I Will Forsake Idolatry and Its Curses
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 29:14-21 (NASB)
14 “Now it is not with you alone that I am making this covenant and this oath, 15 but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God, and with those who are not with us here today 16 (for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we passed through the midst of the nations through which you passed; 17 moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols made of wood and stone, silver and gold, which they had with them); 18 so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. 19 And it shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will consider himself fortunate in his heart, saying, ‘I will do well though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land along with the dry.’ 20 The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and His wrath will burn against that person, and every curse that is written in this book will lie upon him, and the Lord will wipe out his name from under heaven. 21 Then the Lord will single him out for disaster from all the tribes of Israel, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant which is written in this Book of the Law.
SUMMARY
Moses tells the Israelites that the covenant is for them and their descendants, so there will not be anyone among them that turns their hearts away from the Lord, their God, to serve the idols of Egypt or other nations. They would be like roots bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. Moses warns them that the Lord will not forgive such a person, but the Lord will single him out for adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses written in the book of the law.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
Moses warns again the consequence of “turning their hearts away from the Lord, their God” to serve other gods of other nations. Until now, they have stayed together traveling through the wilderness. They needed God everyday to provide them manna to eat, and to provide for them a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. There was a reminder of the Lord’s presence everyday and they could not live a single day without God’s provision, and they depended on God everyday. However, they were soon to enter the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey, and the danger would be that they will serve other gods. Such a person is likened to a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. Such a person’s stubbornness in their heart deceives them to believe they have peace, but Moses warns them that God will single him out for adversity. My heart ached to think about Israelites’ hearts turning away from the Lord who walked with them through the wilderness through all the battles through all the hardships once they entered the Promised Land. What the Lord wants from us is to love him with all our hearts, to continue our walk with Him even in the Promised Land, where all our needs can be met seemingly with our own efforts. God’s anger and curse toward this person is due to His love for His people and His desire to have a relationship with each and every one of us.
What is terrifying about this warning is that it affects other Israelites and their descendants. Looking ahead to Israel’s history God really did curse the one that worshipped the idols and caused Israel to sin. King Jeroboam was such a man who worshipped the idols and caused Israel to sin. God wiped out his descendants. “As soon as he was king, he struck and killed all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave Jeroboam any persons alive, but kept killing until he had eliminated them, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,” (1 Kings 15:29)
APPLICATION
I wondered if my heart had turned away from God and worshipped the idols. I think back to when I was walking through the wilderness, when I was battling anxiety and depression, and the time when I needed God’s help every day in order to live. And when our family could not afford to buy a house, and we were moving from one rented place to another. Everyday I had to desperately cling to God. Now that I feel good, and I feel like I have peace but this passage challenges me to really examine my heart. My heart is a battlefield between God and idols, everyday. I want to read the Bible but I get distracted by other things, such as an entertaining book about love and romance, or celebrity gossip. God has been reminding me over and over to return to my first love do what I used to do “Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” (Revelations 2:5) First I must repent, and remember the deeds I did at first. How I used to cling to God, how I loved to sing praises and hymns, and how nothing else mattered. I will play more hymns during the day so I can sing along and have my children listen to hymns and learn them also. I will stop getting distracted by all the media reports on the election, because if we focus too much on who will be the next president of the United States, we are also making an idol of that position.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I am sorry I have fallen from where I used to be. I am grieved to realize that my heart has turned away from You, and I have started to depend on other things for a feeling of security while You are our hope, our future, and our security. I thank You for rescuing me from my sins and afflictions. I am sorry I forget sometimes that You will provide everything I need. You are the creator and the source of all blessings. Please forgive me, and help me to return to my first love. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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