“As for me and my House” America’s Household Idols
“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD….You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” - Joshua 24:14-15,19-20, ESV
Last time, we looked at Israel’s tumultuous beginning culminating in Judah’s Adam-like failure when tempted and Joseph’s Christlike success when tempted. After the conquest of Canaan five centuries later, Joshua tells them to choose whether they will serve God or idols. Joshua said that he and his house would serve God, so he was exhorting Israel as families not individuals. Worship, whether of God or idols, begins at home…and there are many American “Christian” households that have chosen the wrong gods.
It Begins at Home
God builds His Kingdom primarily through families and has always dealt with His people as families. His covenants are corporate, made with households rather than individuals. Even the tribes of Israel were essentially households of households. The ultimate blessing of the Abrahamic covenant was that all of the families of the world would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3, 28:14). The family, not the church, has always been the center of worship. The Westminster Divines understood this and devoted an entire document to family worship, but many churches today do not.
It is unsurprising then that Scripture’s first reference to false gods comes in the context of a family: when Jacob fled Laban, Rachel stole the household gods (Genesis 31:19) and hid them from him by sitting on them (Genesis 31:34-35). Her claim that she was menstruating at the time would have caused Jewish readers to see that Rachel was essentially defiling the idols. Thus begins a theme found throughout Scripture: mockery of idols and their worshippers. We should laugh at how these idols were powerless to avoid being stolen, sat on, and defiled. We see the same with the plagues of Exodus targeting specific Egyptian deities. We see it when the idol of Dagon fell prostrate before the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 5:3-4). We see it when Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:26-29) and when the ruins of Baal’s temple were used as a latrine (2 Kings 10:27). And we see it when Jesus picked a longstanding hotbed of idolatry and demonic activity to proclaim: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15). Isaiah illustrates the absurdity of idol worship by describing a man cutting a log in half, burning half in the fire, and carving the other half into an idol (Isaiah 44:10-17). Jeremiah calls them “stupid and foolish” (Jeremiah 17:8). The psalms are equally harsh: “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them” (Psalm 115:8 cf. 135:18). Scripture is clear that false gods are powerless, so it is absurd to worship them. This means that a man who leads his family to worship idols is a fool who makes his family into fools as well. As goes the man, so goes the family. While Elkanah’s home was tumultuous, he led his family in the true worship of God. However, the prevalence and persistence of golden calves and high places shows that he was in the minority. Most men followed Laban, paying lip service to God while betraying Him by worshipping false gods.
No Room for Pluralism
That brings up another important point: you cannot worship both God and false gods. Joshua is clear that choosing to serve false gods means you have determined that it is evil to serve God (Joshua 24:15). Serving no god is not an option, so there really is no such thing as an atheist. Everyone worships, whether the true God, idols, the ideas they represent, or self (Romans 1:18ff). Worship of idols is incompatible with worship of God, which Joshua makes clear by giving the same reason God gave in the second commandment: God’s jealousy (Joshua 24:19 cf. Exodus 20:5). Unlike sinful envy, God’s jealousy is “a zeal that arises when sin threatens a covenant relationship”.[1] Trying to worship God while also worshipping idols is like a wife saying she is faithful to her husband while regularly sleeping with other men. There is no room for an open relationship between God and His covenant people, so idolatry is often described as adultery. Therefore, there is no room for religious pluralism. We don’t know whether Rachel stole the idols because she was trying to be a pluralist or for some other reason such as spite against her father, but we do know that Israel tried to worship God and false gods throughout their history. As we saw here, while the southern kingdom of Judah was sinning by selectively obeying God, the northern kingdom of Israel was attempting pluralism: “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord GOD” (Amos 4:4-5). By trying to worship both God and idols, they were blaspheming God just as a wife greatly dishonors her husband when he is just one of the men she sleeps with. Religious pluralism is and has always been abhorrent blasphemy against God, so every man is exhorted to choose whether he and his family will worship God or idols—he cannot worship both.
Today’s Household Gods
I have previously examined various idols in our culture. Even faithful churches that abhor those idols likely have families that worship them at home then come to church on Sunday and fail to see the hypocrisy. Idols are myriad and often subtle, but some are made blatantly obvious by a popular yard sign that declares: “In this house we believe: black lives matter, women’s rights are human rights, no human is illegal, science is real, love is love, kindness is everything”. This is a clear acknowledgement that worship begins at home, and its credal structure proves that it is religious. What one must believe in order to be a Christian is summed up in the historic creeds—the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, and Chalcedon Definition. While there can be some debate about particular wording, one must affirm these creeds in order to be a Christian. Though it does not appear at first glance, each statement of the “yard sign creed” directly opposes what is clearly taught in Scripture, so one cannot hold to the ancient Christian creeds and the “yard sign creed” simultaneously.
