Even before Israel came into the land, God gave them specific instructions to “destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods” (Dt. 12:2). He knew their hearts and the tendency they had to be attracted to what the nations around them did, and the best way to deal with it was to get rid of the temptation.

Sadly, as we look at the history of the kings of Israel, we see one failure after another where idolatry is not fully eradicated. Having rejected the direct leadership of Jehovah (1 Sam. 8:7), they were now at the mercy of kings who sought to please the people more than God. To gain favor, Israel’s rulers built altars and temples dedicated to idols, and from Jeroboam to the Assyrian captivity the common thread is that they did evil in the sight of the Lord.

The Corinthians also needed to be reminded that there ought to be a distinction between God’s people and unbelievers: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers … what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God” (2 Cor. 6:14–15).

Idolatry is robbing God of what He deserves, substituting something else in His place. In an attempt to be like the world, our hearts get distracted and our worship is affected. If our affections are for what this world has to offer, then we are at odds with God (Jas. 4:4).

Let us learn from the failures of the people of Israel, eradicate the idols in our life, and give Christ His rightful place as we “sanctify the Lord God in [our] hearts” (1 Pet. 3:15).