Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat
down in front of me. Then the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, these
men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before
their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them
and tell them, This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any Israelite sets up
idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then
goes to a prophet, I the Lord will answer him myself in keeping with his great
idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who
have all deserted me for their idols. 14:1-5
Footnote: God condemned the elders for worshiping idols
in their hearts and then daring to come to God's prophet for advice. On the
outside, they appeared to worship God, making regular visits to the temple to
offer sacrifices. But they were not sincere. It is easy for us to criticize
the Israelites for worshiping idols when they so clearly needed God instead. But
we have idols in our hearts when we pursue reputation, acceptance, wealth or
pleasure with the intensity and commitment that should be reserved for serving
God.
For Hebrew writers, important functions of life were
assigned to different physical organs. The heart was considered the core of a
person's intellectual and spiritual function. Because all people have someone
or something as the object of their heart's devotion, they have the potential
for idolatry within them. God wants to recapture the hearts of his people. We
must never let anything captivate our allegiance or imagination in such a way to
replace or weaken our devotion to God.
Keep reading -- 109 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV
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