Exodus 23 -- A Big Warning

God was particularly concerned about the very real possibility of His people opening themselves up to false gods.  He didn’t want idolatry to ruin the relationship He had with each one of them, because it amounts to spiritual adultery.  Accordingly, He gave these commands:

 

“You must not even say the names of other gods; those names must not come out of your mouth … You must not bow down to their gods or worship them.  You must not live the way those people live.  You must destroy their idols, breaking into pieces the stone pillars they use in worship … You must not make an agreement with those people or with their gods.  You must not let them live in your land, or they will make you sin against Me.  If you worship their gods, you will be caught in a trap.”

 

They were going to eventually enter the Promised Land and the pagan rituals used to worship those false gods were very sensual and were meant to entrap others.  In much the same way that a husband and wife would get rid of everything related to ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends upon getting married, God was telling them to NOT bring any new gods into their relationship with him.

 

Not only was God telling them not to worship those false gods – He didn’t even want them discussed, because such talk would stoke their curiosity, even as it does us today, and lead them to imagine “what if’s” in their minds that would take them closer to the edge.

 

God’s not stupid and He’s not overprotective.  He knows us all too well.  Plus He knows Satan’s tricks and how easily we buy the lie and fall in hook, line, and sinker.  That’s why absolute and total bans on even discussing false gods are so vital to our spiritual relationship with Him.

 

Father, we are as dumb as a cow when it comes to temptation.  We take the bait so easily that I imagine Satan laughs at our ignorance and our false sense of spiritual superiority.  But You’ll have the last laugh, Father.  Please intervene on my behalf each time You see him putting out more bait.  Flash warning signs when I’m too stupid to think rationally.

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford