DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: SEPTEMBER 22 PUNISHMENT FOR IDOLATRY (1) SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 20: 4 – 5
In our discussions on idolatry in the church, we have touched worship of images and natures, and have touched how we human beings do turn ourselves to idols of people we lead, regarding such an idolatry. We still have several ways we involve ourselves in idolatry unknown to us in many cases. As said earlier, whatever captured our total respect, admiration, love, and thoughts higher than God is our idol. This can be cars, buildings, money, wealth, dresses, Jewelry etc. Some of us, our fathers or mothers are the highest gods of our lives. There will be nothing they tell us that we will not do; but can easily go against what God says. Our aged customs and cultures fall into this category.
Today’s devotional simply points us to an unarguable truth about idolatry. Every practice of idolatry attracts punishment on the idolater. God is indeed a God of mercy and love, yet He has never compromised His honour and glory with any other god. Action of idolatry is vehemently and out rightly abhorred by God. God says in Exodus 20: 4 – 5 that His children are not to make themselves any carved image to worship. *He clearly says in verse 6 that He is a “jealous God, visiting the iniquity of fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate him.” The surest ways to demonstrate to God that we hate Him is turning our respect, honour and reverence due to Him from Him and give them to images, sun, moon, star, rock, or human beings.
Punishment for idolatry can be passed on from one’s generation onward to the second, third and fourth. Biblical years within a generation are put at between 30 to 35 years each. This means, when one committed sin of idolatry, the curses from it can linger in a family for about 120 to 140 years. This explains why certain traces of evil things can be resurfacing and reoccurring amongst the households of a family lineage. This can reflect in untimely deaths, miscarriages among the females in that family or presence of deadly diseases and sicknesses. There are biblical evidences of how some people were punished as a result of their sins of idolatry. This will be discussed in the second series of this devotional. Christians are advised not to make light the implication of sin of idolatry. Its punishment can be so devastating!
PRAYERS:
1. LORD JESUS, deliver me and my family from any punishment brought upon us through the sin of idolatry of anyone within our family lineage. Wash us of the stains with your precious Blood.
2. ALMIGHTY FATHER, forgive our Assembly and other ministries of whatever sin of idolatry committed against you in secret places in Jesus name.
CONTACT US? You can contact us for prayer requests or discussion through ubasimon341@gmail.com
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch
