It's Just Two Bronze Pillars, Right?

Huram cast two bronze pillars, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference. For the tops of the pillars he cast bronze capitals, each 7 1⁄2 feet tall. Each capital was decorated with seven sets of latticework and interwoven chains. He also encircled the latticework with two rows of pomegranates to decorate the capitals over the pillars. The capitals on the columns inside the entry room were shaped like water lilies, and they were six feet tall. The capitals on the two pillars had 200 pomegranates in two rows around them, beside the rounded surface next to the latticework. Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz. The capitals on the pillars were shaped like water lilies. And so the work on the pillars was finished. [1 Kings 7.15-22] 

Is it just me, or do the two pillars Solomon had made sound like idols? If not, why would he name them?

A quick search for "pillar" in the Bible yields several references, all of which forbid "sacred pillars" used for worship. If these two pillars placed at the Temple entrance were not "sacred," what were they? Here are a few references revealing God's attitude about sacred pillars:

You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars. [Exodus 23.24]

Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. [Exodus 34.13] 

“Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the LORD your God. [Leviticus 26.1] 

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. [Deuteronomy 7.5] 

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! [Deuteronomy 12.3] 

And never set up sacred pillars for worship, for the LORD your God hates them. [Deuteronomy 16.22] 

This link provides the full list of references to "pillar" in the Bible (in the NLT). It is worth taking the time to read through them all to get the general feel for what God thinks about sacred pillars (hint" it's not good).

So, is there any significance to the two pillars Solomon had built and named for the entrance to the Temple? 

The fact that Solomon had them built is one strike against them - Solomon's betrayal of God for idolatry is well-documented in the Bible. 

The fact that the pillars were "named" is another strike against them. 

Then, finally, when Babylon destroyed Solomon's Temple, the fact that the two pillars were mentioned in that "destruction" implies there were indeed "sacred." God's disdain for "sacred pillars" is well-documented.

What does this tell us today? It should alert the astute Bible student to the dangers of idol-infiltration into otherwise pure religion. It should alert us that, by its very nature, idolatry always stands ready to invalidate and disqualify pure trust in God alone. It confirms God's repeated warnings about the "things we make" becoming objects of trust and worship, thus provoking God's jealous anger. It warns us that idols could be in our very presence today and we think they are simply "part of the package" of our relationship with God. In every case, idols are responsible for a "disconnect" between God's people and His power rendering them just as vulnerable as Israel was when Babylon destroyed Solomon's Temple and took them into captivity.

While many would prefer we just leave this topic as "Old Testament," Jesus made it quite impossible to do so. Regarding the absence of "power," Jesus quoted Isaiah:

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. 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 13.14-15]

Everything to do with "eyes and ears" in the Bible is directly associated with idolatry (another study by itself). In particular, the Psalms address this very fact:

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 115.4-8] 

The idols of the nations 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 mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18] 

Could it be that idols have become part of the fabric of man's relationship with God today? What then could it be that exists within the very construct of man's relationship with God today that fits the Bible's description of idols? How would we identify these alleged idols? Good question...

First, the most telling characteristic of an idol is that it is man-made. It is the result of man's ingenuity, skill, craftsmanship, and industry. Consequently, idols today are just as refined as "man" who makes and trusts them. They are elaborate and complex in every way.

Next, idols always characteristically involve expense, whether gold and silver or just ordinary money, idols are never far removed from monetary value. And, the money-flow is overwhelmingly "one way" as idols "get" far more than they "give."

Another characteristic of an idol is that, even though God's people trust it, it is also popular among those who are not God's people, and, as such, it inherently reflects the values and morals of the world beginning with the inflated idea of "self" (self-love, self-gratification, self-preservation, self-help, and pretty much any and everything "self").

Perhaps the most telling quality of an idol is that it fully violates all three of the Godward Ten Commandments: it fails the God-only 1st Commandment test, it fails the no-idols 2nd Commandment test, and it fails the name of God 3rd Commandment test by blasphemously inserting itself (as a named thing) into connectivity with God ("used" by God, "endorsed" by God, "permitted" by God, etc...) thus effectively "blinding" and "deafening" its patrons.

