Idols with Appetites

Toward the end of a declaration against Judah’s idolatry, which occupies every hill, mountain and leafy tree, Jeremiah makes this comment:

…the shameful thing has consumed the labour of our fathers since our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. (Jeremiah 3:24)

The phrase, “shameful thing” is ‘bosheth’, and simply means “shame.”

Jeremiah follows with a call to, “lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us” (Jeremiah 3:25).

Ask any thief. Shame is one of the effects of idolatry. In Jeremiah 11:3, the same word refers to an idol for which Judah sets up altars and to which they burn incense. These are shameful idols that cause us to be ‘shame-faced”.

Shame crushes. Shame devours. It consumes us. And so, devotion to the shameful things we worship not only causes shame, but poverty. Poverty of both material and spiritual health. Quite literally, our idols eat (‘akal) the fruit of our labour.

All the time invested in our careers, our cars, our boats, boobs and botox; all our energies put into raising sheep, oxen, goats – and our children – literally goes up in flames when offered to a great big nothing. Sons and daughters pass through the fire, and all our invested hopes and energies are consumed by the idols we serve.

Our idols have insatiable appetites and demand to be fed. They rob us of wealth, peace, joy, hope and ultimately, they demand our life. By contrast, the Lord comes to Jeremiah and offers to put something in his mouth.

Behold, I have put My Words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. (Jeremiah 1:9-10)

Those things formerly offered to idols,when offered to the Lord are glorified and multiplied. They plant and build.

If you read the stories of ancient pagan gods you’ll notice that they all demand to be fed. But God is not like the gods of this world. He does not come demanding food.

The Lord comes with broken bread and wine; to fill the hungry with good things and make their faces shine. In putting His bread in our mouths He is feeding us on the promises of the Gospel.

Likewise, rather than demand to be clothed, the Lord comes to clothe us and cover us – forever.

God loathes our idolatry. But for the one who turns away from his idolatry and turns to Christ, the result is not shame but glory.

Rather than demand to be fed, God invites us to come to His table, clothed, and in our right minds. He invites us to eat before Him and rejoice in His salvation.