Ezekiel 14:4, 7 is about God condemning the nation of Israel for every one of them setting up “idols in his heart.” We might contrast these to “idols in the arts,” idols which can be seen or touched – idols which men, we, can craft with our hands using wood, stone, metal, concrete, ceramic, glass, or plastic, etc.
Just what is an idol?
The first two of the Ten Commandments which God gave to His nation Israel at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:3-4) forbid them – and us as well – to have ”other gods” before the LORD God, and to make a carved image [idol] in the likeness of any created thing [heavenly body, animal, plant, or man] then to bow down to, worship or serve it in place of the Creator God, who identifies Himself as One who brought the whole house of Israel from their hard bondage in Egypt through His wonders and miracles (Exodus 12-15) into the Promised Land.
These idols “in the arts,” as we may call these images, are material, physical objects that we can destroy by cutting them down with some powerful tool, by dissolving them in a strong acid or alkali, burning or torching them or throwing them into the depths of the ocean.
By comparison, idols “in the heart” cannot always be seen or touched physically, but are just as real as, if not more powerful, than idols that we can see or touch. Thus, these former are more difficult to put away.
What is an idol “in the [our] heart”?
Anything that we value more highly than God and His Word – including His laws and commandments – is or becomes an “idol.” This could be our human intellect, our own ideas about the reality of our universe and our earth, of what is right and what is wrong [good or evil], etc., as opposed to God’s, as revealed in His Word, the Holy Bible.
Thus, some have made an “idol” of the idea or theory of a Godless evolution to explain the existence of the natural order of life on this our planet earth. [See: https://www.herbert-armstrong.org, click ENTER HERE, select “Books & Booklets,” and scroll down to the booklets titled “Some Fishy Stories,” “A Theory for the Birds,” “A Whale of a Tale,” and “Does God Exist?”] The apostle Paul wrote about the dire result of rejecting the existence of God on one’s moral life (Romans 1:18-32).
Paul also “hit the nail on the head” when he wrote, “covetousness is idolatry” (Galatians 3:6). This explains how we can set up “idols in the heart!” The tenth of God’s Ten Commandments” commands us not to “covet” anything that belongs to our neighbor [fellow man], whether man, beast, or property (Exodus 29:17).
What does it mean to “covet?” The meaning of this word has often been obscured by our modern use such as in our saying, “We covet your prayers” when we mean we “desire” or would like to have, or request.
Jesus made it plain and vivid what it means to “covet” when He said: “You have heard it said to those of old ‘You shall not commit adultery’ [the seventh of God’s Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:14]. But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).
To “lust” for, in this case, is to strongly desire to perform an intimate act such as is appropriate only between a man and his lawful wife – in plain language, sex. When sex is alluded to, God’s word includes prohibition against sex between a man and another man, a woman and another woman, a man or woman and a close relative or a beast (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13,14-21; Romans 1:26-27). [See: The Rainbow Connection.]
In ancient times people worshiped sex idols – carved or painted images of naked men and women (singly or in various sexual postures), structures that symbolized the male sex organ or the phallus. Today there may no longer be such idols, but more such images – in fact, “live” in many cases — can be readily seen through the “media” – social, print, graphic or electronic. Pornography in its various shades is a multi-billion-dollar business “industry!” It has become a modern plague!
These graphic images have such a strong neurochemical bond in people’s minds that they have become “idols in the heart!” They are much, much more difficult to put away than material, physical idols! It’s a case akin to, but much worse than, drug addiction!
Idols in the heart are not all about sex. They also include wealth or any highly esteemed material possession [Jesus called it the god “Mammon” (Matthew 6:24)]. And why do we call celebrities our “idols?”
What’s the way out of this dilemma?
The above-cited article gives some clues. See also: The Conversion Therapy Controversy, Should Everyone Be Allowed to Be Who They Are? Are You Zealous for the Fear of God All the Day? The Higher Law of the Spirit, and Breaking Down Our “Walls of Jericho.” In addition, I just recently discovered an inspirational song that can serve as a powerful battle prayer-song for those struggling to change their lives. The song can be accessed through Google: Bradley Steele – Same Ol Same Ol (Lyrics Video). One especially striking line of this song goes: “Same ol memories stuck on replay.”
God help us put away all idols, especially those in our hearts! Failing to do so will guarantee our everlasting destruction (Revelation 21:8)!
Pedro R. Meléndez, Jr.
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