What the bible say about idols?

[Stylez4Christ]

What dose the bible say about idols? Do we love more on music, computer money and so on then God? What God says about this? Any verse about this?:embarasse

 

[aksd]

An idol is basically anything that replaces God from His pre-eminent position to a secondary position. It may be in a physical form (- as we commonly know - as a graven image of stone or wood or metal etc., it may be in the form of a drawing or sketch or painting etc.) or it may be an abstract form or something within ourselves which we love or rely upon more than we do God - an Idol in our hearts. And God treats these 'Idols in our hearts' just as bad as the physical ones!

Ezekiel14:1-8 Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? "Therefore speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, "that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols."' "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. "For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the LORD will answer him by Myself. "I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the LORD."

 

[Stylez4Christ]

Ok, what is the effects of putting things before God and the effect of not putting things before God?

 

[trulyblezzed]

Matthew 6:19-34
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

So brother there's your answer. Alot of people put things before God like their signifigant others, jobs, families, hobbies, money (not giving tithes & offerings) and yet they are still without what they need. We have to ask ourselves- are we putting God first in ALL that we do? Or only some parts of our lives completely belong to Him?

 

[aksd]

Ok, what is the effects of putting things before God and the effect of not putting things before God?

That Stylez, should be pretty obvious and clear from the history of Israel and what they have gone through, because they had other gods and they put other things before God. But to just give an idea, I quote the first three of the Ten Commandments, highlighting some relevant parts:

Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Notice that in verse 3 'god' is spelt with a small 'g' whereas in verse 2,4,5 it is with a capital 'G'. If you look at the etymology of the Hebrew word for God, it has 'el' in it which denotes someone or something that is supreme or exceedingly [powerful or important or reliable] etc.

So to paraphrase Exodus 20:3 it can be said "You shall have nothing superior or over and above ME(Jehovah) in any respect."

On 'serving':
Romans 6:16, 19 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

Combining the paraphrasing of Exodus 20:3 with the meaning of serving (Exodus 20:5) in accordance with Romans 6:16 & 19, It is quite undersandable that The Lord our God expects Him to be held supreme and reliable and worthy of all honor and glory. Bringing Him down from that pre-eminent position will have its consequences.

Though for all their sins and transgressions although Israel was severly reprmanded and punished - but never forsaken, not to this day, and never will be utterly forsaken or cast away:
(Jeremiah 5:18, 19 "Nevertheless in those days," says the LORD, "I will not make a complete end of you.
19 "And it will be when you say, 'Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?' then you shall answer them, 'Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.'

Jeremiah 30:11,15 For I am with you,' says the LORD, 'to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.'
15 Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.

Jeremiah 46:28 Do not fear, O Jacob My servant," says the LORD, "For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, For I will not leave you wholly unpunished."

Jeremiah 51:5 For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, By his God, the LORD of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.).

And will one day be restored and brought back to its position and glory as the chosen race of God.

Ezekiel 11:16 - 21 "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone."'
17 "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."'
18 "And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.
19 "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,
20 "that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
21 "But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads," says the Lord GOD.

Jeremiah 30:18 - 22 "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob's tents, And have mercy on his dwelling places; The city shall be built upon its own mound, And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.
19 Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
20 Their children also shall be as before, And their congregation shall be established before Me; And I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their nobles shall be from among them, And their governor shall come from their midst; Then I will cause him to draw near, And he shall approach Me; For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?' says the LORD.
22 'You shall be My people, And I will be your God.'"