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.
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