Empty Idols

"What fault did your ancestors find in me that they withdrew from me, went after emptiness and became empty themselves?" Jeremiah 2:5

One of the most overlooked Commandments is the first: "You shalt not have other gods besides me." Exodus 20:3. And on the surface, this would seem to be alright. There is no glaring problem with polytheism in the world today. Zeus and Hermes are becoming rather thin for lack of sacrificial offerings these days. Chances are, if you are religious in today's world, you believe in a single god, whether you are Christian, Jewish, or Muslim.

But the real problem is that we take the words that Moses received on Mount Sinai too literally and fail to apply them to contemporary reality. "Gods" do not have to be of Olympian stock. False divinities can also take the forms of money, ambition, and even technology. When a man choses to pursue the accumulation of wealth to the point that it hinders his pursuit of God, he sins against the first commandment. Worshiping idols can take a plethora of forms.

I want to specifically address one of the most dangerous modern idols in today's world: technology. Technology is not inherently evil. When used correctly, it can improve standards of living, relieve the pains of the suffering, and cure diseases. But technology is very easily used for sin, and I'm not simply talking about specific acts of sin like pornography. Technology, specifically smartphones, are very dangerous idols. When you get the chance, look up from your phone and look around you. Chances are, about half of the people you will see, no matter where you are, will be actively engaged in some sort of activity that involves their phone.

Smartphones are the premier in false idols. Not only are they worshipped, but they can interact with their worshippers. Baal is very jealous. The development of technology has progressed to the point that smartphones have the illusion of life.

More than that, smartphones are dangerous because of their versatile and self-contained nature. They can connect you to friends through texting and social media, you can access the Internet, play games, and listen to music all in a device that fits in the palm of your hand. The smartphone can become it's own reality. Why would you have to leave the safety of your iPhone if it has an app for your every desire? Any possible whim you could have can be satisfied by one of millions of apps, many of which are free. This engenders the attitude that life is all about entertainment. Things become useful solely to the extent to which they can provide a few hours or even a few minutes of meaningless fun.

This is an attitude that is directly in conflict with the Truth of God. God does not want us to be trapped in our smartphones. He wants us to interact with the people whom He placed around us, and not just on Twitter. He wants us to work for the salvation of sinners, not a new high score.

Deus Volt!