One of the main commandments of Orthodoxy states: “We will not make an idol for ourselves,” i.e. an idol who is venerated like the Lord. This applies not only to the ancient pagan religions, but also to the worldview of modern man. How often do we hear people say that they are crazy about some kind of singer or clothing style. And in this commandment, the Almighty just warns everyone against loss of reason, which is the result of the adoration of the earthly and material.
What is an idol
In ancient times, celestial bodies, animals and plants were considered idols. all that surrounded the pagan. Endowing nature with superpowers, people prayed to the gods of the sun, wind, thunder, etc. They also created wooden idols to which they sacrificed. Now idols for millions of people are popular singers and dance performers, talented actors and beautiful models. The distorted consciousness of people more and more turns its gaze to the temporal and earthly, forgetting about the eternal and the heavenly. It is difficult for many to resist the temptation, which the Bible warns about - “Do not make yourself an idol”.
But not only celebrities can become such for people. Instead of gross idolatry, he was replaced by a more subtle form of “adoration” - service to human passions. These include gluttony - eating, eating without measure, the desire for goodies. This sin is the first among all passions. How often people allow themselves a lot of superfluous, choosing the food that is tastier, and not what is useful to the body. And how many diseases now appear due to malnutrition: anorexia, bulimia, pancreatitis and others. All this is directly connected with the constant desire to satisfy your hungry stomach, forgetting about the Eternal and Spiritual.
Therefore, the commandment "Do not
make yourself an idol "
also applies to this sin of gluttony.
If for the sake of money I’m ready for anything ...
Covetousness is a desire to have innumerable wealth and a willingness to use any goals to obtain it. The
apostle Paul also said that this sin is idolatry. Man serves his wealth as an idol, which he is very afraid of losing. Covetousness is a more serious sin than gluttony, because for the sake of profit a person can commit other more terrible and indecent acts: theft, murder, violence. That is why the desire for money-loving should be completely exterminated in your soul, because money as such should not be an end in itself. Finance is a means of obtaining the necessary food, clothing and other reasonable needs and requirements.
Vanity Fair
A person suffering from pride and great conceit violates the commandment "Do not make yourself an idol," because he puts his dignity - mind and beauty - above all, including the will of the Lord. Such people laugh at other people's opinions and appearances, consider others unworthy. It is very difficult to get rid of such a sin, because the people who suffer from it do not even notice its presence. Such passion can only be cured through obedience and labor. And if a person does not want to recover from this misfortune, the Lord, loving each of us, despite all our vices, sends him adversity, depriving him of money, beauty and glory. These tests, like an injection or a bitter pill, are designed to restore the soul and chastity of a proud man.
Indeed, having no means of livelihood, one has to turn to people for help, but seriously ill, a person seeks solace from others, humming his pride.
Why do people worship idols
It is believed that the appearance of an idol in human life is due to the fact that he does not know the true Almighty. It is possible to know it through the Holy Scriptures, the presence at the liturgies, confession, home prayer. Only in this way can the soul of man be filled with the Lord and the Holy Spirit. If you stop turning to God, then the resulting emptiness will quickly fill up with something else: work, dating, cottage, hobby, which can also become an idol.
“We will not make an idol for ourselves,” the Lord calls. But in ancient times, many, wanting to live by their own rules, rejected the will of the Almighty and came up with other patrons that were convenient for them. For example, the god of war was the patron of violence and murder - why not expanse for those who trap this daily? Whoremongers and adulterers invented the gods of love who, fomenting sensual passions, were encouraged by animal instincts. The commandment “Do not make yourself an idol”, the significance of which cannot be overestimated, is aimed at purifying and restoring the soul of man.
How to relate to holy images and relics
Atheists and Protestants reproach Orthodox believers for worshiping icons, because, in their opinion, they violate the commandment “We will not make an idol for ourselves”. In fact, through the images of Christ and saints, we turn to heavenly help for help. After all, praying is always easier when you see an icon than an empty wall.
Icons as a way to communicate with God
Even in Old Testament times, the Lord commanded the prophet Moses to install 2 angels on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant. Then the Almighty said that he would always be invisibly among the cherubim. There were no icons at that time, since the Lord had not yet appeared on Earth, and people could not see it.
The first image appeared thanks to the grace of God. It was the Savior Not Made by Hands, which Jesus Christ bestowed upon the pricked prince Avgar. By praying before this image, he was able to be healed. The icon itself was a canvas with which Jesus blotted out his face before washing. After this, Christ handed this towel to the servant of the prince. The image appeared on the canvas when Avgar saw it. That is why the icon received a similar name - after all, there was no human participation in its creation.
Then the Apostle Luke created the holy image of the Mother of God on a wooden board, which once served as a dining table for Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. For many centuries, the Lord endowed images with the power of miracles, which manifested itself in the myrrh-streaming of icons.
When a man is applied to relics, he receives God's grace. Therefore, the Orthodox worship not the remains of the saints, but simply become closer to the Lord, thereby not violating the second commandment "We will not make an idol for ourselves."
Jesus Christ came to earth to atone for human sins through unbearable suffering. Thus, the Lord showed that people have no gods other than Him. After all, only the Almighty always forgives and edifies us. Therefore, "Do not make yourself an idol" is a verse that is one of the key among the lines of the Old Testament.