"Getting Rid of the Idles"

 

“Getting Rid of the Idles”

 

In June our Men’s Bible Study Fellowship completed a discussion series of arguably the most neglected portion of Scripture: the “minor” prophets. These twelve messengers from God weren’t popular because they called His people to repentance from their ungodly actions, especially idolatry. This certainly wasn’t new as in His first two commandments God said, “You shall have no other gods before (or besides) me. You shall not make for yourself an idol….” (Exodus 20:3-4, emphasis added throughout). But almost immediately the nation fell into idolatry (Exodus 32), a sin which plagued Israel throughout its history and eventually led to God’s judgment (“All this {i.e. the deportation of the Northern Kingdom} took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God…They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them….”—2 Kings 17:7-8). Despite continued pleas from the prophets and others to “Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped….” (Joshua 24:14) “They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law….” (Zechariah 7:12), including getting rid of their idols. Our Lord’s friend warns us to “…keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21)—in other words, avoid them and you won’t have to deal with them later. Good advice!

The English language sometimes plays tricks on us with homophones, words which sound the same in conversation but have different meanings. Such is the case with idol and idle. God has commanded us to get rid of idols in our lives as shown above but He’s also told us to get rid of idles lest we become lazy in our walk with and/or our service to Christ. Paul challenged a strong-in-faith church which appears to have had struggles with idleness (possibly because these believers were convinced that Jesus would return during their lifetimes) with these words: “We urge you…warn those who are idle….” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Apparently his readers didn’t get the message because a short time later the Apostle stated rather bluntly, “We hear that some among you are idle…Such people we command and urge…to settle down and earn the bread they eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:11-12). Scripture is silent as to whether or not the admonition to get rid of the idles was heeded but church history indicates it hasn’t been taken as seriously as it should be.

About 1000 years before Paul’s ministry Solomon seems to have observed the same tendency and wrote, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might….” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Are we/am I ready to get rid of the idles and serve our/my Lord diligently out of love and thanksgiving to Him?

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan