Introduction : The Israelites were destroyed because of idolatry. King David conquered all the surrounding enemies and passed a peaceful country on to his son, Solomon. Solomon lived a life of wealth, honor, and splendor, and his country was very stable. However, in his later years he was enticed by many gentile wives and worshipped idols, and so his country was divided into North Israel and South Judah during the time of his son. Furthermore, Asshur destroyed North Israel because of idolatry, and South Judah was destroyed by Babylon because of continual idolatry. In his commandments, God told us not to bow down to idols. If we worship an idol, God is extremely jealous and destroys us. Today, even though we may not serve an image made out of silver, gold, bronze, or iron, we tend to bow down to the idol of our own desire.


1. The idol of desire and Adam
    - Adam ascribed blame to Eve, and she blamed the serpent, but in fact, they stumbled
       because of the idol of their desire to be like God (Ge 3:4-5).

2. The idol of desire and Abraham
    1) The famine in the land of Canaan and the idol of his own desire.
        - God´s Word or his own desire (Ge 12:7, 10).
    2) Abraham took Hagar as his concubine at the age of 85.
        - God´s promise or his own desire (Ge 12:1-2; 16:2).
    3) After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth
        to death (Jas 1:14-15; 1Jn 2:16).

3. What is great devotion?
    1) Breaking the idol of our own desire.
        (1) Abraham, Isaac, and Mt. Moriah (Ge 22:1-2, 12; Heb 11:17).
        (2) Saul, the first king of Israel, was destroyed because he knelt down to the idol of
             his own desire (1Sa 15:9, 22-23).
    2) Gideon selected three hundred warriors (Jdg 7:2).
        (1) Those who knelt down to their desire had to go home.
        (2) Three hundred men who drank water without kneeling down (Jdg 7:6-7).

4. The idol of desire and Christians
    - Do not have other gods before me; do not kneel down to an idol.
    1) Unbelievers serve other gods-themselves
        (Jer 2:13; Php 3:18-19; 2Ti 3:1-2; Eph 4:19).
    2) Believers kneel down to an idol-their own desire.
        - Eve said that she committed sin because of the serpent, but in fact, it was because
           of her own desire.
        (1) We must realize that all temptation and trials come from idolatry (Col 3:5).
        (2) Repent and serve God only, and kneel down to Him (Lk 12:15; 1Jn 1:9).
            - Crucify your desire and only follow the Lord (Gal 2:20; Eph 4:22-24).


Conclusion : We think and say that other people cause our unhappiness. However, we should actually blame ourselves. Since we serve an idol-ourselves-and kneel down to it, and treat God as a decoration in our life, the land of Canaan becomes a wasteland, and we become a prisoner of war, oppressed by enemies.