An Object of Worship?

​“After quieting the crowd, the town clerk *said, “Men of Ephesus, what person is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from the sky?”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭19:35‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.19.35.NASB2020

This object became an idol that the town of Ephesus began to worship. It is not the first time nor will it be the last time that people will find something to worship. 

“So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on the flag pole; and it came about, that if a serpent bit someone, and he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭21:9‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/num.21.9.NASB2020

“He removed the high places and smashed the memorial stones to pieces, and cut down the Asherah. He also crushed to pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel had been burning incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭18:4‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/2ki.18.4.NASB2020

“Then he took the gold from their hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a cast metal calf; and they said, “This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭32:4-5‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/exo.32.4-5.NASB2020

“Then he took the calf which they had made and completely burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭32:20‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/exo.32.20.NASB2020

“Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah; but all Israel committed infidelity with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭8:27‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/jdg.8.27.NASB2020

“So the king consulted, and he made two golden calves; and he said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Now, this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭12:28-30‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/1ki.12.28-30.NASB2020

We can see an object can become an object to worship either over the centuries or in a matter of a few days. We currently have objects that are worshiped. They may not be statues but are objects that place a higher place of reverence than God does. They may be ideals that we hold on to that contradict the word of God. Or they may be sports stars that we invest more money into getting their latest jersey or autographed ball than we invest into our local church. What is it that takes up our time, money, and attention that is the object that may become an object of worship for you and me? 

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:4-6‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/exo.20.4-6.NASB2020