Idol worship is one among many sins which has made God to either destroy his people or allow them to be taken into captive.
WHAT EXACTLY IS IDOLATRY?
The book of Exodus 20 V3-4 The bible says; you shall not have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of ANYTHING in heaven above or on the earth benearth or in the waters below.
The book of Colossians 3 V5 the second part says; dont be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
An idol is therefore ANYTHING which can be valued more than God.
IDOLATRY PROVOKES GOD TO ANGER
God wants us for himself, the worshiping of idols makes people ignore him and worse still people use God's resources to sacrifice to these idols.
Ezekiel 16:16 say; you used the lovely things i gave you to make shrines for idols, and jumping to verse 17 it continues to says; you took the jewels and gold and silver ornaments i had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them.
He further says in the same book that people give expensive gifts to these worthless gods yet the poor and the needy are suffering at their doors. He likens this conduct to the behaviour of unfaithful wives who pays to commit adultery with other men. She uses her husbands wealth to give to her lovers.
IDOLATRY HINDERS PRAYERS
James 4v3-4; and even when you ask. you dont get it because your motives are all wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure. Verse4; you adulterers!(those who devote to many gods) Dont you realise that friendship with the world makes you an enemy with God?
These passages enright us that our prayers can be hindered if we begin to trust in other things other than God himself. The other reason for unanswered prayers in this context is that God knows we will misuse his resources, using them to satisfy our desires than worshiping him with those substances. Therefore if God gives us what we want, we will use it to sacrifice to idols, using the same things he gave us to provoke him.
What do we do to get our prayers answered then?
Perhaps we should change our motives, get the right motives which are inline with God's will. Check his requirements and do everything right.
DESTRUCTION
Ezekiel 6v4-6 explaining it without quoting it, the bible is saying that God will destroy these idolaters infront of their idols to see if they can save them. He continues to warn that he will even proceed to destroy their gods.
Let us all worship God alone not our gadgets, cars, job, education,musicians,our heros, etc
These things are good but we make them idols when we devote our time to them more than our God.
