Idols?

Huram-abi also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls. So at last Huram-abi completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of God: the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals; the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars); the water carts holding the basins; the Sea and the twelve oxen under it; the ash buckets, the shovels, the meat hooks, and all the related articles. Huram-abi made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the Lord, just as King Solomon had directed. The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan. Solomon used such great quantities of bronze that its weight could not be determined. Solomon also made all the furnishings for the Temple of God: the gold altar; the tables for the Bread of the Presence; the lampstands and their lamps of solid gold, to burn in front of the Most Holy Place as prescribed; the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of the purest gold; the lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, and incense burners—all of solid gold; the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, overlaid with gold. [2 Chronicles 4.11-22]

For some time, I have had concerns about decorations like we all have in our houses that are images of people and things. As I read today's OYCB reading, I realized that these things are of no consequence as long as they remain only decoration and not focal points of faith and worship.

The fact that the twelve oxen supporting the huge bronze basin mentioned above were not seen as idols is significant in light of Israel's history in the wilderness with the gold calf (see Exodus 32). Unlike that gold calf, the twelve oxen were merely decoration and supported the bronze basin (there is likely a meaning behind the twelve oxen, but that will not be explored here).

It seems logical that this conclusion covers all the images that are discussed in 2 Chronicles 4.11-22. So, there is no foul in having decorations or useful tools, however, if those decorations or tools become objects of faith and worship, then they have become idols.

Herein lies the significance of Jesus' statements (as recorded in the Gospels) about the Temple being destroyed. We should remember that everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus. Like so many religious people of Jesus' day, if we worship the decorations and tools of worship (a building, denomination, or leader), we will likely misunderstand and otherwise miss Jesus altogether.

As I write this, there seems to be much more to be learned from this passage!

Father, help us to see from Your Word what is and what is not an idol. Help us understand that anything that takes our focus off Jesus is indeed an idol (regardless what we call it... decoration, tool, devil or distraction.)