Can we, then, identify these idols? Man's industries of his own ideas today are indeed idols and can be generalized in four broad categories: finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and technology. These industries fit perfectly into all four of the identifying characteristics of idols listed above and thereby blatantly violate the Godward Commandments.

Furthermore and conclusively, Jesus, God in the flesh, in simple words that effectively cover everything mentioned above, tells us what to do:

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)] 

If God's people miss the idol-implications of the two pillars Solomon built, what else are they missing? Ignorance of God's Word renders God's people powerless and vulnerable in every way:

My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols. [Hosea 4.6-7]

Father, forgive our lackadaisical attitude toward Your Word. Our ignorance has rendered us powerless and vulnerable in a way that "grace" cannot touch us because "grace" comes through "faith" and "faith" comes through Your Word Who is Jesus and Jesus demanded that we "deny ourselves" (or, "give up everything of our own way") to follow Him. And yet, in our grossly powerless (even laughable) existence as alleged "followers of Christ" we still don't "see" our idolatry and consequently, don't give it up. What's more, in direct opposition to Jesus' demand that we "take up our cross" (the very emblem of "death"), we instead defiantly take every measure to "live" vehemently defending the idols that (we think) help us do so. May a shift occur in the Church today - a shift to Your Word - a shift to unadulterated faith - a shift to giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

What Could Be Wrong With A Peace Alliance?

So the LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace. [1 Kings 5.12] 

As discussed in Just A Small Thing... Solomon's alliances may not have been among his shining achievements even thought those alliances seem to have been attached to Solomon's great wisdom. Their mention at first seem harmless enough, but in time, the trust placed in (obligations made to) man instead of God would catch up to Solomon. All the foreign wives and concubines gained by Solomon, many of which (like with Pharaoh's daughter) were the product of alliances with foreign kings and countries (remember, Solomon was peace on all sides for a reason, 1 Kings 5.4), were indeed the downfall of Solomon.

Any trust placed in man instead of God will always end unfavorably. 

The thing is, a little trust placed in man instead of God is never the end of it. Idolatry is, and always will be, never satisfied. 

It is rarely noticed as having any relevance to idolatry, but Solomon's alliance with Hiram involved a LOT of money in the exchange of valuable goods for other goods and services. Unsurprisingly, today's idols involve exorbitant amounts of money in exchange for goods and services. Also unsurprisingly, modern idolatry involves contracts - alliances - obligations. It is here one should frankly consider his exchange of money (lots of it) with the industries of man's own ideas, finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals and technology.

In the New Testament, Paul gives the following instruction:

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. [Romans 13.8]

Man owes everything to God:

“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. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]

The only obligation (alliance) man is to have with man is to love him:

“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land  the LORD your God is giving you. “You must not murder. “You must not commit adultery. “You must not steal. “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” [Exodus 20.12-17] 

Jesus confirmed this:

“‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” [Matthew 22.37-40] 

And, Jesus also spoke firmly and directly to man's God-relationship as it pertains to man's needs. All the needs that the industries of man's own ideas (finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals and technology) otherwise compete for, are met in miraculous provision for the person in right relationship to God.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.31-34]

To seek the Kingdom of God above all else is to love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind (the first three of the Ten Commandments).

To live righteously is to love your neighbor as yourself (the last six of the Ten Commandments).

And, for those who realize that the love-God/love-man commandments only total nine of the Ten Commandments, it is amazing that the remaining Sabbath Commandment is fulfilled in Jesus Christ Who claimed complete lordship over the Sabbath:

For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath! [Matthew 12.8]

And, here is what the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus, demands:

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 is man's own way that must be given up? It is his industry: his industries of his own ideas - his own making - his idols - his alliances with (obligations to) foreign gods (i.e. not "God") for goods and services in exchange for money. And, to what degree is a true follower of Christ obligated to give up his own way? To the death - taking up his own cross. It is that serious.

