Introduction

The issue of idolatry continues to pervade the life of many Christians. An important question is how the Old Testament prophets point to timeless, practical principles related to idolatry that inform and enhance a modern believer’s life. By ignoring the Old Testament prophetic theology of idolatry, believers risk missing important lessons from ancient Israel. The Old Testament prophets teach that idolaters become like the object worshipped, while the idols remove God’s presence, make false promises, bankrupt souls, and ruin lives. First, this brief analysis examines the famous golden calf episode in its original context in the book of Exodus and then further examines the famous event in the prophets Hosea and Jeremiah. Next, an investigation of Ezekiel 28 explores the idea of the idolatry of self, which is followed by reflections upon idolatry and self-worship in contemporary life.

Golden Calf

The Golden Calf in Exodus

When discussing the topic of idolatry in the Old Testament, it is difficult not to reflect upon the famous golden calf incident in Exodus 32:1-33:6. The ancient Israelites presumed that Moses was lost after ascending the mountain, so they lose confidence in Yahweh and ask Aaron to assist in building gods (Exod 32:1). The people gather their jewelry and make a golden calf to worship (Exod 32:3-5). Out of anger, Moses burned the calf, spread the powder on the water, and made the Israelites consume the idol (Exod 32:20). According to Richard Lints, when recording Israelite rebellions, the biblical authors often attribute the qualities of the calf to the people, which include a stiff neck and hard heart signifying a stubborn heifer and malfunctioning ears and eyes that are unable to operate.[1] In other words, the people of Israel became like the idol they created or as Lint states, “Worship fashioned the worshipper into an imprint of the object worshipped.”[2]

The creation story asserts that God made man in His own image to have dominion over the earth (Gen 1:26). Rather than finding their security and significance in their Creator, the Israelites now turned to a created calf-idol to find their security and significance. Accordingly, instead of reflecting the image of God’s glory, the Israelites reflected the image of the idols. The idolatrous activities of the Israelites resulted in the Lord stating, “I will not go up among you” (Exod 33:3). In other words, according to Lints, Israel reversed the original covenantal arrangement; thus Yahweh’s divine presence is removed from the wayward people.[3] Down through the ages, similar to the ancient Israelites, when believers assume God or their leader has left them, they take matters into their own hands and attempt to place their significance and security in the created order.

The Golden Calf in the Prophets

The theme of becoming what is worshipped and the loss of God’s divine presence within the context of idolatry also presents itself in the biblical prophets. First, the prophet Hosea claims that, although Yahweh found Israel, the people turned to Baal-peor and became detestable like the idol, and then the prophet laments at the result, which is the deportation of Yahweh from His people (Hos 9:10-12).

We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry

G. K. Beale explains that the Israelites were likely imitating Baal’s detestable sexual acts by participating in rituals as a fertility rite in the hopes for abundant crops and material prosperity.[4] In other words, the Israelites, similar to the calf episode, became what they worshipped. Furthermore, just as Yahweh promised to remove His presence from the people at Sinai, Hosea announces that God will depart from His people (Hos 9:12b).

The prophet Jeremiah also alludes to the golden calf experience. In Jeremiah 2:5, the prophet contends that the Israelites “went after worthlessness, and became worthless,” and then in verse 11, the prophet explains that Israel not only changed its gods for no gods, but also “changed their glory for that which does not profit.” Beale explains that when the people worshipped spiritually empty idols, then, ironically, they became spiritually empty themselves receiving the likeness of the god they worshipped.[5] To add insult to injury, the Israelites not only became spiritually empty, but also experienced no profitable return. Beale continues, the ironic result is that the people reflect the glory of the empty gods rather than the glory of Yahweh, which eventually results in spiritual, emotional, relational, and material bankruptcy.[6] Unfortunately, the spiritual deception continues as modern-day idols such as money, success, and fame timelessly continue to promise prosperity while delivering bankrupt souls.

