Stupid Scholar

It’s been a while, but last time we critiqued both sides of the worship wars. The basic conclusion was that both sides are flawed for various reasons. Thus, style should not and cannot be the main issue. A focus on style is quite simply a bad priority.

Today, we will focus on some important passages of Scripture that deal with worship. I admit two things upfront.  First, this is a small, selective group of passages. It is impossible to address every passage in one post. I will most certainly miss some texts, and my biases will probably govern what I write. Second, this post is, nevertheless, rather long. This is a bit technical, and I ask that you stay with me.  I hope you will it useful.

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Isaiah 6: Isaiah in the Presence of God

I begin here because many people on both sides of the argument, myself included, are too comfortable in worship. We “enter the presence of God” and we are at ease, each in our own way. The contemporary side makes things comfortable by trying to appeal to the culture. The traditional side often falls into the, “We’ve always done it this way,” form of comfort.

However, in this passage, Isaiah sees a vision of The Lord Almighty. He enters into a throne room, where even God’s robe fills the temple. It is an awe-inspiring, fearful scene for sure, and the prophet is not at east. Instead, he calls out in terror, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips” (ESV).

Ever since the time when Adam and Eve sinned, every time a person enters into the presence of the most holy God , that person is immediately confronted with his or her own unholiness. Being in God’s presence is frightening. Adam and Eve cowered in fear when God appeared (Genesis 3:8), the Israelites refused to approach God on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20:18-21), and even the Apostle John fell in fear when Jesus appeared on Patmos (Revelation 1:17). God’s presence is not comfortable, for we are unclean people with unclean lips.

Sadly, we have turned God into a buddy at the expense of His Majesty and glory. Yes, He is our friend (John 15:15), and it is not inappropriate to emphasized that.  Yet He is also our King (Psalm 29:10), and this cannot be forgotten. As we come to approach the King of Kings, let us remember that Our God is an Awesome God. Entering into is His presence can be uncomfortable, even fearful, for we are not worthy to be in His presence at all. Thus, may our worship never become ordinary or easy.

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Exodus 20-31: Details Matter

Clearly, I’m not going to discuss 12 whole chapters. What I want to highlight is how “nit-picky” God’s commands about worship and life can be. In these 12 chapters, we learn the 10 Commandments and read details about altars, the Sabbath, the Ark of the Covenant, the lampstand, the curtains for the tabernacle, and even the clothes of the priests. Exact dimensions and specific materials are divinely ordained. It is very precise.

We learn from this that God cares about details.  He has a way by which He wants to be worshiped.  He is the King, and He has the right to define how He is to be honored.  As we approach the New Testament, we should expect to see such particulars – either in specifics (dress, postures, locations, etc.) or in guiding principles. Then we would do well to adhere as closely as possible to what we find.  Again, He is the King.

It is easy to label such exactness as legalistic and works-based. However, legalism, by definition, only applies to salvation via works. When it comes to being obedient and honoring the King, we are not being legalistic when we pay attention to details and do what God says. Indeed, we are obligated to pay attention to them, as we will see below.

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Leviticus 10: Nadab and Abihu’s Dangerous “Worship”

We now look at two men who were at one time very privileged, Nadab and Abihu. They were two of Aaron’s sons, and, along with Moses, Aaron and the 70 elders, were even able to come near to God at Sinai (Exodus 24:1-2). They were consecrated as priests and served before the Lord. They were important worship leaders of their time.

However, eventually, they decided to do things their own way and offered “strange” fire to the Lord, which God had not commanded (Leviticus 10:1). The Lord was not pleased at all. Immediately, and perhaps ironically, a strange fire came up out of the ground and consumed them.  Yahweh was rightfully angry because Nadab and Abihu, who should have known better, did not follow the details.

A similar story occurred with Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-7). We don’t know exactly what Cain did wrong, but he clearly knew what he ought to have done (Genesis 4:6-7). Nevertheless, he didn’t do it, and he too incurred God’s anger.

All throughout the Old Testament (1 Samuel 15; 2 Samuel 6; and the Prophets), and even in the New (maybe Acts 5:1-11; and surely 1 Corinthians 11), we see that God does not appreciate His people “doing worship” their own way. He wants His detailed commands for worship to be followed.  After all, He is the King. That deviations from the commands occasionally resulted in death should remind us that this is serious business.  Who are we to decide how God should be worshiped?

