Many of us have heard and even recited the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses from the time that we were too young to grasp their full meaning. I will admit that the command in Exodus 20:3 to “have no other gods before me” seemed like an easy one for me to keep. After all, I didn’t own any statues in my home that I would bow down and worship. False gods and idols are often pictured in our minds as dwelling in far away, heathen countries. We are not ignorant to believe that there is idol worship here in America, but perhaps we are blinded to the extent of how rapidly it is increasing.
In fact, I would add that there is a false god that has made its way into America and has been richly dwelling in our country and homes for generations now without being noticed by the majority.
The god of whom I speak is the “self god.” Certainly this god resides in a country that has a tv show entitled “American Idol”, where individuals are idolized for their amazing talents, not acknowledging the One who grants all abilities. How does this happen to a nation once known for its faith in God?
How do we get to the point of seeing ourselves as a god?
God, Who knows our hearts and minds even better than we ourselves, explains it in Ezekiel 28:2-5 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:
Our pride would have us believe that we are wiser than others, and that we ourselves have no fault in the way that we think. To the extreme, this leads many to believe that they are wiser, more just and kinder than the God of the Bible. Therefore they come to the conclusion that He, not being perfect, must not even exist. In so doing, they make themselves as a god, determining right from wrong and good from evil. Be on the lookout for these loud voices that demand your attention, and would cause you to become wiser in your own eyes. Do not lend your ear to their voices, but “fear the Lord and depart from evil" (Proverbs 3:7). He alone speaks perfect truth, and He leaves a warning for those who would believe in their own deity: Ezekiel 28:6-9
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.
And again in Matthew 23:12,
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Be still and know that He alone is God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37)
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