Self-Worship

Self-Worship in Ezekiel 28

It is not unreasonable to conclude that idolatry likely started at the very beginning of humanity when Adam decided to place his own desirable outcomes in front of God’s directives. Beale suggests that Adam’s behavior points to self-worship, which is confirmed in Ezekiel 28 within two of the pronouncements against the King of Tyre.[7] First, in Ezekiel 28:1-10, the prophet proclaims that the king is a man, not a god, which not only implies that the king depicted himself as a god to be worshipped by his followers, but also implies self-worship. Second, Ezekiel 28:11-19 points to the King of Tyre representing himself as a god, but the oracle places the king in the Garden of Eden (Ezek 28:13a). Accordingly, Beale concludes that the prophet’s message applies to someone in the Garden such as Adam, and thus the relationship between Ezekiel 28 and Genesis 3 appears to conceive sin as the “rearranging of existence around the self.”[8] In other words, the self becomes the sustainer and provider ensuring both sustainability and prosperity.

The question that remains is how people become what they worship when they worship themselves. Upon reflecting on the King of Tyre, Beale answers by explaining that it appears that when individuals worship the self, the focus is on enlarging the self to be more of the self, thus enhancing the glory of man rather than the glory of God.[9] Paradoxically, when the self is centered on the self, the result is that the self is undermined and ultimately lies in ruin.[10] For example, from a practical perspective, it is difficult to imagine how a modern man or woman can maintain healthy relationships in an environment where the self becomes god. Accordingly, the timeless principle may be summarized as follows: When the self focuses on profiting the self, it bankrupts the self.

Self-Worship in Contemporary Life

Idolatry may be the single most destructive force in modern Christianity. Both believers and non-believers alike appear to be on an insatiable quest for significance and security. Timothy Keller provides important advice for identifying idols in a believer’s life when stating, “A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would hardly feel like living.”[11] Similar to the Israelites, when people worship sex, they become like the idol and find their meaning, their very life, in the next adulterous conquest; the identity becomes forged with the idol. When people worship money, a similar experience occurs, and people may stop at nothing to obtain the dollar bill that represents significance and security. The value of money becomes the value and worth of the man. The idols continue to promise the world but instead deliver destruction. Furthermore, when setting idols in place of God, the presence of God is diminished as He gives idolators up to their creaturely idols (Rom 1:24).

Unfortunately, from a personal perspective, my idol continues to be the self, which has manifested itself in two stages. When I was younger, I needed to enlarge myself by expanding my career to find my significance and security. I was successful in the world’s eyes and even the institutional church’s eyes. However, the anxiety wrought from worshipping success eventually caused an emotional train wreck. The wreck was twenty years ago, but I continue to worship the self. I am often convinced that I know what is best for my health and my future. I struggle with health anxiety as I want to control the outcome of my inevitable death. The result is anxiety, worry, and misery as the paradox reigns down upon me that the more I focus on the self, the more I lose the self. The only solution is the appropriation of the reality that all of my security and significance exist solely in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

Certainly, the Old Testament prophets teach that idolaters become like the object worshipped as the idols remove God’s presence, make false promises, bankrupt souls, and ruin lives. Beginning with the famous story of the Israelites’ worship of the golden calf, the destructive effects of idolatry ensue as Yahweh removes His presence from the people. The prophets, specifically Hosea and Jeremiah, pick up the thematic initiative of the golden calf episode and highlight the spiritual deception of idols, which promise prosperity but deliver ruin. Ezekiel addresses idolatry at a more personal level in his oracle to the King of Tyre, which highlights the risks of self-worship. Unfortunately, the timeless principles within the Old Testament continue their relevance to this day as believers, including myself, often attempt to find their significance and security in people and objects other than God.

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[1] Richard Lints, Identity and Idolatry: The Image of God and Its Inversion, New Studies in Biblical Theology 36 (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2015), 92.

[2] Ibid., 94.

[3] Ibid., 93–94.

[4] G. K. Beale, We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008), 105.

[5] Ibid., 111–113.

[6] Ibid., 114–115.

[7] Beale, We Become, 135.

[8] Ibid., 136–137.

[9] Ibid., 139.

[10] Ibid., 140.

[11] Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters (New York: Penguin, 2011), xx.

Bibliography

• Beale, G. K. We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008.
• Keller, Timothy. Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters. New York: Penguin, 2011.
• Lints, Richard. Identity and Idolatry: The Image of God and Its Inversion. New Studies in Biblical Theology 36. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2015.