Man-Made

Do not provoke my anger by worshiping idols you made with your own hands. Then I will not harm you.’ [Jeremiah 25.6]

God's will is to love everyone. He is clear however about justice. So much does He love His people that He demands they obey Him, SO He will not have to punish them.

God has no quota of punishment He is just waiting to discharge. God's justice serves one purpose: to bring people back into a love relationship with Him.

The love relationship with God I am speaking of is one of faith and trust. Over and over, Judah and Israel betray God by idol worship. Again and again, God's justice is seen in response to this betrayal.

It is noteworthy that the objects of Judah's and Israel's trust were man-made. While humanity is largely 'evolved' today to the point that we don't much cast images from metal or carve images from wood (to worship/put our faith in), we very much depend on the 'work of our own ingenuity' - our knowledge, science, technology and medicine. We don't "call it" worship that we devote to these things, but we are highly devoted to (consumed with) our dependence upon them, which is the essence of worship. This devotion to these 'works of man' is contrary to God's first commandment:

You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.3]

Oh, we can deny that our 'advancements' are idols to us, but our devotion to, and dependence upon, them reveals the truth. This is a sad truth. It is a truth few will ever acknowledge because to do so would... Well... cause us to repent.

Father, I am reminded today that all of man's accomplishments have indeed become his gods. We depend on our advancements in every field of study more than we depend on You. Forgive me for falling into the worship of man's accomplishments no matter how innocent it may seem.