Idol In Your Heart

We all know that idolatry is wrong, and very few of us have gods or statues in our house that we would worship. And of course, we've all heard that idols can be actual statues or just anything we worship other than God.

It is important to remember that that is an application from the text and not the meaning of the text. That does not mean that it is wrong to preach or teach idolatry texts in this way; the application is solid, but I worry about the confusion of the two.

In the book of Ezekiel, we hear about Israelites who have created "idols in their heart." The expression seems to indicate an emphasis on the dedication to the idols that have been made. This passage then fits best with such an application of idolatry as what we worship.

And the passage speaks rather interestingly about it. Ezekiel 14:3-8 reads,

"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself: And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord."

Wherefore should I be enquired of at all by them? If they worship someone other than me in their hearts, why should I take the time to speak with them? They don't really want me to, or else they would worship me and not someone else.

That is God's just response. Those who come to Him while serving someone else are not ones that He will be speaking to. He still loves them, but they are not ready to truly get to know Him.

So maybe if you're not getting something from the Lord, it's because you are worshipping something other than God.