Beyond Golden Calves Part 4: When Image-Bearers Become Images
The Idolatry of Human Beings
Hello brothers and sisters.
In Parts 1-3, we’ve examined how sacred objects, physical idols, and even the Ark of the Covenant itself can become objects of idolatry. But perhaps the most subtle—and most dangerous—form of idolatry happens when we elevate human beings to a place that belongs to God alone. This is the idolatry that wears the mask of loyalty, admiration, and trust.
If you missed the first 3, you can find them below:
There’s something deeply ironic about human idolatry. We are made in God’s image (imago Dei), created to reflect His glory. Yet throughout Scripture, we see a persistent pattern: humans elevating other humans to godlike status, trusting in flesh and blood for what only God can provide. The very beings designed to point us toward the Creator become obstacles blocking our view of Him.
This isn’t about honoring legitimate authority or respecting godly leadership. Scripture commands both. This is about something far more insidious: the moment when a human being stops being a fellow image-bearer and becomes the image we worship.
If you’re reading this in email, be aware that the text is likely to cut off without warning. For a smoother reading experience and all the features Substack has to offer (including audio voiceovers of my posts), you can go HERE or download the app.
“GIVE US A KING”
THE REJECTION DISGUISED AS A REQUEST
The Scene at Ramah (1 Samuel 8:4-20)
The elders of Israel had legitimate concerns. Samuel was old. His sons were corrupt, “turning aside after dishonest gain, taking bribes and perverting justice” (1 Samuel 8:3). Their request seemed reasonable: “Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations” (v. 5).
But God saw through the request to its rotten core.
The Hebrew Text: A Divine Diagnosis
When Samuel brought this matter before the LORD in prayer, God’s response cuts to the heart of the issue:
Hebrew (1 Samuel 8:7):
כִּי לֹא אֹתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי־אֹתִי מָאָסוּ מִמְּלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם
“For they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from reigning over them.”
The verb מָאַס (ma’as) means “to reject, despise, refuse.” It’s a strong term, not mere preference but active rejection. Israel wasn’t simply adding a king to their existing theocratic government; they were replacing their Divine King with a human substitute.
The LXX Perspective
The Septuagint renders this passage with equal severity:
Greek (1 Kings 8:7):
ὅτι οὐ σὲ ἐξουθενώκασιν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ἐμὲ ἐξουθενώκασιν τοῦ μὴ βασιλεύειν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν
“For it is not you they have rejected, but rather Me they have rejected from reigning over them.”
The verb ἐξουθενόω (exoutheneō) means “to treat as nothing, to despise utterly, to set at naught.” It carries even stronger connotations of contempt than the Hebrew. The LXX emphasizes not just rejection but complete dismissal. Treating God’s kingship as worthless.
The Irony of “Like All the Nations”
Note the phrase that reveals Israel’s true motivation: “like all the nations” (כְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִם, ke-khol-ha-goyim).
God had called Israel to be distinct, set apart, holy. Specifically not like the nations (Deuteronomy 26:19). The nations had human kings because they had no divine King. Israel’s request to be “like all the nations” was a request to become like those who didn’t know YHWH.
The text in 1 Samuel 8:7-8 makes the connection explicit: “According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you also.”
God classified their request for a human king in the same category as their worship of Baal and Asherah. Demanding a human leader to replace God’s direct rule was functionally equivalent to bowing before a golden calf.
The Warning They Ignored
Samuel warned them. Your king will:
Take your sons for his chariots and armies (v. 11)
Take your daughters for his palace (v. 13)
Take your fields, vineyards, and oliveyards (v. 14)
Take a tenth of your grain and your flocks (v. 15, 17)
Make you his servants (v. 17)
“And in that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day” (v. 18).
The Hebrew word for “cry out” (זָעַק, za’aq) is the same word used when Israel cried out in slavery in Egypt. They were about to trade one form of bondage for another. And all because they trusted in a human throne more than in their invisible, all-powerful King.
But they refused to listen: “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations” (vv. 19-20).
