Idolatry In The Bible: Isaiah Jeremiah And Ezekiel

When just glancing at these few books in the Bible; Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, they are found to be, and even after reading are found to be, very depressing. The books are filled with anger, judgement and many other negative things. Even though these books were written so long ago; the situations in these books fit so perfectly in today’s society. These books all have major themes; which some are pretty negative. Those themes are idolatry, which is the worshipping of idols, or “the worship of a picture or object as a god” (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2015), social injustice and religious ritualism.
There were many people that faced things, just as many people do today, that they had no idea to handle. Furthermore, these people

wanted nothing more than to know God and what He was about. So, the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, helped to teach people about God and His ways. They also taught them about how He could help in certain areas in their life that they struggled with, such as: social issues and even religious rituals.
60 %Even though people faced several issues; Idolatry was found to be the biggest issue that was known among the Jews.

With the Jewish people Idolatry has always been an issue. God knew this would be; therefore, He was prepared and He prepared His people. Furthermore, because of the many nations that surrounded Isreal, God gave them instructions during the time of the Exodus. He tells the people in Exodus 20: 4-6 (New International Version), that “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand

generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Furthermore, in Jeremiah 44:2-6 (New International Version), it says that “this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins because of the evil they have done. They aroused my anger by burning incense to and worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew. Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’ But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today.” Even though God ordered His people to obey the commandments Isreal still struggled with this. Israel had a problem with worshipping a God; therefore, they searched for their own. They found idols to worship and glorify.
80% When Isreal began to worship other gods, it led to the problem of social injustices. When people worship other Gods and choose not to follow God's plan then, bad things will begin to happen. Furthermore, “Israel's accumulation of wealth led to a wide disparity between the upper and lower classes, and a climate of injustice prevailed as the rich used their power and influence to take advantage of the poor. Selfishness, greed, and the pursuit of pleasure characterized Israelite society rather than love for the Lord and one's neighbor” (Hindson, 2012, p.70). God had made a promise prior to all of these things happening and because of all these things that happened God followed through on his promise and two years sent an earthquake (Amos 1:1, New International Version).
In addition to Isreal worshipping other Gods, God was very offended by the fact that people offered sacrifices just for ritualism but because they loved God.

They definitely were not joyfully giving to Him. He does state in 2 Corinthians 9:7 (New International Version), that “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” However, “sin damages us, and our relationship with others, and with the creation: but the central problem is that it deserves the judgement of God” (Adam, 2016). Therefore, when sin enters, the enemy takes away the

joy.
Knowing what the prophets had to say about these issues, the practical applications that can be drawn from those teachings are very similar to today’s society. As Christians, many people today experience God’s presence is is different than what it used to be (Hays, 2016). Therefore, the indwelling of the Spirit, it is still true that a hypocritical life characterized by modern culture “idolatry” and social injustice creates a distance between us and God, diminishing or even extinguishing our so-called worship of him” (Hays, 2016). Furthermore, in today’s society “true worship…involves listening carefully to God’s word and then obeying it” (Hays, 2016). However, a lot of the time today seem so much more interested in, or concerned about, rituals instead of what matters; which is ethics and obedience (Hays, 2016).
In conclusion, when looking at the books in the Bible; Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, many found them to be very depressing and filled with anger and judgement. These themes were idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism. And even though these books were written so long ago; the situations in these books fit so perfectly in today’s society. So many people struggle with these items on a daily basis and in more ways than some can count. God explained before hand that these things would happen. However, because these things did happen, this is the time that a person needs to turn and focus on God or have people in their life to help them refocus. Furthermore, when reading these books, even though they were negative, there can be positive things that a person can learn and take to their own life; which in turn will help that person to be closer to God.