This subject is not about legalism and it is not an offense to grace! It is about the undeniable, non-negotiable demand of God for our unadulterated trust in Him (through Jesus) found from beginning to end in the Bible. The Bible repeatedly points out man's downfall of trusting anything and/or anyone else besides Him. It should be understood that grace comes through faith, but it is not just any faith in anything... It is faith in God alone. If faith is not faith in God alone, it is not grace-securing, healing, providing, saving faith. Period.

If what is said here is indeed true - if the Bible actually means what it says - then it would mean that not many people actually have God-pleasing faith. Can that be right?

Unremarkably, Jesus provided that answer to the question above with the following:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

Few find true Biblical grace because "grace" never was about "anything goes," but specifically about the God-pleasing, God-only faith that receives it. 

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [Ephesians 2.8-9]

When this finally rings true to us, suddenly all of Jesus' repeated demands for "faith" and to "be like Him" can be understood.

Sadly, organized religion today will reject what is said here just like organized religion rejected Jesus. Some things never change - Truth is never popular in organized religion. But the Truth remains the Truth and Jesus is that Truth.

Will we align with the Truth or will we align with idols? Like Solomon, our alliances will give the promise and appearance of "peace." But, such idolatry is anything and everything but peace in the eyes of God. Solomon was not given wisdom to seek peace outside of God alone, but to save his people (bringing peace) through undivided faith in God alone.

Father, may Your Word open our eyes to its Truth. Help us to see the gross idolatry all around us, and in which we are involved deeply - even if organized religion opposes us. May we find the courage to "deny ourselves" - to give up our own way - the way of man's ideas and alliances - so that we might trust ONLY in You. Help us to see that in taking up our cross we effectively remove "staying alive" out of the equation of obedience to You. Help us to see that true peace only comes when we no longer feel responsible for our own keep, and we unreservedly lay our lives at the feet of Jesus trusting in You ALONE. So be it.

Just A Small Thing...

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the LORD and the wall around the city. [1 Kings 3.1] 

It is just a small thing, but for some reason, it was recorded in the Bible. Why?

In context, 1 Kings 3 does not specify whether Solomon's alliance with Pharaoh was good or evil, but such alliances are viewed as idolatrous offenses against God elsewhere in the Bible. God's demand for total trust in Him alone negates any need for such alliances - especially when they are with idolatrous nations like Egypt.

1 Kings 3.1 is easily overlooked because it is overshadowed by Solomon's most notable accomplishment before God in his request for wisdom. But, history cannot be changed... Even as the most wise man to ever live, Solomon did not stop establishing alliances and gaining foreign wives. It would appear that Solomon's wisdom, that would have justified every foreign alliance as practical, was his downfall. 1 Kings 3.1 is the opening statement of how that downfall started.

And, that is how idolatry works. It starts with a small indiscretion of not trusting God (often overshadowed by some great spiritual accomplishment) and grows from there. By the time Solomon had acquired hundreds of wives and concubines, many of them through foreign alliances, he had become so immersed in idolatry that he did not even recognize the difference.

This should sound familiar to the Church today because it is exactly what has happened to God's people. Trusting in the industries of man's own ideas (see Stern Warning From The Bible) has become so commonplace among "God's people" (with most defending this "way of man" by calling it "wisdom") that no one is decrying the gross idolatry it represents.

I am no one. But, it would appear I am in good company:

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, Your Word could not be more clear on Your warnings against idolatry, the "way of man," as was Jesus. And yet, the Church today is unconcerned. Faith has been made so "abstract" that no one sees Jesus' demand to "give up your own way" (or, to deny himself) as anything more than a "nice suggestion" that requires man's practical wisdom to determine "what it means to him." May today's idols be identified and rejected by Your people. May those who are truly Yours see the literal interpretation of Your jealousy regarding idols. May Your people have this distinct testimony that "God is my source and supply in every area of my life!" May Your people reject every idol so they might trust ONLY in You! So be it.

Stern Warning From The Bible

“Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me! You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god. For it was I, the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. “But no, my people wouldn’t listen. Israel did not want me around. So I let them follow their own stubborn desires, living according to their own ideas. Oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly I would then subdue their enemies! How soon my hands would be upon their foes! Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him; they would be doomed forever. But I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.” [Psalm 81.8-16] 

This is an edited re-post of an article written in 2023: Whose Idea?

