We are in chapter twenty of Exodus with our word for today which is actually a phrase. Our phrase is the second of two ways God more specifically defines what it means to have other gods before YHWH the true God. Yesterday we looked at the first one idol or carved image let’s look at the second one. לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחְוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֮ וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒ Not bow down to them and not serve them. It is used 3 times in the Old Testament. Let’s look at all the uses. Exodus 20:5-6 לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחְוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֮ וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒ You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God. And our next use is in the very next book of the Bible. Deuteronomy 5:9-10 that has the exact same wording. Notice though that the NIV has worship instead of serve. It is the same word but showing some of the nuances of this idea of serving. One of the ways you worship is by serving. The word is used to describe the priests service at the temple which is part of worship to the people of God at that time. It is interesting that the first two uses of our phrase is right at the beginning formation of the nation of Israel. The last use of our phrase is used at the very end of the nation of Israel. 2 Kings 17:7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God. So because of their sin God sent the nation into exile. Our phrase is used to make the case against the people. 2 Kings 17:35-37 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: וְלֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א תַעַבְד֔וּם“Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down. And because they failed to do this they received the consequences of their actions. It is interesting that they tried to hide these things from God as God points out in verse nine. 2 Kings 17:9 The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right.
This is the danger of bowing down, worshiping and serving idols they not only can’t do anything good for us they actually are used by the evil one to destroy us. The Holy Spirit makes this case through Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian Churches. 1 Corinthians 8:4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. This is why God commands us not to worship idols or serve them put them before the true living God. Because idol worship is an opportunity for the evil one to use to influence people. Remember Jesus word’s when he contrasts his motives for people with that of the evil one. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. So let’s think about the devil’s motive as the thief and Jesus motive as our good shepherd that has our very best interests in mind. Bring these thoughts into this great description of Idol worship from Isaiah which we will close with. Notice what he does with a tree something that God created. He projects on to this tree something that is not there which is how the evil one uses idols to deceive us. Isaiah 44:15-17 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
