The Deadly Art Of Idolmaking

Introduction – An Unforgettable Ride

It’s just as well that I have forgotten most of my hitchhiking stories.

But one memory has stayed with me, as clear as if it happened yesterday.

Back in April of 1975, I was hitchhiking in the early spring.

It seemed like winter, even though the calendar said spring.

I had been stuck at the Toledo exit on the Ohio Turnpike for fourteen long hours.

Those of you who use words like grungy or grubby don’t know what that word really means.

I was the walking definition of grungy—cold, hungry, discouraged.

Finally, when hope was wearing thin, a man in a brand-new Cadillac convertible pulled over.

I opened the door and climbed into that beautiful chariot.

It had every gadget imaginable—buttons, levers, glowing dials.

Just as I adjusted myself into the plush leather seat, both knees in my old blue jeans ripped out.

That gives you an idea of the contrast between my appearance and the car I had just entered.

We headed down the road and, in the first few miles, he tinkered with nearly every button that car had.

We went through every radio station half a dozen times.

Then we reached a toll booth.

He handed the attendant a crisp twenty-dollar bill and turned to me with a line I will never forget:

> “It takes money to get by in this world, son.”

He said it with pride, as though the Cadillac, the cash, the gadgets, all proved something essential about his worth.

It was almost cartoonish—he didn’t know how funny he really was.

I would have laughed, except I needed the ride.

I never learned his name, but I learned a lesson.

Here was a man desperate to impress somebody—maybe even himself.

I don’t know which idols he had carved in his heart, but I had some pretty good guesses.

He worshiped something he owned, something that was the product of his own effort and intelligence.

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God’s Command

Listen to God’s Word, Exodus 20:4–6:

> “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,

punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

This is the second commandment, and it goes straight to the heart of human temptation.

It isn’t just about wood or stone statues.

It’s about anything we make—anything we trust—that takes the place of God.

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Ancient Idolatry Was Obvious

When Moses went up Mount Sinai to meet God, the people of Israel waited down below.

They grew restless.

They wanted something they could see and touch.

So they pooled their gold and made a golden calf.

That story is repeated again and again in the Old Testament.

Even after miracles in Egypt, even after manna in the wilderness, Israel slipped back into idolatry.

Sometimes they copied the gods of their neighbors; sometimes they invented new ones.

The prophets had to cry out constantly: Turn back. Smash your idols. Worship the living God.

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Modern Idolatry Is Subtle

We read those stories and shake our heads.

A golden calf? Really?

But let’s be careful.

Most of us would never bow to a carved statue, but idolatry has simply changed costumes.

Pleasure can become a god—food, sex, entertainment, substances.

Money and possessions can become gods—bigger homes, shinier cars, thicker portfolios.

Success and reputation can become gods—careers, titles, academic letters.

Relationships can become gods—romance, family, or even our children’s achievements.

Religion itself can become a god—when rituals replace a living relationship with Christ.

Anything that takes the central place that belongs only to the Lord has become an idol.

And idols still do what they always did: they promise control and security, but they enslave and disappoint.

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The Deeper Issue: Control

Why are we drawn to idols?

Because idols feel manageable.

A god you can see is a god you can control.

If you perform the right rituals, give the right gifts, say the right prayers, you can, in theory, guarantee the result.

We don’t melt gold into calves, but we do something similar:

We pray in formulas hoping to force God’s hand.

We cling to careers or bank accounts to guarantee safety.

We manipulate people or situations to keep life predictable.

It’s still about control—about having a god who will obey us.

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Painful Realities We Can’t Control

Think about healing.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every illness vanished as soon as we prayed?

If every hospital bed emptied at a believer’s word?