How does God feel about all our knowledge, technology, and advancements today? These advancements are evident in the huge world-wide industries of finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals and technology.

Do we dare ask how God actually feels about these advanced, complicated industries of man's ingenuity? Does it matter if the Bible actually addresses this issue of people living according to their own ideas?  

Even though "living according to their own ideas" quite accurately sums up the industries of finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals and technology today, are we so confident in ourselves to declare that these ideas are not the foreign or false gods (idols) that Psalm 81.8-16 clearly declares them to be? Of course we are! And, the curses we experience every day confirm (in our minds, where ideas come from) our need for these idols! 

Our "own ideas," applied as a solution, are the cause of the very need they purportedly remedy.

The problem with the industries of our own ideas is in what we do with them. We trust them. The real problem then is that God is not too keen on us trusting anything besides Him. In fact, God is repeatedly on record of sternly warning us (as in Psalm 81.6-16 above) against trusting anything except Him. God wants us to trust Him and Him alone! This is precisely what the first three of the Ten Commandments are all about!

When we as a society have become so dependent upon the industries of our own ideas, the mandate to trust God alone must become an abstract "grey area" - at least in the minds of those steeped more in their society than in God's Word. God however has no confusion about it whatsoever. His Word is clear: He wants our trust to be in Him alone. It is man who necessitates the "grey area" to sooth his own conscious.

The simplicity with which Jesus describes this is profound:

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. [Matthew 6.31-34]

But, don't we actually need the industries of our own ideas to survive in today's society?

You tell me... Is that God's idea or our own?

With the intent of improving our lives temporarily with the industries of our own ideas, we are instead condemning ourselves eternally. 

How might our own ideas be read into the following demand from Jesus?

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, as I re-explore this passage from Psalm 81 in the year 2026, I am further convinced of our total immersion in idolatry today. And, I am only further convinced that organized religion supports the idolatry of the industries of our own ideas (finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals and technology) giving Your Word only secondary consideration (if at all). May our eyes and ears be open to Your Word. Send more workers into Your fields with the stern warning of Psalm 81.8-16 as it relates to the exclusive language of Jesus Christ in Matthew 16.24. Let us return to the influence of Your Word as it opposes our own ideas. So be it.

Psalm 78, Idols, And The Parable Of The Sower

They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols. [Psalm 78.58] 

Psalm 78 summarizes that the entire story of Israel is about God's demand for their undivided trust in Him alone and Israel's idolatrous response to that demand. Psalm 78 is not only a no-holds-barred indictment upon Israel's repeated faithlessness to God, but it extends that indictment to the Church today even more so.

First, Psalm 78 assures the relevance of its message beyond Old Testament times by use of the word "parable." Psalm 78 alerts the student of the whole Bible to Jesus.

O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. [Psalm 78.1-3]

Likewise, Jesus clearly alerts the student of the whole Bible to Psalm 78. The word "parable" extends the relevance of Psalm 78 AND Jesus to us today. To see this we must turn to the New Testament:

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. [Matthew 13.10-13]

What was Jesus talking about? What were they "looking at" but not seeing? What were they "hearing" but not really listening to or understanding? Before answering this, we should understand the ramifications of not seeing and not hearing:

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. 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 13.14-15]

The miraculous provision and power of God are not applicable to those who do not see or hear. 

So, again, what is it that they are not seeing and hearing (not understanding)?

“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” [Matthew 13.18-23]

This is all well and good, but still, what is the message about the Kingdom? In the context of the passage above, the message about the Kingdom is clearly God's Word - all of it.

Jesus' use of a "parable" begs us to refer back to Psalm 78:

O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors—stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God. [Psalm 78.1-8]

Psalm 78 goes on to summarize the story of God's Word about all the supernatural miracles God performed for Israel that He accuses them of faithlessly "forgetting." Specifically, "forgetting their past" with God was refusal to "believe in their future with God." 