The Pattern: Political Saviorism Then and Now
Israel’s demand for a king reveals a timeless pattern. They wanted:
Visible security instead of faith in an unseen God
Human leadership they could see and follow instead of divine guidance
Conformity to surrounding culture rather than costly distinctiveness
A mediator to stand between them and God, rather than direct relationship with Him
The principles are stark:
When we trust in human political systems more than God’s sovereignty, we commit idolatry
When we believe that if we just had the right leader, our problems would be solved, we’ve made a king out of a candidate
When our hope rises and falls with election results rather than resting secure in God’s eternal throne, we’ve bowed the knee to flesh and blood
This isn’t about political engagement or voting. It’s about where we place our ultimate trust. The Israelites could have had a king under God’s authority. David would prove that later. But they wanted a king instead of God’s direct rule. That’s where desire became idolatry.
“THE VOICE OF A GOD”
HEROD’S FATAL ACCEPTANCE
A King Who Forgot His Creatureliness (Acts 12:20-23)
If Israel’s story shows us the desire for human idolatry, Herod Agrippa I’s story shows us its deadly consequence.
The scene unfolds in Caesarea. Herod, angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon over a trade dispute, finally granted them an audience. They came seeking peace “because their country depended on the king’s country for food” (v. 20). Economic power and political theater were about to collide with divine judgment.
The Greek Text: Blasphemy and Judgment
Acts 12:21-22:
τακτῇ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ Ἡρῴδης ἐνδυσάμενος ἐσθῆτα βασιλικὴν καθίσας ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος ἐδημηγόρει πρὸς αὐτούς. ὁ δὲ δῆμος ἐπεφώνει· θεοῦ φωνὴ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώπου.
“On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal robes and sat on his throne, began delivering a speech to them. And the people kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’”
The crowd’s declaration is unambiguous: φωνὴ θεοῦ (phōnē theou), “voice of a god.” They attributed divine status to a mortal man. Whether they meant it literally or as extravagant flattery doesn’t matter, the effect was the same. They were offering worship.
And Herod? He accepted it.
Acts 12:23:
παραχρῆμα δὲ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν ἄγγελος κυρίου ἀνθ᾽ ὧν οὐκ ἔδωκεν τὴν δόξαν τῷ θεῷ, καὶ γενόμενος σκωληκόβρωτος ἐξέψυξεν.
“Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give the glory to God, and being eaten by worms, he breathed his last.”
The Swift Justice of Heaven
Three elements stand out:
παραχρῆμα (parachrēma) — “immediately, at once.” There was no delay, no warning, no second chance. The moment passed from blasphemous acceptance to divine judgment in an instant.
οὐκ ἔδωκεν τὴν δόξαν τῷ θεῷ (ouk edōken tēn doxan tō theō) — “he did not give the glory to God.” The Greek is emphatic. Herod’s sin wasn’t active blasphemy but passive acceptance. He could have stopped the crowd. He could have corrected them. He could have deflected their praise to God. Instead, he let them continue. His silence was consent.
σκωληκόβρωτος (skōlēkobrōtos) — “eaten by worms.” This rare compound word (appearing only here in the NT) describes a particularly gruesome death. The historian Josephus records that Herod suffered from intense abdominal pain, convulsions, and ulcers before dying five days after this incident. Luke gives us the theological interpretation: this wasn’t medical misfortune. This was divine judgment.
The Principle: God Is Jealous for His Glory
God will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11). When a human being accepts worship— even implicitly, even through silence —God acts to defend His own honor.
Herod knew better. As a Jew familiar with the Law, he knew the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). He knew that only YHWH deserved worship. He knew that accepting divine honor was not just inappropriate, it was blasphemous.
But political power and public adulation proved too intoxicating. He let the crowd worship him. And God struck him down.
The application cuts across centuries:
Hero worship in Christian circles: When we treat pastors, authors, or speakers as if they possess special access to God that we don’t have
Cult of personality: When a church becomes more about its leader’s charisma than Christ’s glory
Spiritual authority as spiritual worthiness: When we assume that those in leadership positions are inherently more godly, wise, or trustworthy than “ordinary” believers
Herod’s story is a warning: those who accept worship that belongs to God alone will face His wrath. Those who elevate humans to this status participate in the same blasphemy.