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Excursus: Worship in Light of Christ

You may have noticed that much of what I have cited is Old Testament passages. This is because the Old Testament is far more detailed and lucid about what God requires in worship. Old Testament worship was centered around sacrifices, and theologians have long recognized that Christ’s sacrifice was the epitome and completion of those sacrifices. Calvary was the epitome and fulfillment of Israel’s worship, as a whole.

Hence, it is, at first, reasonable to assume that our worship today need not be as detailed and exact. There is merit to this, especially, since there is no New Testament equivalent of Leviticus or Exodus. Nevertheless, I would argue that there is more reason to worship and praise God now that the fulfillment has come and King Jesus has taken His place at the right hand of the Father.

The fact that we have no divinely inspired Book of Worship only means we need to work harder with the Books He has given, in order to understand how our God wants us to worship Him now. The commands (or principles) are there; we just need to find them.

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Matthew 22:34-40 and 1 Corinthians 10:31: The Purpose of Worship

We end here for good reason; this reminds us why we do what we do on Sunday mornings. In our age of self indulgence, we are naturally drawn to do things the way we want and desire. If it doesn’t make us happy or suit our needs, then we quickly dismiss or change it.

However, as we have seen, worship is about God, not about us. The greatest commandment Christ has given us is to Love God will all our hearts, souls, and minds. By definition, love is not self-seeking (1 Corinthians 13:5). Rather, it seeks to serve and to please another; in this case, God. We don’t typically give our wives bowling balls or our husbands ballet tickets, because that is not what they want; that’s what we want.

Likewise, when we gather to worship God, and hence, love Him completely, we should make sure we’re not giving God what we want. We worship God because we love Him, and show our love by doing what He desires.

Finally, Paul tells us to glorify God in all that we do, even eating and drinking (1 Corinthians 10:31). If this is true of our daily lives, how much more so when we gather together, as Christ’s Body, to exult Him above everything else. Our goal, our purpose, and our passion in worship is to glorify Him above all. That is why we do what we do, especially in worship.

Conclusion

When we come to worship God, our hearts, souls, and minds must be centered on loving, serving, pleasing, and glorifying Him alone. This is what it means to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). That is what it means to worship. Loving and glorifying God need to be the main priorities of our worship services, not style.

In order to accomplish these goals, we need to turn to what God says about Himself and how He desires to be approached. We turn to to the Bible, for that is where God reveals Himself (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Remember it is about Him, not about us.

Therefore, next time we will look at some key elements of worship – those things which are non-negotiable. We will also look at some things which are important, but perhaps not necessary. We will examine passages, mainly in the New Testament, which discuss how we should worship the King.

Until then, please leave your comments…. That is assuming you’re still awake after reading this major rambling. May the Lord be with you!

In words that I would never have been capable of articulating, this is why I am a biblical scholar.

Sacred Scripture so incomparably transcends all human knowledge and learning that I am reduced to silence. It proclaims the truth; calls to the heavenly fatherland; changes the heart of the reader from earthly desires to embracing higher ones. It challenges the strong with its more obscure expressions, while attracting little ones with simple speech. It is not so inaccessible that one should be frightened, nor so obvious that it becomes cheap. Familiarity with it takes away boredom; and the more one meditates on it, the more one loves it. It helps the soul of the reader with simple words, raises it with sublime meanings. In a certain sense it grows with the one who reads. The uneducated, in part, appraise it, while on the other hand the learned are always finding new things in it.

- St. Gregory the Great, Moral Commentary on Job, XX.1 (circa 600).

I am so privileged to be able to spend my time studying the Sacred Text. I only wish that my admiration for it and for the God it proclaims were greater. I agree with Gregory that the Bible is both simple and extremely complex; shallow and very deep. May the Lord speak to all of us, as we read, study, and learn from His Word.

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I don’t have any children of my own. However, I have many friends whose children I consider an extension of my own family. I love watching the little rugrats explore, play, smile, sing, and especially laugh. Whether they’re hyper Americans or crazy, rosy-cheeked Scots, they are truly delights and joys.

Scripture speaks repeatedly of the blessing of children. The Psalms, the histories, and even the Gospels are replete with references to the sheer joy of raising children and furthering the family. In fact, the Holy Bible never suggests that children are a hindrance, burden, nuisance, or even an option. Perhaps this is no more explicit than in Psalm 127:3-5.

