Exodus 20: 3: “Thou shall have no other gods before Me”. This was the first of the ten commandments given to Moses for the people of God. Moses and Joshua kept this charge, and they often remind and instruct the people of God. In Deuteronomy 29 verses 16 to 18, Moses the man of God rehearsed the charge not to follow after other gods (which Moses called abominations) like they saw in Egypt. Joshua also in chapter 24 verse 23 of the book of Joshua charged the people of God saying: “Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel”.
But Israel was wont to idolatry, the people of God in no time often adopt and follow the gods, the abominations of the nations, that dwell among them. They make images of idols and worship them. We read this in Exodus chapter 32 verses 1 to 6 among other scriptures. Why is this so? Prophet Isaiah in chapter 8 verse 20 of book of Isaiah gives us a clue saying: “Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict His word are completely in the dark”.
Just as we see from accounts in the Bible how the people of God soon turn away from God to idols of other nations to worship, even so it is now. The modern idolatry is covetousness after the abominable ways and practices of the world and neglecting the word. Apostle Paul in chapter 12 of Romans and verse 2 beseeched saying: And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”. This charge by Apostle Paul is the New Testament equivalent of Joshua’s “therefore put away strange gods which are among you and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel” (Joshua 24: 23).
Idolatry then and now is friendship with the world, which denies believers the ability to perform their reasonable service of presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice to God.
Idolatry then and now is friendship with the world, which denies believers the ability to perform their reasonable service of presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4: 4). Believers in the modern times are unwittingly re-enacting enmity with God which Christ came to abolish through His death on the cross. It is a sad thing and this is so because they are completely in darkness like prophet Isaiah says.
The solution is for modern day believers to have the mind renewed with the word of God and prayer
The solution is for modern day believers to have the mind renewed with the word of God and prayer, continue that is practice and submit to the word and live by it as Apostle Paul admonished. So doing, believers will have light in them and will become the light they ought to be. (The word of God, they are Spirit and they are Life. The Spirit gives life and life gives light so where there is no word through neglect and turning away, there’s no life and because no life is, there is no light but darkness ). The Lord Jesus said to those who believed in Him, ” ye are the light of the world, (Matthew 5 verse 14). He warned however in Luke chapter 11 verse 35: “Take heed lest the light which is in you be darkness “. This is the travesty of modern idolatry, that those who are meant to be light have become darkness because they do not nurture the light that is in them.
As believers, we must have oil in our lamps and keep the light burning.
As believers, we must have oil in our lamps and keep the light burning. It is of no value to have oil in the lamp and have no light, no value in having the word and not keep them. It is also an anomaly to have light and not be able to sustain this because we care not to grow or have a flow of oil. This was the lot of the five foolish virgins in the Lord’s parable in Matthew 25 verses 1 to 12. The five foolish virgins have light but when it matters the most, their light went out as they had no extra oil. They turned their eyes off the word of God and continued not in them to present their bodies a living sacrifice unto God. The light in them became darkness, that the Master could not recognise them when He came to take His bride. “I know you not” He said to them.
We must have the word in us, continue (submit and practice the word) in them and live by them till the return of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Then the light in us will be sustained, and we will be a light of the world. Did not the Master Himself say in John chapter 8 verse 31; “if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed”? We must take heed so that the light in us does not become darkness. We must have oil in our lamps and keep the light burning, for we are a city (a burning light) set on a hill and cannot be hid. This is our inheritance in Christ, and we should not let it slip off our hands.
Psalm 119 verse 105 says: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”. As believers, we must have the word in us and continue in the word if we want to have light in us and sustain this light in us by diligence in prayer.
Light begets light, our Lord Jesus who is the Light will only take with Him those who have light in them, those whose light have not become darkness through idolatry. We are the light of the world like Him, this is our existential reality through faith in Christ Jesus.