“WE ALSO ARE MEN”
PAUL AND BARNABAS’ HORRIFIED REJECTION
The Contrast in Lystra (Acts 14:8-18)
If Herod shows us what happens when someone accepts worship, Paul and Barnabas show us the proper response when someone rejects it.
The scene in Lystra began with a miracle. Paul healed a man lame from birth (vv. 8-10), and the crowd immediately misinterpreted what they’d witnessed. Speaking in the Lycaonian language (which Paul and Barnabas apparently didn’t understand), they shouted: “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” (v. 11).
They identified Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes; clearly not arbitrary choices. Ancient tradition held that these gods had once visited nearby Phrygia in disguise, seeking hospitality. After being rejected by a thousand homes, an elderly couple finally welcomed them. The gods rewarded the couple and destroyed everyone else. The people of Lystra weren’t about to make that mistake again.
The Greek Text: Visceral Revulsion
When Paul and Barnabas finally understood what was happening— that the priest of Zeus was bringing oxen and garlands to sacrifice to them —their reaction was immediate and intense:
Acts 14:14:
ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι Βαρναβᾶς καὶ Παῦλος διαρρήξαντες τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἐξεπήδησαν εἰς τὸν ὄχλον
“But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd”
The verb διαρρήσσω (diarrhēssō) means “to tear apart, rend.” This wasn’t a gentle gesture of concern. Rather, it was the violent tearing of clothes that signified utter horror and grief. This action has been used in Scripture to express:
Extreme distress (2 Kings 19:1)
Mourning (Genesis 37:34)
Outrage at blasphemy (Matthew 26:65)
Paul and Barnabas weren’t politely declining. They were expressing the same revulsion that the high priest showed when Jesus claimed to be God; except in reverse. The high priest tore his robes because he heard a man claim to be divine. Paul and Barnabas tore theirs because people were treating mere men as divine.
Their Message: A Theological Correction
Acts 14:15:
Ἄνδρες, τί ταῦτα ποιεῖτε; καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς ἐσμεν ὑμῖν ἄνθρωποι
“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you”
The question τί ταῦτα ποιεῖτε (ti tauta poieite): “Why are you doing these things?” is charged with incredulity. It’s not asking for information; it’s expressing shock that they could even consider such an action.
The key word is ὁμοιοπαθεῖς (homoiopatheis): “of like passions, of the same nature.” This compound word (ὅμοιος, “like” + πάθος, “suffering, passion, nature”) emphasizes shared human frailty. Paul is saying: “We suffer like you. We hunger like you. We feel pain like you. We are mortal like you. We are nothing like the gods you imagine.”
Paul and Barnabas then pivoted immediately to evangelism, pointing the Lystrans away from their “vain things” (τῶν ματαίων τούτων) and toward “the living God” who made heaven and earth (vv. 15-17).
The Principle: Even Godly People Must Deflect Worship
Notice what Paul and Barnabas didn’t do:
They didn’t enjoy the attention for a moment before correcting it
They didn’t make excuses (”It’s just their culture; they don’t mean it literally”)
They didn’t softly redirect (”We appreciate the sentiment, but...”)
They tore their clothes. They rushed into the crowd. They urgently corrected the theology. They pointed emphatically to God.
Why such intensity? Because they understood something crucial: the moment worship is accepted by anyone other than God, idolatry has occurred. Regardless of the “worshiper’s” intent or the “worshiped’s” worthiness.
Even the most godly human leader must violently deflect worship toward God. Even the most well-intentioned admiration can become idolatry if it’s not constantly redirected.
The contrast with Herod couldn’t be starker:
Herod: Accepted worship silently → Struck down immediately
Paul and Barnabas: Rejected worship violently → Barely restrained the crowd (v. 18)
This is the pattern for all Christian leadership: constant, vigilant, emphatic redirection of glory to God alone.
