2-4] 

“When the LORD your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land, do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’ You must not worship the LORD your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods. [Deuteronomy 12.29-31] 

Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the LORD your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you. [Deuteronomy 13.4-5] 

“When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, you may hear that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods you have not known before. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the open square and burn it. Burn the entire town as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a large nation, just as he swore to your ancestors. [Deuteronomy 13.12-17] 

“When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the LORD your God and violate the covenant. For instance, they might serve other gods or worship the sun, the moon, or any of the stars—the forces of heaven—which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then the man or woman who has committed such an evil act must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. [Deuteronomy 17.2-5] 

“When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the LORD your God will drive them out ahead of you. But you must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the LORD your God forbids you to do such things.” [Deuteronomy 18.9-14] 

But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’ [Deuteronomy 18.20] 

This then brings us up to the opening subject passage above (Deuteronomy 20.15-18). God knows that idolatry breeds idolatry! In fact, idolatry infectiously blinds those who refuse to turn from the idolatry that they first see, effectively blinding themselves from seeing any further idolatry, and worse, from seeing God. 

Why let the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.2-8] (see also Psalm 135.15-18)

God is one hundred percent intolerant of idolatry because, even just a little idolatry blinds people from seeing Him. God's jealousy is therefore well-founded for our protection! God is intolerant of idolatry for our own good!

And you must always obey the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good. [Deuteronomy 10.13]

And, herein is the difference between God's jealousy and the jealousy 1 Corinthians 13 speaks against (in case you are wondering): God's jealousy is for our own good where human jealousy is selfish. 

So, the back story of Israel acquiring the Promised Land is the story of God's disdain for Canaan's idolatry. God's destruction of the people of Canaan is not at all inconsistent with His warnings against idolatry. We then are faced with an object lesson of our own... Do we want to be like the hated blind idolaters of Canaan or like the loved recipients of the Promised Land beholding our God?

The New Testament totally supports all of this. Jesus spoke of "seeing..."

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15]

Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. [Luke 10.23] 

Idolatry is the way of man without God. A man without God is an idolater in all his ways. As Israel foreshadowed the Church, and the Promised Land foreshadowed God's Kingdom, so idolatry is everything today that prevents the Church from enjoying the benefits of the Kingdom. Again, idolatry is the way of man without (or in doubt of) God. And, for this reason, Jesus, in unmistakably intolerant language, said:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]  

"Your own way" is the way of man without God - idolatry. "Take up your cross" is the way of undivided, unshakable faith in God alone. Jesus' life demonstrated what this looks like and therefore we are commanded to "follow Him."

But, the idols must first go. We must first give up idolatry.

Father, You have been faithfully giving further insight into the reality of idolatry today among those who claim to be Your people (myself included). Our man-made idols prevent us from seeing You and prevent us from seeing the plethora of idols we serve in blind succession. May we come back to the fact that You are the God Who delivered us from our slavery and that You demand singular, undivided trust in You alone. May this our repentance be joined by our faith in Jesus ...giving up our own way (the way of man - the way of idolatry), taking up our cross (the way of undivided faith), and following Him. May our repentance and faith manifest in us seeing Jesus in ourselves - in our words and in our works. So be it.

Wolves In Sheep's Clothing (Today's Idols)

“Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the LORD your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you. [Deuteronomy 13.1-5] 

It doesn't require creative license to say that debt, insurance, medicine and technology all offer "signs" or "miracles" in the particular benefit they each provide. Neither does it require abstraction to see that debt, insurance, medicine and technology all promote their respective benefits also appealing to men and women in the ways John wrote about:

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [1 John 2.16]

It is not enough that debt, insurance, medicine and technology simply offer a utility benefit. Their promotions and advertisements, more often than not, go beyond utility benefit depicting additional benefits ranging from the right to self-fulfillment to the normalcy of unrestrained sexual pleasure.

First to consider is this: what debt, insurance, medicine and technology offer at a price, God offers for free. This should cause suspicion (and even alarm) among God's people, but the subtlety in which this trickery progressed "walked right through the door" of Christianity with most Christians even "holding the door" for it to enter.

Then, as if it is not "idolatry enough" to pay elsewhere for what God offers freely, it is what debt, insurance, medicine and technology offer additionally - bringing with them (ranging from the right to self-fulfillment to the normalcy of unrestrained sexual pleasure), that flies in the face of God proving they are actually wolves in sheep's clothing! These additional benefits are the covert goal of all idols: to lead people as far away from God as possible and to do so in the most glaringly defiant way possible.

God offers a zero-tolerance policy for this offence: death.

