A number of months ago, as I was getting ready to go to a church service, Father said to me, “You have your idea of who I am and what I am like.”
I realised that this was most probably true. And knowing that He is always right and that He is the Almighty God who always speaks truth, I knew He was speaking truth to me, how could I even begin to deny or argue with Him?
As I began to ponder Father’s statement, Holy Spirit was highlighting some areas in my life where I “picture”, or “image” God a certain way, even from what people have taught me.
Then Father said to me, “You have created an image of who you think I am and when you worship, you are worshiping that image. That is idolatry.”
Whoah! I never had seen that before! I prayed,
Father, forgive me for creating an image in my own mind of who You are and what You are like. Forgive me for creating an image of who you are and worshiping that image, believing that I am worshiping the One True God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I forgive every person that taught me incorrectly and not the truth of who You are. Forgive me for any lie that I had believed about You that is not true. Forgive me for listening to what others say about You and not seeking to know You from Your Word and forgive me for not allowing You to reveal Yourself to me. In Jesus’ name, I renounce anything that I have believed about God that is not true. In Jesus’ name I renounce deception off my life. In Jesus’ name I break the power that idolatry and deception about Who God truly is has had over my life. Father, I put aside everything that I have believed about You. Please reveal Yourself to me of who You are. I want to know You and I want to worship You in spirit and in truth. Amen
About a month ago I was at a worship meeting and I sensed that something was wrong. I looked around and people seemed somewhat engaged in the “worship”, but I was unable to connect to God. It was hard work to eventually get connected with God in the Spirit and I asked, “What is going on? Why am I not able to connect with these people in the “worship?”
I heard in my spirit, “I am not here.”
This shocked me. I was not expecting to hear that. I was expecting to hear from the Spirit where I had hardened my heart in some way and where I needed to repent.
Then I heard, “They have an image of who I am that is not true and they are worshiping the image that they have created in their own thinking.”
The Ten Commandments
1And God spoke all these words, saying: 2“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3You shall have no other gods before Me. 4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 20:1-6 (NKJV)
Notice that verse 4 uses the words, “carved image.” These are images from people’s imagination and then carved into wood, stone, etc.
Just recently, a minister of the Gospel shared on a social media platform:
The Ten Commandments have in times past been explained as a little scary to me. Hey I’m just being honest ok? Sounds like a shouty angry God, to say “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me!” Raa! Scary, scary! But how can this be when God hates “haughty eyes” – surely He cannot hate Himself…
So what were the original words like? I’ve heard someone explain it like this, “I am the God who brought you all out of Egypt. Surely you will not have other gods?”
How about we ask why. Why is it important to God, that He says we do not worship other gods? Some may refer that He is a jealous God, sure, that’s what Scripture says, but look at the examples His word gives when speaking on God’s jealousy…
In Ezekiel 8 the Lord showed the prophet a tour of the temple and all the imagery of idols being worshiped… He took TIME to show Ezekiel in great detail. So this proves He is kind, patient and slow to anger.
Now look at the original literal translation of the 1st commandment
Other Elohiym Powers” will not exist (for) you upon my face”
God is saying these other gods will not work (even for your benefit) in His presence! It is impossible for any god to stand and argue their religion/faith/opinion in the presence of God. It doesn’t work! So don’t do it
Surely you will not worship other gods because in the end, when you stand before God, “those so called” gods will not be able to refute the goodness of God and His perfect and pleasing will that He had for your life was always and eternally so much more than anyone or any “so called” god can ever ask or imagine! He knows the Truth is everyone is always better off with Him, so He is jealous for the Truth to be made manifest in your understanding of who He is! God is Good! And you are made in His image.
– Simon Marshall (used with permission from S. Marshall)
“Hear, I Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:4
1Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother” and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “What profit you might have received from me is a gift to God” – 6then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of ne effect by your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 9And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'”
Matthew 15:1-9
Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 29
13Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 14therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”
15Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark; they say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”
16Surely you have things turned around! shall the potter be esteemed as the clay: for shall the thing made say of Him who made it, “He did not make me?” Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
Isaiah 29:13-16
The account of when Jesus meets the woman at the well is recorded in John chapter 4 where Jesus announces to her that He is the Messiah.
21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:21-24 (NKJV)