THE BIBLICAL WARNINGS
A CHORUS OF CAUTION
Jeremiah 17:5-8: The Curse and the Blessing
This passage provides perhaps the most comprehensive Old Testament statement on the danger of trusting in humans:
Hebrew (Jeremiah 17:5):
אָרוּר הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בָּאָדָם וְשָׂם בָּשָׂר זְרֹעוֹ וּמִן־יְהוָה יָסוּר לִבּֽוֹ
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.”
LXX (Jeremiah 17:5):
ἐπικατάρατος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ᾽ ἄνθρωπον καὶ στηρίσει σάρκα βραχίονος αὐτοῦ ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπὸ κυρίου ἀποστῇ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ
“Cursed is the man who has hope in man and will support the flesh of his arm upon him, and whose heart departs from the Lord.”
The Hebrew uses אָרוּר (arur), the strongest curse formula in the OT. This is the same word used for the serpent in Genesis 3:14 and for those who disobey the covenant in Deuteronomy 27. The LXX intensifies this with the compound ἐπικατάρατος (epikataratos), an emphatic “utterly cursed.”
Two phrases capture the essence of human idolatry:
“Makes flesh his strength” (Hebrew: וְשָׂם בָּשָׂר זְרֹעוֹ, ve-sam basar zero’o; LXX: στηρίσει σάρκα βραχίονος, stērisei sarka brachionos) — The imagery is military. The “arm” (זְרֹעַ, zero’a; βραχίων, brachiōn) represents strength, power, the ability to act. To “make flesh one’s arm” is to rely on human power for what requires divine intervention.
“Whose heart turns away from the LORD” (Hebrew: וּמִן־יְהוָה יָסוּר לִבּֽוֹ, u-min-YHWH yasur libbo; LXX: ἀπὸ κυρίου ἀποστῇ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, apo kyriou apostē hē kardia autou) — The verb סוּר (sur) means “to turn aside, depart.” The LXX uses ἀφίστημι (aphistēmi), from which we get “apostasy.” Trusting in humans isn’t just misplaced confidence, it’s turning away from God, a form of spiritual adultery.
The result? Like a shrub in the desert, the person who trusts in humans will be:
Rootless in parched ground (v. 6)
Unable to see when good comes
Dwelling in barren wilderness
The contrast in verses 7-8 is striking. The one who trusts in the LORD is “like a tree planted by water,” with roots that reach the stream. When heat comes, he doesn’t fear. When drought comes, he doesn’t cease bearing fruit.
Isaiah 2:22: Stop Regarding Man
The prophet Isaiah issues a terse command:
Hebrew: חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ כִּי־בַמֶּה נֶחְשָׁב הֽוּא
English: “Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?”
The verb חָדַל (chadal) is an imperative: “cease, desist, stop!” It’s urgent. The reason? Man has נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ (neshamah be-appo) — “breath in his nostrils.” He’s fragile, temporary, dependent. Why would you put your trust in someone whose life hangs by a breath?
Psalm 146:3-4: Princes Cannot Save
Hebrew (Psalm 146:3-4):
אַל־תִּבְטְחוּ בִנְדִיבִים בְּבֶן־אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ תְשׁוּעָה
תֵּצֵא רוּחוֹ יָשֻׁב לְאַדְמָתוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָבְדוּ עֶשְׁתֹּנֹתָֽיו
“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
The word for “princes” (נְדִיבִים, nedivim) can mean nobles, generous ones, or willing volunteers. Those who seem powerful and capable. But they’re still בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-adam), “son of man,” mortal and finite.
Notice the timeline: בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא (ba-yom ha-hu) — “on that very day” his plans perish. Not next week. Not gradually. The moment life leaves, all human schemes collapse. How foolish to build your hope on such a foundation.
Psalm 118:8-9: Better to Trust in the LORD
Hebrew:
טוֹב לַחֲסוֹת בַּיהוָה מִבְּטֹחַ בָּאָדָם
טוֹב לַחֲסוֹת בַּיהוָה מִבְּטֹחַ בִּנְדִיבִֽים
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”
The Hebrew structure is emphatic, with repetition driving home the point. The verb לַחֲסוֹת (lachasot) means “to take refuge, to flee for protection.” The image is of someone running from danger into a fortress.