3 Even now, children are an inheritance from the Lord.
A reward is the fruit of the womb.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, are children of youth.
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
He will not be ashamed when his enemies speak at the gate.
(My translation)

There are several metaphors here that highlight the wonderment of children. Children are called an inheritance, a reward, and even arrows. The words are ripe with meaning, and were very significant to the original Israelite audience.

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Some of the greatest things in the Old Testament are referred to as an inheritance. For example, each tribe’s portion of the Promise Land was called an inheritance (Numbers 18:23-24; 34:5; Deuteronomy 4:38; 15:4), and Israel itself is called the Lord’s inheritance (Deuteronomy 4:20). There is deep sense of blessing, intimacy, and dependence upon God implied by the term inheritance. Inheritances are precious, undeserved, and wonderful, and so are little children.

Likewise, rewards were highly treasured. The lineage and blessings promised to Abraham were called rewards (Genesis 15:1); a reward is given to those who sow righteousness (Proverbs 11:18); and a reward acts as the wages given for hard work (Genesis 30:28, 32; Exodus 2:9; Deuteronomy 24:15). Rewards were tied to the undeserved promises of God, as well as to prudence and diligence.

Finally, arrows formed an important tool among the arsenal of a warrior. Arrows were terrifying weapons, as they could destroy an enemy from a distance. If a warrior was well equipped with arrows, he would probably not be touched in battle. A full quiver meant strength, victory, and even life.

And such are children. Children – little boys and girls, young men and women, grown sons and daughters – are God-given blessings. They are undeserved, and yet they are the fruit of marital labor. They remind us that we are children of God, the fruit of His labor throughout history. Children are precious, valuable, beautiful, and necessary. They exemplify the joy and newness of life, and remind us that there is the hope of victory for the future. Indeed, they are new creations, made in the image of our Lord.

There is a vast chasm separating families that love and cherish their children and those that are bothered or inconvenienced by them. It is true that children are loud, expensive and require a great deal of patience, responsibility, and all-too-often lacking energy. Yet, they are still our reward, inheritance, and quiver of hope. Families that realize this exemplify an unparalleled sense of compassion, understanding, and encouragement not only among their own children, but often to other people, as well.

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Likewise, churches and communities that cherish children as much as this Psalm does are typically happy, welcoming, patient, and encouraging places. They are not bothered by immaturity but strive to help the young grow strong and wise. They appreciate laughter and smiles, and they realize that God does too. They cultivate love, and they fan the flames of joy.

How truly a great and wonderful gift children are! How comforting and encouraging it is to see Scripture proclaim this so clearly. I cannot wait until my quiver is full, but I am very thankful that I can reap a harvest of joy from the children around me. I am very glad that the churches I have attended are appreciative of the blessing of children. It is a lot of fun to stand in the midst of a swarm happy, rosy-cheeked rugrats.

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In the midst of His famous Sermon on the Mount, our Lord teaches us how to pray. As sinful, selfish people, we will never fully come to the point of perfect conversation with the King of Heaven. There is always room to grow, change, and add to our prayer lives. In this series, I hope to be of help in that journey. May the Lord be with you always.

Matthew 5:1-4

1 Take heed not to practice your righteousness before people so that it will be seen by them. Otherwise, you receive no wages from your Father, who is in Heaven.

2 Thus, whenever you give alms, don’t blast a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they will be glorified by other people. Amen I tell you, they receive their wages. 3 But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right hand does, 4 so that your alms-giving might be in secret. Then your Father who sees what is in secret will repay you. (My Translation from the Greek)

Two Ways to Give

This part of the sermon comes almost directly before the Prayer itself. It serves as a fitting introduction to praying properly. Here our Lord shows us the attitude we should have when we pray, and, indeed, the attitude we should have throughout our whole lives: love.

Having been in full time ministry for five years and still being in the midst of a theological education, I know first hand the tendency towards pride, arrogance, and vainglory. This is a poignant problem for “religious” people, especially those with some influence (pastors, priests, elders, teachers, leaders, and those considered “godly” or “holy”).

This is because religious people tend to do holy and religious things for pious and righteous reasons – to glorify God, to help others, to repent from sin. This frequently leads to compliments, adulations, and congratulations. The obvious consequence is that this once humble and devout person begins to do things for not-so-pious reasons.