It is this "death sentence" that Jesus died for. However, we should not be fooled by "cheap and easy" grace. No person may enjoy Jesus' substitutionary work without obedience. Jesus was not unclear what that obedience looks like:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]  

What are debt, insurance, medicine and technology if they are not man's own way? And, as man's own way, they come at a price. The price paid for debt, insurance, medicine and technology is "sacrificially" paid in lieu of obeying God and freely receiving His benefits. The Bible is clear about the distinction between sacrifice and obedience:

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. [1 Samuel 15.22]

It is a false prophet, according to the subject passage above, who uses God-like signs or miracles to ultimately lead people away from God. Debt, insurance, medicine and technology fit that description.

Rather than simply disagreeing with me on this topic and putting it out of mind as ridiculous or fanatical, prove me wrong! Search the Scriptures for yourself to eliminate any uncertainty and confirm my error. Please, do me this favor - give me this relief!

Otherwise, pray this prayer with me:

Father in heaven, forgive us for our idolatry that has lured us into further idolatry. Help us as we intentionally give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. Prepare us to humbly face the ire of the world, but more importantly, prepare us for the ire of the carnal Church (revealing those who are wolves in sheep's' clothing). Prepare us for the reality of Jesus' words that say "only few" will find the Kingdom. Help us to understand that all this preparation can only be accomplished as we intentionally prioritize Your Word and it permeates our being. So be it.

God Demands Distinction In His People

“Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. [Deuteronomy 12.4] 

God demands distinction in His people.

You must not worship the LORD your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods. [Deuteronomy 12.31]

Let me just say that "relevant" is a term of idolatry. 

Jesus' demand says it all:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]  

God did all the 'blending in with man' that He is going to do when He gave His only Son. Now it is time for man to 'blend in with God' by following Jesus. 

Notice both of the Deuteronomy passages above are not specifically about worshiping other gods, but are about not worshiping God the same way.

Interestingly enough, the modern Church looks nothing like the early Church. The way we worship God today is the product of years and years of evolution - or should I say devolution? The way we worship God today has become much more about the convenience of man than the holiness of God. 

The Church has stooped to the level that it is not about Jesus and His Body together glorifying God in word and deed as much as it is about a one-man-show complete with an emotional opening act music sideshow. Consequently, the people walk out in the same condition they walked in except for perhaps they got emotional. They call this emotion a "move of the Spirit" even though it is strikingly similar to the "good vibes," "tears shed" and "hands raised" at an entirely secular music concert. The blind do not see. The deaf do not hear. The lame do not walk. The dead are not raised.

So low has the Church digressed that when an infirmed or sick person is encountered, the first question asked of that person is "what do the doctors say?" What the hell? Literally, what the worldly HELL? Doctors and medicine are the same way the world (going to hell) treats sickness and disease. In fact, the Church today resorts to all the same major solutions as the world (debt, insurance, medicine and technology) regarding blessings and curses instead of being distinguished as God's people.

“Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today. But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before. [Deuteronomy 11.26-28]

 Just sit tight... it gets worse!

To worship God the same way the world worships their gods is to effectively worship those worldly gods instead of God!

About now it should make much more sense that Jesus would demand (not suggest) that a true follower must "give up his own way (the way of the world and its gods), take up his cross (the way of faith even in the face of death), and follow Jesus, Who makes the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame to walk, and the dead to live.

Yes, the paragraph above describes what "church" today should look like. Does our current church model reflect this? No. Is it redeemable? Not likely because the modern church model, at its foundation, is the way of man (an IRS compliant business) when it should be the way of God.

The details that define the True Church model should be the same as Jesus defined:

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” [Matthew 11.2-5]

If the Church today is not built upon Jesus in His description of Himself, then there is only one solution in a two-part action: repent and believe. In fact, that is how Jesus ministered:

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” [Mark 1.14-15]

The popular "faith movement" has proven that faith alone has only underwhelmingly come to this solution. There must be repentance - and lots of it. We will know we have repented enough when our faith makes us look and act like Jesus in all His ways. Without repentance, we areworshiping God the world's way - man's way - the same way pagans worship their gods - and we are just wasting God's time.

Father, the words written here are hard. We are on the road to hell and expecting to arrive at heaven. May we be found repentant because our faith does not have us looking like Jesus. May we be found repentant because our church does not have us looking like Jesus. May we be found repenting and believing in proper proportions! May we recognize that proper proportion when Your glory manifests all Your power among us. May we understand that we are tasked to give up our own way. May we understand that we are tasked to take up our cross. May we understand that we are tasked to follow Jesus. So be it.

God Cannot Bless Our Idolatry And Ignorance Of His Word

And the LORD our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the LORD our God has given us.’ [Deuteronomy 6.24-25] 

So, how's that grace-of-God-in-Jesus thing working out for you?

