What comes to mind when you hear the word “idolatry”?  Maybe you think about the pagan nations of the Old Testament bowing to statues of false gods such as Baal.  Maybe you think about the Greeks and Romans worshiping their numerous false gods.  Maybe you think of native tribes glorifying the sun or moon or other items in nature.  You may think that people in modern, advanced cultures do not practice idolatry anymore.  What would you say, though, if I said that idolatry is alive and well right here in the United States?   In fact, I’d argue that many people sitting in our churches today are in fact worshiping an idol.

PLEASE, DON’T STOP READING!  That may sound harsh to you, but let me explain.  According to the website Bible Study Tools, idolatry is defined as “image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object.”   Although Christians may worship their jobs, money, family, or any number of other things, that’s not actually what I’m talking about here.  I’m convinced that many Christians are worshiping a god of their own creation.  Rather than studying the Bible to learn exactly who God says He is, they use their limited knowledge of Him to create their own idea of who God is.  They then worship this god they’ve created in their minds, who may bear little resemblance to the God of Scripture.  However, God deserves to be worshiped for who He really is. Not who we think He is. Not who we want Him to be.

“I am the LORD and there is no other, besides me there is no God.”

Isaiah 45:5

I thought about this as I was reading Isaiah 45.  In verse 5, God says, “I am the LORD and there is no other, besides me there is no God.”   He repeats this thought several times throughout the chapter, leaving the reader no doubt that there is only one true God.  He describes those who worship false gods, an idol of their own making, in Isaiah 45:20, “They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.” 

Now, I’m sure no true Christian would carry an actual idol, or statue, that they worship, but this still could describe many in our churches.  Many people have no real knowledge of God.  They know a few facts about Him that they picked up in a song or book or Bible study.  These facts may or may not be accurate.  How many people actually take the time to search the Scriptures to gain real knowledge of God, though?  I’m stepping on my own toes here, because I realize I don’t know as much about God as I should.

The problem with doing this is that the god we create cannot save us.  Only the true God of the Bible can do that, so we owe it to Him to discover who He is.  The good news is that God has chosen to reveal Himself to us.  Isaiah 45:19 says, “I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.”  God did not leave us in the dark, searching for Him in vain.  He has given us all the knowledge about Himself that we need.  Isaiah 45:23 says, “from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return.”  Obviously, God has spoken to us through His written Word, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16), and we must study all of it to learn about God. 

God did not leave us in the dark, searching for Him in vain.  He has given us all the knowledge about Himself that we need. 

However, God has also spoken to us through the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-2, 14).  We read in Hebrews 1:1-3 that God used to speak through the prophets, but now He speaks through His Son, who is “the exact imprint of his nature.”  We worship a triune God, one God in three persons—God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.  Because they are one in nature, they share the same attributes or characteristics.  If you want to know who God really is, look at Christ.  Study Jesus and His life to learn about the true God.  If you want to worship God, then learn to worship Christ.

For some time, I’ve had this idea on my mind.  I know I don’t know enough about who God really is.  My desire is to learn more about Him, so I can worship God in truth, not worship a false image of who He is.  My goal is to study the Scriptures, starting in Genesis, looking for knowledge of God in all that I read.  I’ll ask myself the following questions as I read :

• What does this passage say about who God is?
• What does this passage say about what God does?
• How does this characteristic or work of God relate to my life?

As an example, let’s think about the very first verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

What does this passage say about who God is?  He is eternal because He was “in the beginning” before anything else existed.  He is all powerful, or omnipotent, because He had the power to create everything from nothing.  Because He created all things, He must be transcendent, or above or outside of the things He created.  That means He is not bound by the laws of nature as we are because He created them.

What does this passage say about what God does?  God is the Creator of all that exists.

How does this characteristic or work or God relate to my life?  Because He is eternal, I need to understand that God doesn’t work on my timeline, but His own, and His timing is perfect.  Because God is all-powerful, I can trust Him to handle my problems.  Because He is transcendent, I cannot expect Him to act or think like a human, and I must approach Him with reverence.  Because He is the Creator, I am His creation and therefore I am subject to His authority. 

This is just a quick example of how we can read the Bible to learn more about God, thus ensuring that we worship God the way He deserves.  I’ll be sharing more of my journey through Genesis and what it reveals about God in upcoming posts. If you’d like to join me in this journey, you can download some printable journal pages here to help you.