This is not always for praise or compliments. One can do holy deeds because he or she likes the feeling it brings. Perhaps the person enjoys feeling important and needed. Perhaps they feel superior. “No one else does what I do. If I didn’t do this, who would?” The rate that smugness can descend upon a righteous person can often surpass the speed of light. It is truly amazing.

The “hypocrites” that Jesus discusses here are doing some remarkably, good things. They are giving to the poor. These destitute people probable had little to no clothing, no food, and no chance of a different life. They were in the direst of straits, and without the help of others, they had no hope or assurance of a tomorrow. The “hypocrites” were needed, wanted, and certainly appreciated. You would be hard pressed to hear one of the beggars shoo them out of the neighborhood.

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Nevertheless, they were hypocrites. They didn’t care about the poor. They didn’t care that these beggars had no food or clothing. They didn’t care that these impoverished men and women had to suffer hunger pangs, ridicule, and despair. They didn’t even care that God cared. They may have at one point, but they their compassion faded and died awhile ago.

Instead, they cared about themselves. They were good and they wanted people to know they were good. They wanted the praise, good feelings, and sense of accomplishment that accompanies noticed righteousness. They were self-centered show-offs. They desired to be recognized and congratulated – both from other righteous people and from the beggars – for the good deeds.

And Jesus does not deny them their hearts desire. He lets them have their praise. They get what they want…

But that’s all they will ever get. That is their treasure, their prize, their wages; this is what they’ve earned. They will receive nothing from their Heavenly Father. They will not be honored or praised by the Almighty Creator. Instead, they will be rejected, denied, and cast aside by the One who really could see their “righteousness” for what it was… empty, shallow nothingness.

Christ teaches – no, He demands – that our attitude be the opposite. We should care, really care from the gut, about the poor. We must be concerned about their hopelessness, poverty, and suffering. We should sympathize, empathize, and have compassion. And we must help without placing ourselves in a situation to be recognized – even by ourselves!

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Love and Prayer

But what does all this have to do with prayer???

Well, it is this selfless, self-giving, self-sacrificing love that ought to precede our prayers. It is this true compassion for the needs of others, not the wants of me, that should fill our hearts and minds. If love precedes our prayers, then love will fill our prayers.

Our true feelings for others – selfish pride or selfless compassion, vainglory or glory to God – flood our prayers, whether we like it or not. Our hearts do not change simply because we are now in the quiet of our homes. They remain the same, whether or good or evil. If we are hypocrites in public, we will be hypocrites at home. But if we love in public, then we will love alone. And our God knows, for He sees what is in secret.

Therefore, we must cultivate habits of sacrifice and charity. It must not be our glory and benefit we seek; it must be that of others. These habitual acts will lead to habitual prayers. Rather than being saturated with me, our prayers will become saturated with passionate love for God coupled with compassionate love for others.

We will begin to feel the needs of others and understandingly pray for God’s intervention. We will turn our gaze away from our navel and onto our God. Our prayers will be different because our hearts will be different.

And our God will know, for He sees what is in secret.

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I recently had an interesting discussion based upon this post at Matthew Bellisario’s blog, Catholic Champion. While the original post was about the Reformers and contraception, the discussion in the combox centered around Genesis 38 and whether or not this text condemns such contraception, including coitus interruptus, masturbation, and modern methods like the pill.

In responding to this post, I’ll reprint the biblical text, give a short exegesis of it, and then draw theological and moral conclusions from it.  If you’re only interested in the last bit, feel free to skip to the end.

Genesis 38

1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.

6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up” – for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house.

(English Standard Version)

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Exegesis of Genesis 38:1-11

Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel. His mother was Leah, Jacob’s first wife and the daughter of Laban, Jacob’s uncle.

The story begins here with Judah leaving his brothers, who remained behind in Canaan shortly after Joseph had been sold by his brothers.  There he meets the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite, and he marries her.

The two of them then three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Judah then selects a wife, named Tamar,  for his eldest son, Er, but he does not choose any wives for his other two sons.

Now Er, was wicked so Yahweh killed him. However, there is no description of Er’s sin or rebellion.

Judah then tells Onan to have intercourse with Tamar with the result that the offspring would be Er’s not Onan’s. This custom would later be called Levirite Marriage. A great example of this is seen in the book of Ruth, especially chapter 4, and it is made explicit in Deuteronomy:

5 If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. (Deut 25:5-6; ESV).

Now, the rules for Levirite Marriage were not handed down until the time of Moses. Thus, technically, Onan was obligated to fulfill a law here, but the fact that his father encourages this practice puts a large burden on Onan. Interestingly, Judah does not command Onan to take Tamar as a wife. He only commands that they produce offspring.

