Gen 35:1 And God said to Jacob, Rise up, go up to Bethel, and dwell there.... (2) Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments. (3) And let us rise up and go up to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to God... Phil 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is their stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
Jacob told his household and all that were with him to put away the foreign gods that were among them....Many may claim that they have never had anything to do with idols. Materially speaking, it may be true to say that you have no idols. But we must know, spiritually speaking, what an idol is. An idol is anything that replaces God. Your education, your ambition, your position, your name, your desire, and your intention may replace God in your life and thus become idols. If you view the matter in this light, then you will have to admit that you have had many foreign gods. People worship idols for the sake of gaining long life and happiness. Satan threatens people, telling them that if they do not worship idols, they will not have long life and happiness, but that if they worship idols, then they will have long life and happiness. Happiness includes many things: money, position, ambition, fame, a name. Many have idols due to their desire to be healthy. Why do you have something that replaces God? Simply because that thing may make you happy....Today, man has lost God and, pursuing foreign gods, seeks his happiness in idols. But God is our long life and happiness.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Genesis, 1987, pp. 1002-1003. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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