“Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. [Habakkuk 2.4]
The context of this verse is a message from Habakkuk about the Babylonians who trust in themselves. In contrast, the righteous, God's people, will live by their faithfulness to God.
For those who have found themselves disgusted at the foolishness of my thoughts heretofore about idolatry and how debt, insurance, medicine and technology fit the description of idols perfectly, I simply offer this warning: don't trust in yourself; don't trust in man or man's ways and accomplishments.
For all the claims out there that God gave us the undeniably strong and wealthy industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology, I suggest consideration of the following response by God to Habakkuk regarding Babylon:
They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.” [Habakkuk 1.11]
“What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger. [Habakkuk 2.9]
And, why is it that we offer so much money (wealth) to debt, insurance, medicine and technology? To put our family’s nest beyond the reach of danger...
- beyond the reach of want - as debt promises what we want when we want it without turning to God
- beyond the reach of bad circumstances - as insurance promises protection without turning to God
- beyond the reach of sickness and disease - as medicine promises recovery without turning to God
- and beyond the reach of helplessness - as technology offers ingenuity and ease without turning to God.
Debt, insurance, medicine and technology are all idols that the godless world trusts in instead of God. How then can God's people, who claim to trust in God alone, trust in them also? This is syncretism and is precisely what Zephaniah addresses:
For they go up to their roofs and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow the LORD, but then they worship Molech, too. [Zephaniah 1.5]
God's people should remain forever mindful that God is a jealous God!
“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. [Exodus 20.4-6]
Zephaniah (in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading) confirms everything said here:
Your silver and gold will not save you on that day of the LORD’s anger. For the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy. He will make a terrifying end of all the people on earth. [Zephaniah 1.18]
When will God's people live by their faithfulness to God alone and stop the syncretic practice of trusting God and man? On the authority of God's Word, God's people will not experience God's full power until they rid themselves of idols.
But those who trust in idols, who say, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned away in shame. [Isaiah 42.17]
This is NOT a soapbox! It is entirely consistent with Jesus' demands for singular faith:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. [Matthew 10:39 (also Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, Luke 17:33 and John 12:25]
As Habakkuk 2.4 indicates, it is nothing but godless pride to trust in ourselves (our own ways and accomplishments). In contrast, those faithful to God (having faith in Him alone) are the righteous. We cannot be the proud who trust in themselves and also the righteous who trust in God. We are left with the decision then of trusting in ourselves or trusting in God. We cannot do both. God will not allow it (let alone honor it).
Father, once again You continue to speak to the very heart of idolatry through Your Word. May there be a notable shift among Your people to rid themselves of idols and to live by the Bible's definition of faith in You alone. May Your people reject man's definition of syncretic faith in You "and" the world's idols. So be it.
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