Apparently this burden was too much. Onan knew “that the offspring would not be his” (v. 9). Therefore, instead of fulfilling his father’s command, he decides to withdraw early and spill his semen on the ground. Obviously, this prevents pregnancy and offspring.

This means that Onan would now be considered the firstborn. Since he was the second oldest, Onan would have taken the privileged status held by Er. Thus, he was entitled to the inheritance of the firstborn, which was always greater (compare with the story of Jacob and Esau in Gen. 27). If Tamar had a son in the line of Er, that child would receive Er’s inheritance, not Onan. Onan’s actions prevent this.

Still, the text does not say that this was Onan’s motivation. All that we are told is that Onan’s action was evil in God’s sight. Therefore, God kills him, just as he had killed Er, Onan’s older brother.

Instead of sending Shellah, Judah’s last son, into Tamar, Judah fears that Shellah will suffer the same fate as Er and Onan. Therefore, he tells Tamar to wait until Shellah is older (how old, we do not know). We find out later that Tamar tricks Judah into sleeping with her, and it is Judah’s offspring that is then brought forth (Gen. 38:12-30).

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Genesis 38, Theology, and Morality

There are several wicked people in this story, not just Onan, and their sin(s) is/are not always clear. Both Onan and Er are said to have been wicked before the Lord. Then in v. 26 Judah admits his guilt in not sending Shellah into Tamar. There is a lot of sin in the passage but not all of it is identifiable (e.g. Er’s sin) and not all is applicable today (e.g. Levirite Marriage).

There are also multiple possibilities for Onan’s Sin. Greed is a prime suspect. In not fulfilling his duties, he guarantees the firstborn’s share for himself. This is potentially coupled with selfishness. In failing in his duties, he leaves Tamar without a lineage and without someone to care for her.

Onan also directly disobeys a command from his father. This showed rebellion, pride, selfishness, and disrespect. Although the Law would come later, in some circumstances, disobedience was worthy of death (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). The details of Onan’s situation do not directly correlate to Deuteronomy 21, but the point is that Onan’s dishonoring and disobeying his father was serious and potentially deadly.

Onan also did not fulfill his duty in Levirite Marriage. Again, although the Law did not come later, it is possible that this was a common, accepted, and expected practice. While the punishment for refusing to fulfill Levirite duties was not death (Deut. 25:7-10), it was shameful to do so.

Plus, Onan does not simply tell Tamar that he refuses to take her in marriage, as described in Deuteronomy 25:7. Instead, he tricks her, seduces her, does not marry her, and then denies her children. Thus, Onan fails in his Levirite duty through deception, adultery, and stubbornness. This is more significant than Deuteronomy 25, making a stricter punishment probable.

Or it could have been coitus interruptus. This is the only place in the Old Testament that describes such an act, and Onan’s death occurs shortly thereafter. Thus, it is not unreasonable to see this as a possibility, and I do not want to disregard it outright.

Yet, as I have shown above, there are plenty of sins that Onan has committed, some of which may merit death, and the combination of them all might demand it. The problem is that the text does not specify the particular sin or sins that cause God to kill Onan. It is ambiguous. To hone in on the contraceptive act alone is to say more than the text says.

Plus, semen discharge is not counted as abortive event or one that merits any moral concern in the Old Testament. Leviticus 15 states that the results of a man’s discharge (whether semen, puss, blood, etc.) makes the man, his clothes, and anything he touches ritually unclean. He is to bathe his entire body, and then he becomes clean at night (Lev. 15:16).

Now all the examples in Leviticus 15 are involuntary, but Onan’s action was voluntary. The peculiar thing, however, is that if self-inflicted semen loss (coitus interruptus, masturbation, etc.) was a capital offense, it seems odd that the Old Testament omits any such law, while including proscriptions for nocturnal emissions. Hence, if one argues that refusing Levirite duties is not punishable by death, then one must also argue that neither is coitus interruptus or masturbation.

Conclusion

In the end, I’m forced to conclude that the text is not clear enough to specify a particular sin as “The Sin” that caused Onan’s death. It seems likely that it was some combination of greed, selfishness, deception, lust, and disobedience. Since coitus interruptus is not specifically stated as the reason, and it was neither a capital offense nor an offense discussed elsewhere in the Old Testament, it seems unlikely that this was the cause.