We should not be amazed then to comprehend that Jesus' parable of the farmer planting seeds (aka, "Parable of the Sower") was about this very topic of God's Word! The good soil is the heart of man intentionally remembering (cultivated with) God's Word, that is, God's history of unexplainable, miraculous provision for His people who trust Him alone. Not seeing and hearing that history is explained by Jesus in degrees: first, seeing and hearing not at all (uncultivated footpath), then, seeing and hearing only partially (cultivated but rocks not removed), followed by seeing and hearing without maintenance  (cultivated, rocks removed, but thorns allowed to grow).

For us to understand the significance of Jesus' explanation of the soil and the message of the Kingdom, remembering God's Word, the history of God and His people, we must then look back to Psalm 78:

They forgot what he had done—the great wonders he had shown them, the miracles he did for their ancestors on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt. [Psalm 78.11-12]

They did not remember his power and how he rescued them from their enemies. [Psalm 78.42]

They turned back and were as faithless as their parents. They were as undependable as a crooked bow. They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols. [Psalm 78.57-58]

And there it is. In Psalm 78.57-58 we see that by forgetting their past, God's people were as faithless as their ancestors in engaging in full-blown idolatry. Jesus' every use of a parable should always point us to Psalm 78. We will never fully understand Jesus' parables until we remember our history as God's people and the damning role of idolatry all through it - even today. Every reference of Jesus then to eyes that don't see and ears that don't hear should alert us to idolatry.

AND, it is here that the "Word of Faith" message is incomplete. Word of Faith teaching shortsightedly insists that powerlessness can be remedied by better confessions of faith (which is indeed Scriptural), but grossly ignores the Biblical fact that powerlessness will continue as long as that "faith" does not utterly reject idolatry. Good soil is soil intentionally and painstakingly cleared of idols (the hard ground of idolatry broken, the rocks of idolatry cleared, the thorns of idolatry constantly weeded). Good soil is "cultivated" not only with the memory that God provided miraculously for His "faithful" people in the past, distinguishing them as His, but also anticipating that He fully intends to do the same to distinguish those who are His in the future. Idols circumvent and prevent that distinction (if not immediately (hard footpath), then ultimately (thorns)).

This explains then why Jesus (God in the flesh) made the distinct demand:

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)]

As "God in the flesh," it can be no other way but for Jesus to demand absolute exclusive faith of His followers just as God demanded absolute exclusive faith in His people for all history. If Jesus' followers (God's people) today do not fully remember (see, hear, and understand) and keep remembering the history of God's people (the Word of God as summarized in Psalm 78), they are destined to be hard footpath soil, rocky soil, or thorny soil - none of which bears increase - the distinct Kingdom power of God over worldly circumstances.

The Parable of the Sower is Jesus' distinct warning against idolatry.

Father, Your Word continues to challenge and amaze me. May Your Word gain increasing priority in my life as I see, hear, and understand that Your miraculous power is extended only to those who intentionally rid themselves of and avoid idols. May I understand that Jesus' life and Your power will never manifest in me if I do not cultivate Your Word in me, remove the rocks, and constantly battle the weeds that will surely appear. Help me to understand that none of this happens unless I "give up my own way" (deny myself the benefits of idols), "take up my cross" (make "my" faith about others), and follow Jesus in every way He demonstrated while here on earth as is recorded in the Gospels. So be it.

The Difference Between An Unbeliever And A Believer In God Alone

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. [Psalm 73.25-26] 

Two things are stated above: 1) God alone rules, and 2) nothing on earth is more important than God.

If we can see it, Psalm 73.25-26 defines the life of an unadulterated, non-idolatrous person. However, in defining the life of the true believer in God alone, Psalm 73.25-26 inadvertently uncovers what an unbeliever in God alone, an idolater, looks like.

Psalm 73.25-26 reveals the dividing factor between the unbeliever and the believer in God alone. 

The idols of this world all claim, in some way or another, to improve people's lives - to mitigate their fear of poverty, loss, sickness and discomfort. They all portray a 'strength of spirit' (if we will see it) for those who partake of their benefits. The idols of this world offer this strength (at a cost) in the areas of money, loss mitigation, health and comfort through the industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. The benefits provided by these worldly idols however are only temporal, worldly benefits that have no eternal ("heart," - heavenly) value whatsoever.

