What modern-day idols might God be calling us to abandon, like Babylon's idols? A solemn cry from Isaiah’s watchtower “Look, here come the riders—horsemen in pairs.” And they said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods have been shattered to the ground.” (Isaiah 21:9) What makes something an idol today? Anything that steals the trust, love, and obedience that belong to the Lord alone. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). Scripture treats idolatry not as an old-world relic but a present, spiritual menace. Common idols clothed in twenty-first-century fashion • Money & material success • “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). • Greed “is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). • Technology & constant connectivity • Devices promise omnipresence and omniscience—traits that belong only to God (Psalm 139:7–12). • When screens rule time and attention, they become carved images glowing in high definition. • Celebrity culture & human approval • “For they loved praise from men more than praise from God” (John 12:43). • The altar of likes and followers demands sacrifice of authenticity and holiness. • Self-exaltation • “People will be lovers of themselves” (2 Timothy 3:2). • The modern mantra “be true to yourself” can dethrone the call to deny yourself (Luke 9:23). • Political power & ideology • “Put not your trust in princes” (Psalm 146:3). • When policy or party replaces kingdom loyalty, Babylonian images are merely recast in red and blue. • Pleasure & comfort • Enshrined in entertainment, food, and leisure; their worshippers confess, “Their god is their belly” (Philippians 3:19). • Security & control • Hoarded savings, insurance, or weapons can mask fear rather than fuel faith. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7). • Religious performance • Ritual without heart devotion is another golden calf (Matthew 15:8–9). • Israel’s temple became an idol when it eclipsed the God who dwelt there (Jeremiah 7:4). Why God still topples idols • They enslave: “You are slaves to the one you obey” (Romans 6:16). • They deceive: “They cannot speak; they must be carried” (Psalm 115:5). • They provoke: “Idolatry is rebellion” (1 Samuel 15:23). • He is jealous for our good: “I am the LORD your God… you shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2–3). Responding to the crash of Babylon’s gods • Identify hidden altars: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts” (Ezekiel 14:3). • Confess and forsake: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive” (1 John 1:9). • Replace with worship: “Set your minds on things above” (Colossians 3:2). • Walk in daily vigilance: “Flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14). Just as Isaiah watched Babylon’s statues shatter, the Spirit still exposes counterfeit gods so that Christ alone may stand exalted. |
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