Men: Devote 10 Weeks to Smashing Counterfeit Gods
February 3, 2010
In our Bible reading plan we recently witnessed the “gospel event” of the Old Testament, Israel’s exodus from Egypt. One of the striking features leading up to the exodus is the cosmic nature of the conflict between Moses and Pharaoh. Before the showdown began, God told Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1), communicating that the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh was representative of the confrontation between Israel’s God, YHWH, and Egypt’s gods. Thus when God communicated his purpose behind the final plague-the death of every firstborn son-included was the execution of judgment on Egypt’s gods (Exodus 12:12). After the fact this was reflected in Israel’s song of praise: “Who is like you, O YHWH, among the gods?” (Exodus 15:11)
Yet despite YHWH’s displays of indisputable supremacy over Egypt’s gods, the people of Israel still chased after other gods, even blatantly requesting Aaron to “make us gods who shall go before us” (Exodus 32:1). This idolatry continued even after Israel took possession of the Promised Land, as summarized toward the beginning of Judges: “And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them” (Judges 2:12).
Though it has taken much more sophisticated and respectable forms, idolatry is still a snare to God’s people today, drawing us away from pure worship of the one true God. This is an especially pressing issue for us men to confront head-on as spiritual leaders in our homes and in the church. If we are not smashing the idols in our own lives, we will be in no position to lead God’s people in our mission of glorifying God, and our mission to reach up, in, and out will be compromised at every level.
For this reason our next Men’s Leadership Series will be a study on idolatry and how the gospel keeps us from it. We will look to a brother in Christ, Tim Keller, to walk us through this issue as we read his book, “Counterfeit Gods: The empty promises of money, sex, and power, and the only hope that matters.”
Men, I challenge you to be part of this study. This is an issue we need to address personally with other brothers who will encourage us, support us, and hold us accountable. Our plan is to begin this 10-week study during the third week of February. We will have a Saturday morning group and can add another group if some brothers cannot make that time. Please e-mail me at chris@whittonavenue.org with questions or to sign up for the study.
May God use this time to purify our lives from idolatry and increase our joy in belonging wholly to him.
Pastor Chris