"All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect." Esther 3:2
Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines an idol as "an object of extreme devotion" and "a representation or symbol of an object of worship." Understanding the definition is helpful. When I hear the word idol, I usually think about a carved image that people in the time of the Old Testament bowed down to. This definition helps me understand that an idol goes far beyond the physical images people worship. You see, an idol can be anything that takes the place in our lives that only God deserves. Idols take our focus off of God and onto something or someone else. An idol is anything we treat in the way that only God deserves.
A man named Mordecai was put to the test in Esther chapter 3. A man named Haman had been promoted to chief official to the king, and all of the king's officials were required to bow down to him when they walked by him. Mordecai followed and obeyed God, however, and would not bow down to this man. He knew that only God deserved to be worshiped and bowed down to. He knew he could get in trouble for refusing to bow down to Haman, but he also knew that following God has no room for idol worship. As expected, Mordecai's refusal to bow down to Haman greatly angers Haman. He was so angry that he wanted to destroy Mordecai. Even still, Mordecai stayed true to his faith in God, refusing to bow down to Haman.
We may not be tempted to worship another person or a carved image, but even today, we are tempted to worship other things as if they were God. This, my friends, is idolatry. When we put other things in place of God, we give them a place only He deserves and create idols. This, my friends, is not the life God wants for us. He hates idolatry and calls us to let go of any idols we have made in our lives. May we have no idols in our lives, worshiping Him and Him alone.
Is there anything in your life that has become an idol? What is it? Spend a few minutes confessing that idol to God. Tell Him that you are sorry. Ask Him to help you let go of that idol and commit to worshiping only Him. Next, think of one person you can share this with who can hold you accountable as you take steps to eliminate that idol. Reach out to them this week and ask them for help. You are not alone as you strive to eliminate any idols.
Esther 3:1-5 (NLT)
"Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. 2 All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.
3 Then the palace officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” 4 They spoke to him day after day, but still he refused to comply with the order. So they spoke to Haman about this to see if he would tolerate Mordecai’s conduct, since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage."
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