Sacrificing Unto Idols

I shared with you a few weeks ago that the Lord has impressed me to preach more on the topic of idolatry. The reason why is because I’ve been convicted that idolatry is a huge distraction that Satan uses to lure us off the path to God. The devil will use any means possible to hinder our relationship with the Lord and even ruin our families; and thus, destroy the abundant life that Jesus promised. This morning we will be looking at idolatry in 3-D, as I share the three tragic consequences of idolatry or “sacrificing unto idols,” presenting you with three “D” words. The three “D” words that I’m going to be using are Dispossession, Desolation, and Death; and I encourage you to be listening for them as we go along.

Idolatry Leads to Dispossession (vv. 24-25)

24 Because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols; 25 therefore, I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live.

There are three major statements we need to consider in verse 24. The first one is this: “Because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes.” Today, people despise God’s statutes – or His Law and moral standards – so much so, that they are subscribing to moral relativism, believing that we define our own ideas concerning right and wrong. In order to do so, people have to dismiss the authority of the Bible. When we claim that the Bible is no longer our source of truth, that is in essence despising God’s statues; and when we despise His statues, we refuse to execute His judgements and rules; choosing instead to execute our own rules, doing only what we want to do instead of what God wants us to do.

The second statement we need to consider in verse 24 is this: “They had . . . profaned My Sabbaths.” When God’s statues begin holding less weight and authority for us, we begin ignoring some of His commandments. The fourth of the Ten Commandments is “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (cf. Exodus 20:8-11). In Exodus chapter 20, it takes 4 verses for God to explain this commandment, so it must be important. The Sabbath is significant, because it reinforces the first three commandments, in which God spoke about worshipping Him and staying away from idolatry. The Sabbath is when we set aside time to honor God; and when we fail to keep the Sabbath, verse 24 says that we “profane” it.

The word profane means, “to misuse” or “to treat with irreverence or contempt.” So, how do we “misuse” the Sabbath? Well, when we fail to observe the Sabbath, we take a step backwards to disobey the first three of the Ten Commandments, which warn about committing idolatry. In fact, the very actions of exalting our own reasoning above God’s Law, and choosing to work or perhaps pursue recreation on the Sabbath, is a sign that we are serving other gods; in particular, the gods of money and self. This leads to our third statement in verse 24: “Their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.” Perhaps we’re not serving wood or stone carvings, but we do serve idols when we devote more of our time and resources to something other than God.

Verse 25 says, “Therefore, I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live.” When we begin rejecting God’s commandments and following after idols, the Lord will give us up. First of all, God will give us up to our own reasoning. The “statutes that were not good and judgments by which they could not live” were the ones forged from their own sinful desires. Any society that tries to establish laws apart from a moral standard will write statutes that are unjust; ones by which people cannot live. This is the direction the United States is heading right now as a result of moral relativism. And the second way, in which God will give us up, is by withdrawing His presence and protection from us.

So, to summarize these two verses, idolatry can be understood as serving oneself; and the first tragic consequence of serving oneself rather than serving God, is that idolatry leads to dispossession; meaning, God will give us up.

Idolatry Leads to Desolation (v. 26)

26 And I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the LORD.

Here we see another tragic consequence of idolatry, as the people went so far as to cause “all their firstborn to pass through the fire.” In Deuteronomy 18:9-10, God warned the Israelites, saying, “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire.” Leviticus 18:21 is a little more specific. It says, “You shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.” So, this act of passing children through the fire was done in the name of Molech.