The bible warns of the consequences of the decision of what we worship. Essentially, we become like that which we worship or hold in reverence and high esteem. What is it that you are holding in reverence and high esteem?
Why should the nations ask “Where now is their God?” when our God is in the heavens and he does whatever he desires? Their idols are silver and gold, crafted by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; They have hands, but cannot touch; feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even groan with their throats. Those who craft them will become like them, as will all those who trust in them. (Psalms 115:2-8)
This is what the LORD says: “What did your ancestors find wrong with me that they left me, and pursued worthless things, and so they became worthless? (Jeremiah 2:5)
They rejected the LORD’s statutes, the covenant that he had made with their ancestors, and his warnings that he gave them. They pursued meaninglessness–and became meaningless themselves–as they followed the lifestyles of the nations that surrounded them, a practice that the LORD had warned them not to do. (2 Kings 17:15)
Definition of worship. The word ‘worship’ is first found in Genesis 22 (in English ISV) and is translated from the Hebrew word Shachah. Shachah is first found in Genesis 18:2. In that instance, it is translated as “bowed down”. In the fuller context, it is that Abraham bowed down to show reverence to his three heavenly visitors. The word literally means to prostrate one’s self, to bow down, to hold in reverence as one would a king or God. So it would appear that the meaning of worship is to hold in reverence or to honor, in many cases, this involves bowing down but is not necessarily limited to bowing. Such is the case when the word is used to describe what Abraham was going to do on Mount Moriah. In that case he was going to HONOR the Lord by performing exactly what the Lord had commanded him to do.
Obviously we don’t bow down before some of the things that people worship these days. There are very few who are actually prostrating themselves before lifeless statues. There are, however, many who hold things in reverence and high honor. This isn’t, in itself, necessarily bad until that honor supplants our regard for God. A thing that easily creeps into our lives. Here is a short list of some things people pursue or revere with honor.
- Fame
- Money
- Science
- The World
- Tradition and ritual
- Power
- Altruism
- Success
The issue comes about when we hold them higher than the Creator and thus pursue them with all our efforts. We must be wary of holding any of them in higher regard than we hold God lest they take over our lives and thus we become like them.
Are you worshiping the world? The world is cold, harsh and cruel, are you becoming cold, harsh and cruel?
Fame is fleeting and vain, are you becoming fleeting and vain?