The object to the right is an alabaster head found at the Great Eye Temple at Tell Brak. It is from the third millennium BC, and believed to be one of the earliest pieces of human sculpture ever found.
Although experts are not certain whether this represents a god, goddess, or worshiper, it is clearly an object used in idol worship. (British Museum)
Deuteronomy 31:16-18 - And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.
We have been standing with Moses at the River Jordan for many days, as Moses has been giving instruction to the Israelites, who are about to cross into the promised land. God instructs Moses to bring Joshua to the Tent of Meeting where Joshua will be commissioned, as Moses is not to cross the Jordan and will soon die.
God appears before them as a pillar of cloud, tells Moses that he is about to die, but most sadly tells Moses that even though the Israelites are about to receive their inheritance, they will soon whore after foreign gods.
This must have broken the heart of Moses. It broke mine. It served to remind me how prone I am to wander to the things of this earth. Today we whore after money, Internet, pornography, shopping, Hollywood idols, even our families. There is no end to the things that we put before God.
Surely, that cursed apple from Eden stains us all. We are all prone to wander, and leave the God we love. It is in our natures. We are all completely enslaved to this nature, and need divine help. Without help, God must, and will turn his face from us, and we too will be devoured.
We need...a Savior. Oh how the history of the Old Testament shows us how we need a Savior. I am only in Deuteronomy and the need is screaming at me. Thank God for the cross. Thank God for the sacrifice. Thank God that he calls me among his elect.
Friend (may I call you that?), it is impossible to read this holy text, and not have these understandings burned into your soul. These words are God breathed, direct from the lips of the Holy Spirit.
You want understanding? You want joy? You want peace? Read the Holy Scriptures.
When I started this blog, about 18 months ago, I confessed that I had only moved from mother's milk to oatmeal, in my spiritual diet. I suspect that I have graduated to oatmeal with a few raisins, and almonds tossed in.
I am yet to fully possess this holy joy, and peace of which the Bible speaks. I have had a taste here, and there. But it seems that I have yet a great deal of wrestling to accomplish with my understandings, and worldview. I continue on. Care to join me?