Before I address each statement, it is important to note that while these are often topics of political debate, I am not concerned with politics but with obedience to Scripture and the proper worship of the true God rather than the false gods common in society. Households that post the “yard sign creed” are declaring their religious beliefs, and if those households claim the name of Christ, they must be made aware of their blasphemous pluralism. Idols are plentiful on both side of the aisle, but these are just more obvious. Those who agree with my assessment of the “yard sign creed” can easily find themselves worshipping the America of old, wealth, and particular people. Our foul hearts can make anything into an idol. Houses on different sides of the political aisle may have different household gods, but they are all equally abhorrent to God. So as we examine these particular idols, let us diligently seek out and destroy our own.
“Black Lives Matter”
This statement is one that Christians should support, right? Scripture teaches that all people are made in the image of God and therefore matter regardless of ethnicity. As I have previously noted, when light-skinned Miriam opposed Moses for marrying a dark-skinned African woman, God condemned her racism by afflicting her with leprosy (Numbers 12). There is no biblical or scientific basis for discrimination based on ethnicity.[2] Christ removes the animosity between ethnic groups and condemns preferential treatment. God demands justice be impartial, and is true hate speech to identify a person primarily by ethnicity above being made in God’s image as male or female. But to espouse belief that “black lives matter” is not about the words themselves but support for the Black Lives Matter movement that rose to prominence in 2020. From their website, their mission starts innocuously enough: “Black Lives Matter imagines a world where Black people across the diaspora thrive, experience joy, and are not defined by their struggles” but then takes a dark turn: “In pursuing liberation, we envision a future fully divested from police, prisons, and all punishment paradigms and which invests in justice, joy, and culture”. In addition to essentially eradicating the justice system, their pillars include supporting organizations “rooted in Black power, self-determination, and the support of system-impacted families”. They believe “black lives” are being “systematically targeted for deliberate and indirect demise”, insinuating that the institutions like police and prisons pose an existential threat that must be violently opposed. Pursuing that end caused deadly and destructive riots in our cities. All of this is contrary to the clear teachings of Scripture. God established government primarily to bless humanity by rewarding good and punishing evil (Romans 13:1-7). Paul told the Romans to live at peace with all people as much as possible (Romans 12:18). The Law is full of commands for justice to be enacted and evil punished. Scripture also warns against letting evil go unpunished (Ecclesiastes 8:11), so both the desired ends and militant means of Black Lives Matter are contrary to Scripture. And since it is sinful to approve of sin (Romans 1:32), it is sinful for a Christian to support Black Lives Matter. We cannot worship God while disregarding His clear commands in Scripture, so a household that declares “black lives matter” is not worshipping or serving God.
“Women’s Rights are Human Rights”
This statement too seems commendable and obvious since men and women are equally created in God’s image and through Christ have equal access to God (Galatians 3:28), but it too espouses support for a view that is contrary to Scripture: feminism. All forms of feminism seek to supplant God’s created order. I addressed this when discussing the beauty of biblical gender roles, the purpose of these roles, the specific roles of husbands and wives, submission in marriage, the sad state of modern relationships, and why men need biblical counseling. In short, those who espouse feminism are following in the footsteps of Eve at the Fall, who chose her own way and disregarding what God and her husband had said. As a result, her curse includes the desire to usurp the male authority God had graciously placed over her (Genesis 3:16). “I am woman, hear me roar” is equally rebellious against God. The strong, independent (read: vulgar and combative) woman glorified by feminism is the exact opposite of the gentle and quiet spirit of submission, modestly, and godliness Scripture commands for women who claim the name of Christ (1 Peter 3:1-6). Attempting to twist Scripture to support feminism, many have used the “cultural cop-out” to disregard those commands. They also try to project feminism onto figures like Deborah, but, Deborah led in a feminine way and promoted male leadership. Instead, murderers Jezebel and Athaliah resemble the feminist ideal of arrogant self-centeredness that opposes God. Modern feminists follow in their bloody footsteps with the major “right” they fight to protect—murder they call “healthcare” or “reproductive rights”. I am of course referring to the abomination of abortion. From Pharoah (Exodus 1:15ff) to Herod (Matthew 2:16-18), the enemies of God slaughter children, but like the midwives (Exodus 1:17-21) those who fear God protect children. Slaughtering children in the womb is only the beginning, as feminism has led to failing education, emphasis on career over children, the breakdown of the family, and even gender confusion. All of these fight against the Cultural Mandate and are therefore contrary to God’s Will. You cannot worship God while opposing His first command, so a household that declares “women’s rights are human rights” is not worshipping or serving God.