Therefore, I conclude that Genesis 38 is ambiguous about Onan’s sin at best and points to sins other than coitus interruptus at worst. It is, thus, unreasonable to use this text as proof against contraception.

Bibliographical Information

Greg Dutcher, You are the Treasure that I Seek: But There’s a Lot of Cool Stuff out There Lord (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 2009). Pp. 140. $12.

Rating: 2 stars out of 5.

Special thanks to Jason Engwar and James Swan for alerting me to this book.

Abstract

The premise of Dutcher’s book is that idolatry is not a sin of the past belonging to pagans, agnostics, or atheists. Rather, it is much present and active within the modern church. The purpose of Dutcher’s book is to help the Christian identify his or her own idols, flee to Christ, and conquer this significant sin.

Dutcher’s book is broken up into ten brief chapters, each tackling a different aspect of the journey from recognizing idols to deliverance from them. Rather than being a textbook on the subject, it is clear, although not explicitly stated, that the book is meant for personal devotions or group studies. The study guides and prayers at the end of each chapter help the reader summarize, digest, and apply the lessons to his/her own life.

In chapter one, Dutcher identifies the problem.  Although he does not explicitly define idolatry, he appears to equate an idol with anything in which one looks to for fulfillment and contentment, other than Jesus Christ (p. 13).  The significance of this problems is realized when he says, “The battle against idolatry is a fight for our lives, the lives of others, and, most importantly, the reputations of Christ himself” (p. 16).

Romans 1:18-22 forms the point of departure for chapter two. Here Dutcher shows that the one may appear fine on the outside but utterly diseased on the inside. He does not identify the disease here but only highlights the danger.

In chapter three, Dutcher introduces the “Idolatry Syndrome,” the malady that affects the human heart. Based upon Romans 1:22-25, the idolatry syndrome is defined as poorly trading the glory of Christ for anything else. He concludes by showing the utter hopelessness to which the idolatry syndrome leads.

Chapters five and six pick up on many of these themes. Chapter five shows that today’s idols are mostly “sophisticated” and theoretical, rather than concrete and tangible (pp. 47-49). Thus, many Christians have missed the idols in their life and churches, adding further to their danger (p. 52). Chapter six shows how idolatry creeps in through many good and pleasant gifts from God (e.g. food, recreation, and sex; p. 61). Idolatry’s stealthiness leads to more danger, and the only solution is Christ himself (p. 63).

In chapter four, Dutcher boldly claims that Christ came to save idolaters, assume the awful wrath of God in man’s stead, and provides safety for the Christian faithful. Thus, while idolatry can rob one of joy and peace, because of the cross, it can no longer lead to condemnation (p. 43).

Chapters seven through ten highlight hope and the possibility of deliverance from idols. Chapter seven shows that God will never allow idols to reign completely. God may even painfully remove idols from the Christian’s life so that he/she learns to depend on Christ alone for satisfaction (pp. 72-73). Chapter eight shows that only by “prayerfully reading the Bible” (p. 82), that is, by reading for transformation, can one hope to defeat idolatry, and chapter nine shows the importance of fleeing from idolatry. Finally, in chapter ten, Dutcher shows how wonderfully beautiful Jesus Christ is. As one begins to see Christ’s glory, one loses his/her interest in idols (p. 99).

The book concludes with four anecdotal “case studies” (Appendix A) and a group of Bible verses, prayers, and spiritual writings to help the believer to identify idols, see the uselessness of them, and to grasp the beauty of Christ (Appendix B).

Benefits of You are the Treasure that I Seek

While the book is not overly sophisticated, there is much that could be of use and benefit to a Christian of any stage of Christian maturity. Dutcher does not shy away from highlighting the things that can distract the Christian from his/her walk with Christ. The basic premise that Christ should be our center and source of satisfaction is a message that no Christian will ever outgrow.

Furthermore, chapter ten and Appendix B are invaluable. The emphasis on Christ and His glory in these two sections is excellent, and every Christian will benefit from meditation on and praying through the Bible verses, hymns, prayers, and reflections from Tozer, Luther, Piper, Augustine, Pascal, and others given in the appendix.

