After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon's temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. (1 Samuel 5:1-4)The Bible is filled with stories of people who go to all kinds of trouble to create and care for gods that are worse than helpless—they’re needy! Dagon, the god of the Philistines, certainly fit the description.
But an idol is more than a carved or forged image. It's anything that takes the place of God. False gods fall over and have to be set upright. They have to be carried from place to place (or washed or cleaned or put away; or, in the case of opinions and preferences, defended). They are a burden. But people would rather cater to the gods they create than bow down to the One who created them. They work tirelessly to appease false gods but refuse to do the one thing that will make them acceptable to the one true God: bow down. (Adapted from Above All, Love: Reflections on the Greatest Commandment)
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