In contrast, the believer in God alone decidedly rejects the world's idols. Believers in God alone are firmly convinced that although their "spirit may grow weak" by not partaking of the benefits that the world's idols offer, they would rather suffer in those areas of "benefit" rather than forsake their trust in God alone. The believer in God alone uses his or her own life to prove they would rather die in faith than live in fear because only God can strengthen the "heart" of man.

An unbeliever cannot, in pure conscience, quote Psalm 73.25-26. He can try to "fake it 'till you make it" but as long as the idols of this world are his temporal "Plan B," he will never enjoy God alone as the eternal strength of his heart. In fact, man's idolatrous "Plan B" scripturally and effectively disqualifies him from every promise of God, including health and strength in every area of life.

Father in heaven, Your Word is true and does not lie. May You find those who trust in You alone rejecting any worldly thing that panders to the temporal health and strength of man, so that they might enjoy You alone as the strength of their heart. So be it.

The Bummer Psalm (Oh, This Is A Good One!)

Psalm 88, found in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, seems to not fit in with the rest of the Psalms. In fact, I don't recall ever hearing any teaching or sermon on it. It is indeed a "Bummer Psalm."

Could it be that this "Bummer Psalm" could be the basis for an unprecedented revival among God's people today? I believe it very possibly could be... if we will receive it.

Psalm 88 can be rightfully called the "Bummer Psalm" because it speaks of all manner of trouble. All the troubles of Psalm 88 are encapsulated into one conclusion found in verse 14:

O LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? [Psalm 88.14]

Why indeed.

Here are some important facts associated with Psalm 88. Psalm 88 is noted to be "a Psalm of the descendants of Korah." This name should ring a bell in our memory because it is associated with a terrible rebellion in the time of Moses (Numbers 16). Rebellion brings suffering (Deuteronomy 28.15-68). The song therefore of the descendants of Korah (Psalm 88) would indeed be one of suffering and trouble.

Moses represented the authority of God's Word in his day. The authority of God's Word in Moses' day could be summed up in the Ten Commandments. Korah's rebellion, as pointed out by Moses, was an offense against God Himself (Numbers 16.11). Korah's offense was against God, and therefore His Word. 

The pride evident in Korah and his co-conspirators against God and His Word is one and the same as the pride incited by Satan from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden ("Did God really say...?" [Genesis 3.1]). This pride is the very foundation of idolatry so naturally it elicits a severe, even generational, response from God Who will not tolerate idolatry:

“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. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]

It is highly significant then that Jesus quoted Psalm 88.14 on the Cross:

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” [Matthew 27.46]

Jesus, just like His Father God, never asked a question He did not already know the answer to - not even on the Cross. Amidst all the pain of crucifixion, Jesus purposefully and intentionally cited Psalm 88.14 to forever associate pride and its idolatry as the reason for His being hung on the Cross, so that all who heard Him with their ears and all who would hear Him for generations to come through the written record of His words, might understand that He suffered once and for all the penalty for the sin of pride and its idolatry against God. Quoting Psalm 88.14 confirmed it.

However, in the three years of ministry leading up to His Cross event, Jesus was adamant that His followers must "follow Him" in word and deed. There are many New Testament references to confirm this, but none so clearly articulated as this:

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 your own way" is to reject pride and its idolatry. It is, in fact, to defer only to God's Word particularly as is demanded by the first three "Godward" Commandments. Unironically, to "take up your cross" is to defer to others as is demanded by the last six "manward" Commandments.

In conclusion, if Psalm 88 strikes a chord with us, it is for a reason. That reason, like for the Psalmist who wrote it, is for us to question, O LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? This question, in all Biblical accuracy, will always lead us to the answer of pride and its idolatry. It will always lead us to the fact that we must give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus.

Father, my Psalm 88 troubles tell of my pride and idolatry... and worse, of rejecting Jesus. May I give up the pride and idolatry of my own way - the way of the world - and throw myself upon my cross - the way of putting others first - and follow Jesus. So be it.