“No Human is Illegal”
We would readily agree that no human being’s existence is illegal since God created all people and determined the time and place of their dwelling (Acts 17:26). The statement refers to illegal immigrants, but it sets up a red herring. No one is claiming that the people are illegal, but instead that these people have entered the country illegally. The statement is really saying that they should not be prosecuted for their crime. This disregards the rule of law that Scripture so frequently exalts. As with government, God establishes borders and who will dwell within them: “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God” (Deuteronomy 32:8). Large portions of the Law deal with property rights, and much of Joshua is devoted to the allotment of Promised Land to each tribe. The straw that broke the camel’s back and brought about God’s judgment on Ahab and Jezebel was when they murdered righteous Naboth and illegally occupied his land. God establishes governments in large part to protect their citizens and provide stability in which the Church can flourish (1 Timothy 2:1-2), but unrestrained illegal immigration does the opposite. So a household that declares “no human is illegal” is despising what God has established for our good and is therefore not worshiping or serving God.
“Science is Real”
Of course science is real, but this statement is really declaring trust in science as the authoritative source of truth over and above everything else—including Scripture. I covered this recently, but what masquerades as science today is the false religion of scientism. True science, with its objectivity and rigor, is arguably the greatest innovation in human history—and most scientific disciplines were founded by Christians. But science can never be allowed to supersede Scripture that so clearly establishes itself as the source and standard of truth. Instead, stating “science is real” declares trust in whatever the scientific establishment says. This was especially evident during the pandemic when “trust the science” echoed throughout the land, producing Pharisaical levels of religious devotion. Scripture teaches the opposite: Jesus Christ—not “science”—is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). God will not suffer His Word to be relegated to second tier behind man’s often-disingenuous attempts at science, so a household that denies the authority of Scripture by saying “science is real” is not worshipping or serving God.
“Love is Love”
This statement seems even more obvious, as it is essentially the identity property of math. But what is really being communicated here is that all “love” is the same, specifically that homosexual “love” is just like heterosexual love. I covered this here and here, but in essence the abomination of homosexuality is the opposite of genuine love and is condemned throughout Scripture, especially Romans 1. Scripture is clear that if we love God we will obey Him (John 14:15, 1 John 5:3), but any support for homosexuality shows blatant disregard and disdain for God’s commands. We cannot honor God if we disregard His commands, so the household that declares “love is love” is not worshipping or serving God.
“Kindness is Everything”
We should be able to agree with this statement, right? After all, kindness is an attribute of God (Romans 2:4), a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 2:22), and a command (Colossians 3:12). But what this statement calls kindness is not really kindness but niceness that overlooks sin, celebrates “alternative lifestyles” that are abominable to God, and never confronts or warns anyone. This is actually the opposite of kindness, as it is hate speech not to confront evil. God desires that through gentle yet firm confrontation all would come to repentance (1 Timothy 2:25, 2 Peter 3:9). The “kindness” espoused in the “yard sign creed” is the opposite of this, so it actively works against God’s Will. We cannot honor God while simultaneously ushering souls He created into hell through our “kindness”, so the household that declares “kindness is everything” is not worshipping or serving God.
Conclusion
Each tenet of the “yard sign creed” directly opposes God, so every “Christian” household that declares it is blaspheming God and should not expect their worship at church to be acceptable to God. But this false creed only represents a few of the most obvious household gods in our society, so the need of the hour is for Christian men everywhere to take a stand, put away their household gods, and declare with Joshua “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”. Worship is home-centered, so churches must prioritize equipping heads of households for this idol purge. Only then can we truly do away with the religious pluralism God abhors. Only then can we end our spiritual adultery, assuage God’s jealousy, and serve Him alone. Christian men, choose this day whom you will serve.
NOTES
[1] Del Tackett, “Lesson 7: Sociology: The Divine Imprint”, The Truth Project, Focus on the Family: 2006.
[2] Jonathan D. Sarfati, The Genesis Account: A Theological, Historical, and Scientific Commentary on Genesis 1-11, Powder Springs, GA: Creation Ministries International: 2015 (fourth edition 2021): 622-626, 668-672.