Compare two options:
Trust in man (בָּאָדָם, ba-adam) — temporary, fallible, mortal
Trust in the LORD (בַּיהוָה, ba-YHWH) — eternal, perfect, self-existent
The psalmist isn’t saying humans are worthless. He’s saying they’re inadequate as objects of ultimate trust. Only God is a sufficient refuge.
THE LINE BETWEEN HONOR AND IDOLATRY
Biblical Commands to Honor Authority
Scripture clearly commands honor and respect for those in leadership:
Romans 13:1-7 — Submit to governing authorities
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 — Respect and esteem church leaders highly in love
Hebrews 13:17 — Obey and submit to spiritual leaders
1 Timothy 5:17 — Elders who rule well are worthy of double honor
There’s no contradiction between these commands and the warnings against human idolatry. The difference lies in the nature of our trust and the location of our hope.
Where Honor Becomes Idolatry: Diagnostic Questions
Regarding Spiritual Leaders:
Necessity Test: Do I believe I need a specific person’s teaching to understand Scripture, or can I study it myself with the help of the Spirit?
Dependency Test: If this leader fell into sin or died tomorrow, would my faith be shaken, or would it remain secure in Christ?
Loyalty Test: Would I defend this person’s actions even if they contradicted Scripture, or is my ultimate loyalty to God?
Access Test: Do I believe this person has special access to God that I don’t have as a believer?
Glory Test: When this person teaches, do I walk away thinking about them or thinking about God?
Regarding Political Leaders:
Hope Test: Do my emotions rise and fall based on election results, or is my hope anchored in God’s eternal kingdom?
Security Test: Do I believe the “right” leader can solve our problems, or do I recognize that only God’s kingdom will ultimately triumph?
Identity Test: Do I identify more strongly as a follower of a political movement or as a follower of Christ?
Understand that if you see these two things as one and the same, that’s a whole separate issue. But make no mistake, it is an issue. There is no political party or movement that puts God before politics. None. Expecting a political party or movement to operate on theological grounds is a fallacy.
Speech Test: Do I speak with more passion about political issues or about the gospel?
Fear Test: Am I more afraid of political opponents gaining power or of grieving the Holy Spirit?
Regarding Any Human Being:
Function Test: Am I trusting this person to provide something that only God can give (security, identity, purpose, worth)?
Thought Test: Do I think about this person more than I think about God?
Obedience Test: Would I obey this person even if it meant disobeying God?
Worship Test: Do I attribute to this person qualities that belong to God alone (infallibility, perfect wisdom, ultimate authority)?
Replacement Test: Has this person functionally replaced God in any area of my life?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may have crossed the line from honor to idolatry.
The Danger of Parasocial Relationships
Modern technology has created a new challenge: parasocial relationships. We can “know” Christian leaders through podcasts, social media, books, and conferences without those leaders knowing us at all. This creates an illusion of relationship that can easily slide into idolatry.
Signs of parasocial idolatry:
Defending a leader you’ve never met as if you know their heart
Feeling personally betrayed when a public figure sins or disappoints
Organizing your theology around a person’s teaching rather than Scripture
Using a leader’s opinions as a shortcut instead of studying issues yourself
Feeling that your spiritual life depends on access to their content
The antidote isn’t to avoid all Christian media or teaching. It’s to remember that these are tools, not substitutes for:
Personal study of Scripture
Prayer and direct communion with God
Accountability within a local church
The Holy Spirit’s guidance
No human being— no matter how gifted, godly, or helpful —should become essential to your walk with God.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
CHRIST ALONE
All Humans Are Fallible Image-Bearers
Every human being you admire— every pastor, every teacher, every leader, every hero— is:
A sinner saved by grace (Romans 3:23)
Capable of falling (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Dependent on God for every breath (Acts 17:25)
Accountable to God for every word (Matthew 12:36)
Destined to return to dust (Genesis 3:19)
They are image-bearers, not images to be worshiped. They reflect God’s glory; they don’t possess it. To honor them rightly is to see God through them, not to see them instead of God.
