Judgment of the Gods.

We expect God to judge people. He punishes evil people throughout the Bible.  He punished Cain by banishment. He punished the pagan world with a flood. He punished Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from heaven. He punished idolatrous, treasonous Israelites when the earth swallowed them in an earthquake.

But did you know God also judges false gods? The ten plagues of Egypt were judgments against Egypt’s idols: they worshipped the Nile, so God turned it to blood.  They worshipped frogs so he sent millions.  They worshipped the earth, so he turned the dust of the earth to gnats (some translations say fleas or lice), they worshipped flies so he sent enough to destroy everything. They worshipped livestock so God sent a plague to kill Egypt’s horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. They worshipped false gods of healing so he sent boils they could not heal.  They worshipped the sky, so he sent hail.  They worshipped crops, so he sent locusts to consume every bit of green crops not already annihilated. They worshipped the sun, so God made it dark for three days.  Finally, God judged the people themselves with the death of every first born of man and beast.

So how do we know each judgment was a judgment against a specific false god?  Because of Numbers 33:4.

“The Lord executed judgment against their gods.”

The Message paraphrases it this way:

“God exposed the nonsense of their gods.”

What are false gods in our world? FAME. RICHES. BEAUTIFUL POSSESSIONS.  “FOLLOWERS” or “likes” on social media. What else? 

What false gods hold appeal for you? What idols tempt you?  SUCCESS? GRADES? POPULARITY? ACHIEVEMENTS?  ATTENTION FROM ADMIRERS OR THE OPPOSITE SEX?

Dear God, bring to our attention any false gods in our lives.  Help us to draw the line and reject those temptations.  Give us the fear of the Lord, knowing that you will JUDGE our false gods.  Help us to love you most and “have no other gods” before you.

ΑΩ