The problem with people today is that they religiously read the Bible (if they read it at all) without paying one bit of attention to what it is actually saying. Then, they make stupid, unsubstantiated claims about "Jesus" and "grace" of which they neither know nor show by their allegedly redeemed lives. If this sounds sarcastic, then at least something is making sense...

Jesus said the entire Bible points to Him:

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

Matthew recognized this for face value: 

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.” [Matthew 8.16-17] 

In contrast, today's One Year Chronological Bible reading includes: 

You must diligently obey the commands of the LORD your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the LORD swore to give your ancestors. You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the LORD said you would. [Deuteronomy 6.17-19] 

"All going well for you" does not mean financial hardship, loss, sickness, or ignorance. In fact, today's reading defines what "all going well for you" looks like:

The LORD did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. [Deuteronomy 6.22] 

In Christ, this should look like Paul wrote to the Church in Galatia:

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [Galatians 3.13] 

It is pure mockery of God and Jesus Christ to make all the claims the Church and its leaders make today with nothing to show for it. And, the problem is in plain sight in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading:

“The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. You must fear the LORD your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name. [Deuteronomy 6.10-13]

God's people today have not been "rescued from Egypt." Instead, they are still "relying on Egypt" in cities they built, houses stocked with goods they produced, drawing water from wells they dug, and eating from vineyards and olive trees they planted. In short, God's people are living just like Egypt in total reliance upon themselves and their accomplishments. Egypt and idolatry are synonymous in the Bible, and God's people have yet to come out of Egypt! God's alleged people live and look just like Egypt. This is a farce and a total mockery of God.

What's more, in spite of what the Bible clearly says are curses for idolatrous disobedience, the Church today abstractly says "it's all under grace in Christ" while demonstrating zero tangible evidence of God's promised blessings. Then, they mitigate curses with their own man-made systems and call it "God's doing." Oh sure, people give God credit for "blessings" that have perfectly understandable origins, but they are not living in actual miracles they had no part of whatsoever like Deuteronomy 6.10-13 says God's people would live and look like.

Today's OYCB reading reveals two reasons that God's people, then and now, are not distinguished from the world: 1) they have not come out of Egypt (idolatry) and 2) they are grossly ignorant of God's Word.

“In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the LORD our God has commanded us to obey?’ “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. [Deuteronomy 6.20-21]

“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. [Deuteronomy 6.4-9]

No, this is not just Old Testament teaching that has somehow passed away. Jesus left no room for imagination when He demanded:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]  

To give up our own way is to give up man-made (idolatrous) self-preservation in deference to His way: undeniable, unexplainable miracles. To take up our cross is to give up our hold on life in deference to mountain-moving faith that transports us to resurrection life on the other side of the cross. Following Jesus is to wholeheartedly follow God's Word without regard for "self." Jesus is God's Word.

I am not trying to be mean. This "pokes me in the eye" as much or more than it does anyone. Something is terribly wrong in the Church today and it has everything to do with our death grip on "Egypt-idols" and our gross ignorance of God's Word - Jesus.

Look at references to the distinction God wishes for His people. God never has, nor ever will be, satisfied with His people looking and acting just like the world and, in particular, Egypt! Our ignorance of God's Word and intimacy with idols prevents God's distinction in our lives.

And the LORD our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. [Deuteronomy 6.24]

Get in the word and get rid of idols!

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. [1 John 5.21] 

Jesus pointed out the problem:

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15] 

Father, help us to get it right concerning Your Word and idolatry. Help us to see. Help us to hear. Help us to look at our powerless lives and understand! So be it.

The Place Of Your Slavery

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. [Deuteronomy 5.6-7] 

Should it not give us great pause that God would refer to Egypt as "the place of your slavery"?

What do we know about Egypt?

Egypt started out as a solution for Israel - the way Israel mitigated a great famine. 

Egypt brought relief to Israel. 

Egypt was provision for Israel. 

Egypt was an improvement to Israel's former condition. 

What's more, Egypt represented the emotional reunion of a divided family.

And yet, God calls Egypt, "the place of your slavery". 

Why would God choose to point out "the place of your slavery" just before demanding, "You must not have any other god but me"? The answer is simple if only we will see it...

Why would Israel go to Egypt if they knew they would become slaves there? They wouldn't! Israel went to Egypt as a way to improve their current situation. Israel had needs and Egypt met those needs. Egypt indeed improved Israel's condition ...until it didn't! What began as a logical and practical solution became Israel's bondage.

So, we must ask ourselves again, why did God point out Egypt for its bondage instead of relief before saying "You must not have any other god but me"? Because all the things listed above (that we know about Egypt regarding Israel) are the things that idols promise up front. In the Old Testament, Egypt is synonymous with idolatry (see here).

