READING: Exodus 33-35
The enemy we face is slick. On one hand, he’s blatant. Take a look, and you can see evidence of the devil’s hand all around. Sometimes he’s so “in your face” that it’s almost impossible to avoid his influence. On the other hand, he’s always looking for ways to infiltrate our lives; he’s the wily one of Ephesians 6:11 who schemes to find open doors. He’s like a rat — he can squeeze into the smallest opening we leave unchecked.
No wonder God demanded that His people take drastic steps to avoid connections with their enemies when they entered the Promised Land:
(Exo. 34:12-15) — Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land that you are going to enter; otherwise, they will become a snare among you. Instead, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, and chop down their Asherah poles. You are never to bow down to another god because Yahweh, being jealous by nature, is a jealous God. Do not make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land, or else when they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. Then you will take some of their daughters as brides for your sons. Their daughters will prostitute themselves with their gods and cause your sons to prostitute themselves with their gods.
The point is simple: in order to avoid falling into the trap of idolatry, the people of God were to (1) avoid making treaties with the idolaters; (2) tear down anything that might draw them in the wrong direction; (3) be continually aware of the risk of falling. They were to take radical steps to make sure they bowed before only Yahweh.
While recognizing the danger of lapsing into legalism, we are wise to hear these same steps. The enemy still wants to drag us into idolatry, so we must:
- break any patterns we have that lead us in the devil’s direction. We know where we’re weak, and we usually recognize the temptations that most lure us. Often, we put ourselves in temptation because of the dumb decisions we make — and we must break those patterns.
- get rid of anything that we know is a problem. It’s the equivalent of Jesus’ using hyperbole to tell us the gouge out our eye and cut off our hand (Matt. 5:29-30) if that’s what’s required to avoid sin. Any door we leave cracked open is a risk.
- ever be aware of the potential of a fall. None of us is immune from this possibility.
ACTION STEPS: Consider these steps today:
- Review your sin patterns. Determine how you most open the door to the enemy, and close that door. Take radical steps if necessary.
- Write these words somewhere, and keep them before you today: “You are never to bow down to another god.” When temptation comes, read them over and over again.
PRAYER: “God, show me where I’m vulnerable to the enemy’s arrows. Give me wisdom and courage to take whatever steps are necessary to avoid idolatry. Break the enemy’s hold on my life.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Exodus 36-38
