Idols in the Tent

Idols in the Tent By James C. Taylor (Woodstock, Georgia)

Do you have an idol in your tent?

In the Old Testament, a story is told about the time God told Jacob (who was later renamed Israel) to return with his sons, wives and all his possessions to the land of Canaan to be with his father Isaac. As they left, Rachel (one of Jacob’s wives) stole her father’s idols: “Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s” (Gen. 31: 19). Her father pursued them and “overtook (them) in the mount Gilead” (Gen. 31:23) where Jacob had camped. When her father searched the camp site for his idols, he wasn’t able to find them because Rachel was in her tent sitting on them: “Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat on them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not” (Gen. 31:34). Jacob’s God was the one true God – later to be called the God of Israel – but for reasons of her own, Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel, took her father’s idols with her. Unknown to Jacob, she took with her the remnants of her old religion – and hid them in her tent. The people of Israel kept their idols in their tents long after the time of Jacob and Rachel; and, in spite of the true God of Israel – and in some cases, in addition to the true God – they kept those idols in their hearts. The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel tells the following story: “Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from idols…” (Ezek. 14:1-3, 6). When we study the Old Testament and follow the apparent infatuation of the children of Israel with idols, we usually think of the Gold Calf, Moloch, and the gods of the nations around Israel to which the people of Israel always seemed to be drawn. But, the prophet Ezekiel lets us know clearly that Israel’s problem is much greater – and goes much deeper – than simply worshipping gods made with hands. The great stumbling block for the children of Israel, and sadly for their leadership as well, was the idols in their hearts.

The very first of the Ten Commandments is “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3). Some of the things people put before the living God is wealth, money or possessions; other people such as a political leader, a wealthy person or a religious leader; sports, sports figures or actors. They spend more time with their idols, spend more time thinking of their idols, and give more of themselves to their idols – than to the living God. They put them in their heart, hid them in their tent and sit on them so they can’t be found. The things that lead to sin are, “The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I John 2:16). All of these have been the tools of Satan for years – and will continue to deceive and trap mankind until the End Time and the return of the Lord. They have

1 been the motivation for sin – for keeping idols in the tent, for hiding secret gods and images in the heart of mankind so that no one can find them – for putting “other gods before” the one true God. However, there are more dangerous – and far more subtle - deceptions that lie ahead for God’s people as we move into the End Time. Satan may be deceptive, but Jesus let us know of three specific idols – idols that most people, including Christians don’t seem to consider - that have been working in the hearts of mankind for years: idols that will be – or must become - of special interest and focus for the Church in the End Time. Those idols in the tent of mankind are the world systems of economics, government and religion. During the forty day temptation in the wilderness, Satan offered each of those systems to Jesus – at one point saying, “All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine” (Luke 4:6-7). It’s more than just interesting, or an odd coincidence, that the End Time Babylonian System out of which the Antichrist will operate is made up of those same systems (see Rev. 17 & 18); and that – at some point in time – “all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) slain from the foundation of the earth” (Rev. 13:8). Down through the history of the human race, mankind has existed in – and to some degree, more or less, has depended upon – these three systems for his livelihood. Even today, all of mankind - through cities, regions of the world, and/or nations - lives in an economic system where he or she earns a living, buys goods for consumption, and looks forward to a pension at retirement. The economic systems of the world are generally held in place by a government or a coalition of governments interdependent upon each other such as we currently have in our global economy; and those governments have military forces to maintain and protect them and their economies. In many cases, it is impossible to separate the economic system from the governmental system because the economic system supports the government which, in turn, maintains and supports the economic system. And many – including many professing Christians – seem to worship those systems of the world bringing further together economics, government, and religion.

“Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:” (Rev. 18:4). There will come a time in history – which may be nearer than many believe – when the people who serve the living God will be required to separate themselves from those systems in which they currently live. They will be called upon to get up off those idols in their tent and let them be seen for what they are. That time will be the most difficult time in the history of the human race. There has never been such a time in the history of the world; and will never be again. “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21). Jesus knew full well the difficulty of that time; and we must take a lesson from him. We must also know that it will be like no time the world has ever seen before; and we must prepare for that time.

2 It is not wrong – nor is it a sin – to live in those systems of the world at this time. We currently have no other choice; and the time has not yet come when God will say to his people, “Come out of her…” But, that time will come; and we must prepare to get up off the idols in our tent and expose them for all to see. The Mark of the Beast will be the economic part of the Antichrist’s worldwide system of government for which he will be worshipped as if he was a god: an idol in the tent. “He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:16-17). As professing Christians, we must be ready to “have no other gods before” the true living God we profess to serve. We must be ready to change the direction of our dependence away from those three systems – those three idols in our tent – to a direction of dependence, total dependence, on the God who allows no other gods before, or above, him: our God and our savior, Jesus Christ. By doing so, we will have allowed our names to be “written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear” (Rev. 13:8-9). When the Mark of the Beast is set up by the Antichrist, we must be ready to “Come out of her” and look to our God for guidance, protection, and provision. God must become our system. He must become our system of economics, government and religion. He must, for us, replace those three idols in the tent.

Can you give up the idols in your tent? Are you prepared to “Come out of her” when God calls? Are you ready to put your life – your entire life – in God’s hands?