“I am God, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of slaves. No other gods, only Me. No carved gods of any size, shape or form of anything whatever, whether things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I am a most jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 5:6-9 MSG)
The Israelite’s ongoing struggle with worship of false gods has always been a mystery to me. Why wasn’t Yahweh enough? How did they even come in contact with these other gods? What made them bow to them? Our recent trip to the Holy Land coupled with my Old Testament Survey textbook have opened my eyes considerably. Israel is a land bridge connecting three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. It’s also a fairly fertile part of the world in comparison to its neighbors. Add that information to the essential trade routes running through it’s borders and we start to see how the culture of adjoining nations chronically seeped in. The people of God were endlessly exposed to the politics, economy and religions of neighboring entities, whether they were traveling through or attempting a takeover.
What’s more, the nation of Israel had spent four hundred years in bondage in Egypt. The Promised Land must have felt far off, like a distant dream. The culture of Egypt pushed it’s way in, making itself evident in the wilderness re-creation of an idol calf, the symbol of the cult worship of Apis. We also see Egyptian influence in the 45 ‘loan’ words (Egyptian vocabulary) included in the Pentatuech.
This is why God called His people to holiness, to set-apartness. He knew their tendency toward syncretism, the inward longing to bow to things they could see. He pleaded with His nation to trust in Him alone. When they did, they prospered. When they didn’t, they floundered.
Why does this matter today, in 2019? We no longer live in a set-apart state with national borders and 600 covenant laws to keep us on track. Perhaps it matters even more? Cultural creep is so subtle. As Christians, we are exposed to spiritual sewage via screens, advertisements, and speakers. We can find it at the water cooler at work or in casual conversation with our acquaintances. We are inundated with a post-Christian culture. The melting pot of our nation has reduced loving God with heart, mind and soul to simply ‘being spiritual’ – an ambiguous awareness of something greater than ourselves. Anything goes. We walk in syncretism (the seamless mingling of different religions) without awareness.
How do we resolve this dillution?
We return to God’s word daily. We “allow His attributes to become the framework of our worldview, shaping our perspective on ourselves, our society, our world, our history, our decisions – everything knit together by an informed and integrated view of God.” (A. Hill & J. Walton) We guard our spiritual borders with diligence. We reaffirm our commitment to the One True God. We pursue holiness; not out of legalism but love. We keep our eyes on the prize of the Promised Land and being His people forever.
“Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making His home with men and women! They’re His people, He’s their God!” (Revelation 21:3 MSG)
Lord, we see the end results of syncretism: it’s separation from You. We want no part of that. Help us see the truth and set strong boundaries in our hearts. We want to worship You only. Strengthen our resolve as we make our way Home. Amen.