In Genesis 31, we read the story of Jacob’s escape from his uncle Laban, who had exploited him for twenty years. Jacob decided to flee with his wives, children, and livestock, without informing Laban. However, there was a problem: Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife, had stolen her father’s household gods. The Bible says:
Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods.
Why did Rachel do this? What were these household gods, and what did they mean to her? The Hebrew word for household gods is teraphim, which refers to small idols or images that were used for worship or divination. They were common in the ancient Near East, and were believed to bring protection, prosperity, and fertility to the family Laban, who was a pagan, had such idols in his house, and Rachel, who had grown up in his household, had learned to value them.
However, Rachel’s action was not only a theft, but also a sin. She violated the first and second commandments, which forbid having any other gods besides the Lord, and making any graven images for worship. She also dishonored her father, and lied to him. She showed a lack of faith in the true God, who had promised to bless Jacob and his descendants. She endangered her own life, and the lives of her family, by provoking Laban’s anger and risking Jacob’s curse
Rachel’s story is a warning to us about the danger of idolatry. Idolatry is not only worshipping statues or images, but also giving our heart, our trust, and our devotion to anything or anyone other than God. Idolatry can take many forms, such as money, power, fame, pleasure, or even people. Anything that we love more than God, or that we depend on more than God, is an idol. Anything that we seek for our security, happiness, or fulfillment, apart from God, is an idol. Anything that we fear losing more than God, or that we are willing to sin for, is an idol.
Idolatry is a serious offense to God, who is the only true God, and who alone deserves our worship and allegiance. Idolatry is also a deception, because idols cannot deliver what they promise. They cannot protect us, bless us, or satisfy us. They only enslave us, disappoint us, and destroy us. Idolatry is also a folly, because idols are nothing compared to God. They are powerless, worthless, and lifeless. They are less than dust, and less than nothing.
How can we avoid idolatry, and how can we overcome it if we have fallen into it? The answer is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. To love God means to know Him, to trust Him, to obey Him, to serve Him, and to enjoy Him. To love God means to seek Him first, to delight in Him above all, and to treasure Him more than anything. To love God means to repent of our idols, to renounce them, and to get rid of them. To love God means to worship Him in spirit and in truth, to praise Him for who He is and what He has done, and to thank Him for His grace and mercy.
The only way to love God like this is to know His love for us in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God, who came down from heaven to earth, to reveal God to us, and to reconcile us to God. Jesus is the Savior of the world, who died on the cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead, to forgive us, to free us, and to give us eternal life. Jesus is the Lord of lords, who ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God, to rule over all things, and to intercede for us. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, who leads us to the Father, who teaches us His word, and who fills us with His Spirit.
Jesus is the true and living God, who loves us with an everlasting love, who cares for us with a faithful care, and who satisfies us with a full satisfaction. Jesus is the treasure of treasures, who is more precious than gold, more beautiful than diamonds, and more desirable than anything. Jesus is the bread of life, who nourishes our souls, who quenches our thirst, and who gives us joy and peace. Jesus is the only one who can save us from idolatry, and who can make us worship God in spirit and in truth.
Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Do you love Jesus more than anything or anyone else? Do you have any idols in your life that you need to repent of and renounce? Do you worship God in spirit and in truth, or do you worship Him in vain?
Let us learn from Rachel’s story, and let us beware of the danger of idolatry. Let us love God with all our being, and let us worship Him alone. Let us seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and let us trust Him for all our needs. Let us follow Jesus, who is the true and living God, and who is the only way to the Father. Let us say with the psalmist:
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
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