Finally, the study questions and prayers at the end of each chapter make the book very flexible and useful for devotions and group-study. It is clear that Dutcher wants the information to affect one’s heart and life within the covenant community. Many pastors, small group leaders, and Sunday School teachers will find these helpful, even if only as a reference.

Problems with You are the Treasure that I Seek

While there is much to commend this book, there are several significant problems that I find seriously limit this book’s usefulness.

First, there is no clear definition of idolatry. Dutcher’s definition seems to progress and develop throughout the book, but it is more assumed than defined. It is difficult to discern if Dutcher equates desire with idolatry or a certain intensity of desire with idolatry. This makes the book confusing and imprecise.

Second, the book is poorly organized. There is a lot of needless repetition, lack of flow/progress, and chapter four seems out of place.

Third, there is not enough exegesis. Dutcher includes far more anecdotes and illustrations than he does discussions of the Bible. While this can be helpful in clarifying points, the reader can easily feel that the book presents Dutcher’s dislike of idols, rather than God’s.

Fourth, Dutcher seems to misunderstand the nature of idolatry. For instance, on p. 48 he grants that “most” OT idols were material. I am unaware of any in the OT that were not! Also he claims that “idols kill community” (p. 52), whereas whole communities have been built around idolatry. Finally, he implies that modern Christians accidentally commit idolatry (pp. 80-81), whereas the OT always presents it as an intentional act.

Furthermore, he quotes verses like Romans 1:22; Exodus 20:2-5; and Isaiah 42:8, which show that idols replace God’s glory and praise. However, Dutcher fails to show that ice cream (p. 91) can have such an effect. If it cannot, it cannot be idolatry! In fact, almost all of the sins that he labels as idolatry are better labeled as jealousy, lust, neglect, sloth, selfishness, etc.

Conclusion

Dutcher’s book could be very useful for people identifying sins in their lives, and it is certainly helpful in seeing the glory of Christ. His book would be beneficial in identifying sins such as lust, covetousness, and poor priorities, but not idolatry. Because of the dearth of biblical exegesis, I would recommend the pastor or teacher use this book as a study only in conjunction with more biblically based studies.

Therefore, whereas there is a lot to commend in this book, I believe a more biblical, well organized book is needed on the subject of idolatry. I appreciate pastor Dutcher’s passion to write on a subject he is right to see as under studied. However, I do not believe this book fills that void.

Image Source: Flickr Creative Commons - Laura Dunn Mark

Traditional Idols

I remember as a kid in Sunday School being taught about idolatry. We were told that idols aren’t just made of stone, gold, or wood.  Rather, I was told that an idol is anything that takes the place of God.

This made a lot of sense to me then. Things like money, family, fame, TV, music, etc. take the place of God all the time – after all, we spend tons of time worrying about and seeking fulfillment from these things – and thus, they could easily become idols to us. In and of themselves, they were OK, but taken to the extreme, they would become idols.  This is a position argued (or rather assumed) in recent book by Greg Dutcher, found here.

Scriptural Idols

Over the past few years, however, I’ve begun to question this definition. This is because idolatry implies worship. While, I’ve spent a lot of time over the years in front of my TV or literally bowed over my computer, I am not sure that I can say that I have, ‘worshiped,’ these things. Consider the sense of worship found here:

“You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image,
or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,
or that is on the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them or serve them;
for I the LORD your God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:3-6).

Questions about Idols

Could it be that in believing our idols are entertainment, fashion, money, sports, reputation, and the Internet, we have missed what really are our modern idols? Is it possible that the things discussed above are only symptoms of the deeply rooted evil within our hearts? Could we be worshiping, bowing down to, and serving idols that we don’t yet know exist?

But what are they? Certainly, modern day Christians don’t make golden calves, bow down to statues, build sacred poles, or are convinced that such things save, at least none I’ve ever met.

I’ve been wrestling with these kinds of questions for the past year or so: What is the definition of, ‘Idol?’ What do all idols have in common? How can we make a good definition, so that we can accurately uncover them in our society? Is our culture still plagued with idolatry? Has it infiltrated the Church? How can we know?

I hope to examine these in further details in future posts by examining the 10 Commandments, narrative examples throughout Scripture, admonitions by the prophets, and even some theological confessions and catechisms.

What Do You Think?

However, I’d also be interested in some of your thoughts on the matter. Are you content with the “classical” definition given above? How do you define the term, “Idol?” How do you think that we as Christians should rid ourselves of idols?