Here is something to think about: had it not been for overwhelming emotion of being reunited with Joseph, Jacob might never have agreed to go to Egypt. Where need did not succeed in luring Israel to Egypt initially (ultimately to slavery to idols), emotion effectively 'sealed the deal.'

God's inclusion of "...Egypt, the place of your slavery" before "You must not have any other god but me" warns every person, for all time who would ever follow God, of the danger of having needs met by anyone or anything other than God alone. That danger is idolatry.

Let's fast forward to the 21st Century... 

In light of the 1st Commandment and God's reference to Egypt, should not God's people today be just as leery of the lure of "solutions" that ultimately enslave them having effectively become idols in their lives? These solutions (idols that enslave) abound in our time! And, although this list is not exhaustive, it covers the main slave masters of our day: debt, insurance, medicine and technology. These industries all offer solutions to mitigate life's hard circumstances that God jealously wants to miraculously and distinctly mitigate Himself. Much of the average person's labor today goes to "pay" these slave masters.

And, just as Jacob (Israel) was betrayed by his own emotion of being reunited with Joseph, so the emotion of "family" today lures people into idolatry as well. I will trust the reader here to think this through.

When God commanded "no other god" He did so in direct reference to what happened to Israel in "turning to Egypt." If Egypt had been "God's way" it would not have required rescue from it.

Society today is effectively enclosed in a cocoon of idolatry through debt, insurance, medicine and technology. That cocoon can be broken and escaped from, but not without great resistance and the chagrin of the world - usually starting with family - and, therein is found the fuel of emotion, attached to need, mitigated elsewhere instead of by God alone.

Dear reader, I am not making this up! We have all been warned of this digression into idolatry since God first gave the Ten Commandments. It all started with, "I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery." God was not just employing literary fluff, but instead, giving us a clear warning how betraying our trust in Him starts. It starts with Egypt - with need fueled by emotion that eventually becomes slavery.

We would be amiss here not to remember Jesus' own exclusive command, not dissimilar to the 1st Commandment:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)] 

"Our own way" is the way of man. It is the way of idolatry - trusting man's thoughts and inventions instead of God's miraculous provision. Modern archeology has proven over and again that Egypt (ironically - of all places) was incredibly advanced in knowledge and inventions. Man's inventions today - debt, insurance, medicine and technology - cannot be separated from "the way of man" and must be understood as that which Jesus said must be given up in order to follow Him.

"Taking up your cross" is pure unadulterated faith in God alone (more specifically, Jesus) instead of man's way.

"Egypt" is the way of man and, is the enemy of God's way, the way of faith - the way of the cross.

To abbreviate or simplify the 1st Commandment as "You must not have any other god but me" would be open for logic and reason if it weren't for the preceding phrase, "I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery."

God's Word is clear. We just need to read it for what it actually says.

Father, Your Word is indeed clear on the matter of idolatry and its nefariously subtle and enslaving ways. May our eyes be opened as we read and understand Your Word. So be it.

Pretend Faith Does Not "Go In"

But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to go in. [Deuteronomy 1.26] 

This is what pretend faith does. It goes along with the plan until the plan encounters difficulty. It's all "Go, God!" until it finds itself in the middle of the desert with no food or water. Pretend faith makes for great conversation, lessons, sermons and motivational books until there is no humanly-explainable way to accomplish the impossible task at hand.

Pretend faith depends on common sense and human reasoning. Pretend faith stops at the idol of life instead of worshiping only the LORD God Who gave that life. Pretend faith is all good until life is on the line and suffering and death are threatening. Pretend faith has no vision beyond physical death.

Pretend faith makes excuses for idolatry. Even worse, it justifies idolatry. And even worse still, it blasphemes the very name of God in its justification of idolatry by claiming idols are 'gifts from God.'

What does it mean to "refuse to go in"?

It means to mitigate financial crisis bowing to the idol of debt (man's solution) refusing to trust God alone.

It means to mitigate material or physical loss bowing to the idol of insurance (man's solution) refusing to trust God alone.

It means to mitigate health issues bowing to the idol of medicine (man's solution) refusing to trust God alone.

It means to mitigate physical or mental limitations bowing to the idol of technology (man's solution) refusing to trust God alone.

The "go in" part is real and genuine faith. Pretend faith gets us to the threshold, but real faith goes right on in (while, for all we care, suffering, loss, or even death itself can be damned).

Pretend faith only carries one to the point of suffering. Real faith carries one through suffering to victory that can only be attributed to God (think "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego" - Daniel 3.16-18). Real faith, in fact, furthermore sees death as victory.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” [1 Corinthians 15.54-55]

So, we must ask ourselves, "Is my faith pretend or real?" Our compulsion (or lack thereof) to mitigate our hardships with man's solutions (costly idols) reveals the truth.

Father, may my faith be found real as I "go in." So be it.