The Israelites had God’s promise of a new land, the land of Canaan. It was their Promised Land. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt there were finally freed and led to claim their very own homeland.
A number of things took place, both good and bad, between Egypt and conquering Canaan. My interest here is in what was needed once the Promised Land was claimed.
I want to use the move into the Promised Land as an allegory for each of us moving into new realms of ‘promise’ in our lives. And I particularly want to discuss the need for dealing with idols in each new place of promise.
At various stages in life we move from one place to another, either physically or in terms of life changes, and each one of those forward steps is filled with promise for us. Many a young child looks forward to going to school, especially if they have older siblings already there. School promises them new things.
There is the promise of graduating from primary school to high school, then to College or University. Higher education promises progress in life.
There is the step from schooling into work. Work promises meaning and income and status.
There is the coming of age, with various privileges provided, such as a driver’s licence. Privileges promise endorsement of our standing in society and allow us liberties we didn’t have before.
There is all the promise of marriage and having a family, usually accompanied with career advancement and purchasing a home. These things promise happiness and success.
At each step into new things we usually see all the ‘promise’.
The Children of Israel were promised a land flowing with milk and honey, where rain from heaven meant they did not need to irrigate as in Egypt. They were promised all the minerals they would need for industry along with good crops, and so on.
If they focused only on the blessings they were in for a bit of a shock. Before they could enjoy those blessings they had to go to war. They had to deal with giants and walled cities and armies coming out to fight them.
Once the land was conquered they also had to clean up all relics of the idol worship in the land. They were to pull down and destroy the idols. They were to destroy the altars. They were to cut down the groves of trees and the sacred places created to worship idols. They had to be careful not to be enticed to worship things that were in the land before them.
“Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare among you. Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles. For you must not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:12-14
“Destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.” Deuteronomy 7:5,25,26
In our own journey through life each of the new arenas we step into, each new realm of promise, like a new Promised Land for us, has idols in it. For us to truly enjoy the blessings of the new area of ‘promise’ we must deal with the idols that accompany that area. If we don’t, those idols will snare us and keep us from God’s best in our lives.
“What does that look like in practice?” you might ask. Let me explain.
Education promises us opportunity to learn and progress in life. It opens doors to employment, enterprise, income and success. It allows us to prove ourselves and to have understanding of things that we can then deal with in an effective way. There is much to be gained from an excellent education.
However Education has idols. There is the worship of knowledge, as if getting enough knowledge and understanding will guarantee protection, success and so on. There is the pride of showing ourselves students than others, or seemingly more intelligent. There is the worship of power over things, promised by knowing how things work and how to manipulate them.
“Knowledge puffs up but love builds us.” 1Corinthians 8:1
People can often be snared by the idol of pride that comes from knowledge. You may have met people who want to tell you what they know, or who often say, “I already knew that!” There are idols in the promised land of education. A wise person pulls down those idols and is not snared by them.
Marriage is a promised land. It promises happiness and fulfilment. Yet many marriages are places of hurt and offence. What are some of the idols in the promised land of marriage? Lust is an issue, as well as self-will, and control. Rebellion, independence and private agendas compete with the agreement that is best in a marriage.
A wise couple make sure there aren’t idols in their hearts to set them up for strife with each other or breakdown of the relationship.
Are you getting the picture?
There are idols associated with the various areas of life and if we are not careful, and if we don’t deal with them, they will snare us and destroy the blessing of the Promised Land for us.
Many a job or business is spoiled by strife with employees or associates. Some workplaces are toxic, infested with bitter attitudes.
Many a relationship is undermined by selfishness, perverse agendas, deceit, un-forgiveness and so on.
Many a person who has succeeded financially has becomes shipwreck trying to make themselves happy and finding that money and possessions don’t do for them what they expected.
Since you have probably been through a number of progressions in life, into various areas of ‘promise’ it is likely you have been damaged along the way by idols you didn’t realise were on that territory and which you were drawn to worship.
Maybe you have damaged relationships, dashed hopes, eroded successes. Let me challenge you to stop and think about the various idols in the areas you passed through and whether you began to worship them.
Consider especially if you are tainted by pride. And what about selfishness? Have you worshipped material possessions? Are you addicted to image and appearance? Do you have hurt pride, driving you to prove yourself all over again? Have you worshipped lust and greed? Have you seen marriage as serving your happiness, or a lifetime commitment of yourself to someone else?
There are many idols in the land, and you’ve likely been exposed to most of them. Did you tear down their altars and burn their images? Or did you take the idol into your heart and mind and begin to serve it?
Let the lessons of cleaning the Promised Land instruct you about your need to continue Removing the Idols.
Chris Field says
I recorded this Post and made a video for you to use in your Bible Study, Church or Personal Devotions. You can even have the audio play while you are doing other things.
Click this link and let me share this important post with you.
https://youtu.be/RAabqi2eF8U