Horror

Jeremiah 24:8 “But thus says the Lord: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. 9 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them.

Last Thursday the men of our small group made our regular visit to a local men's shelter. The faces of the men there tell many different stories. Some tell of hope, but most of them tell the grim painful story of a life spent worshipping at the altar of alcohol or drugs. Last week, there was one young guy in his twenties whose face I can still see vividly. Many missing teeth, thin hair, baggy skin on an emaciated frame announce his addiction to Meth before he even had to speak. The effects of Meth have robbed Him of any sign of health, joy or happiness. His countenance was literally that of a beaten down, cursed man.

In the last post, we learned about God's intentions with us as we rightly worship Him. He wants us to "be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory (Jeremiah 13:11). Jeremiah 13:11 ends with "but they would not listen". Jeremiah 24 above spells out with detail what occurs when false worship of counterfeit gods occur.
Idolotry turns men who were designed to be a people, a name, a praise and a glory into a reproach, a byword, a taunt and a curse. Notice with careful detail the exact opposite four word comparisons.

>People (of God) vs. Reproach (rebels against Him)
>A Name (of God) vs. byword (meaningless word that is lacking relevance)
>A Praise (for God) vs. A Taunt (Against God and everyone else)
>A Glory (reflecting God's Holiness) vs. A Curse (reflecting the curse of sin)

Long story short, there is no middle ground of worship. We are either engaged with Christ, as we cling to Him and He is shaping us dramatically as His Holiness is infused in us, or our false worship is eating away at our souls, our health and our bodies. We either are lovingly engaged in the truths of God or we are rebelling against Him.

I think one of the most deadliest places to be in as an American today is falling blindly to a false worship that includes a little church attendance that empowers a lifestyle of sin devoid of true worship. I walked this miserable road for years and looking back, it is easy to see how the false gods of alcohol, gambling and tobacco demanded my allegiance, consumed my thoughts and in turn me. Jesus is the only one capable of bringing down the false gods that men serve. He will not receive sloppy seconds from you.

If you want to take a quick test of what idols may be in your life, ask yourself what are the things you will "slit throats" over. For some it is an addiction, for others it may be politics, football or even theological knowledge. You can be rest assured that you have a major problem if when people threaten yoru idol, you threaten them yet when they use the Lord's name in vain it does not burn your ears and soul. Why? Your disposition reflects that you will defend what man has made, but will do nothing to defend the Glory and Holiness of the one true God.