The One Exception: Jesus Christ
There is only one human being in history who deserves worship: Jesus Christ, the God-man.
Unlike every other human:
He is without sin (Hebrews 4:15)
He is the exact imprint of God’s nature (Hebrews 1:3)
He possesses all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18)
He upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3)
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)
When Thomas fell at Jesus’ feet and cried, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28), Jesus didn’t tear His garments in horror. He accepted the worship because He is, in fact, God incarnate.
Every other human who accepts worship commits blasphemy. Jesus accepts it because it’s His due.
Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
The author of Hebrews gives us the proper focus:
ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν
“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith”
The verb ἀφοράω (aphoraō) means “to look away from all else and fix one’s gaze upon.” It’s singular focus, undivided attention.
Jesus is both ἀρχηγός (archēgos) — the “originator, pioneer, founder” — and τελειωτής (teleiōtēs) — the “perfecter, completer.” He starts our faith and He finishes it. No human can claim either role.
When we look to Jesus:
Human leaders become what they should be: helpful guides pointing beyond themselves
Political powers become what they are: temporary authorities under God’s ultimate sovereignty
Other believers become what God intended: fellow image-bearers in whom we see Christ
Human idolatry happens when we take our eyes off Jesus and fix them on someone else. The solution isn’t to close our eyes to everyone around us. It’s to look through them to see Christ.
And to look past them when they obstruct our view.
IMAGE-BEARERS, NOT IMAGES
We began with an irony: humans, made in God’s image, becoming objects of worship themselves. We’ve seen this pattern from Israel’s demand for a king to Herod’s acceptance of divine honor, from Paul’s horrified rejection to Scripture’s consistent warnings against trusting in flesh.
The principle is clear: All humans are image-bearers, not images. To worship any human— or to place our ultimate trust in any human —is to commit idolatry, no matter how godly, gifted, or helpful that person may be.
This doesn’t mean we can’t respect leaders, honor authority, or learn from teachers. It means we must constantly guard our hearts against the subtle shift from appreciation to adoration, from respect to reliance, from following someone toward Christ to following them instead of Christ.
The diagnostic questions aren’t meant to breed paranoia but to cultivate vigilance. Where is your hope? Who has your trust? When you think of security and identity and purpose, whose face appears in your mind? Is it a flawed human being, or is it Jesus?
If you’ve found yourself trusting in man, making flesh your arm, the curse of Jeremiah 17:5 is sobering. But so is the blessing of verse 7: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.”
You can stop trusting in humans today. You can stop organizing your life around political outcomes, pastor approval, or the wisdom of any finite, fallible person. You can plant your roots by the stream of living water and find that when drought comes— when leaders fail, when heroes fall, when the people you trusted prove unworthy —you don’t wither.
Because your roots go down to Christ.
If you’ve found this helpful or insightful, please share it with a friend who loves Scripture as much as you do.
On a final note, I just want to emphasize that my intention here is not to shame anyone. I have no desire to influence feelings of guilt. If anything I’ve said here makes you feel called out, attacked, angry, or convicted, then it is working as intended. Because my intention here is to bring to light the things we (and I don’t exclude myself here) might be ignoring, tamping down, or perhaps are even totally unaware of. I want to help us all to recognize the things and people in our lives that we might be turning into idols and putting in the place of the Lord.
God Bless you.
Coming Up Next
In Part 5, we’ll turn to perhaps the most personally challenging form of idolatry: the idols we can’t see. Abstract concepts— success, comfort, security, family —can become functional gods without us ever bowing before a statue. How do we recognize when good things have become ultimate things?
The LXX Scrolls is free to read and always will be. If this work has been worth something to you, there are a few ways to say so:
Buy the ebooks. Completed teaching series are available as polished ebooks under the Two Witnesses, One Truth series. Buying through Curios will support this work most directly but they’re also available on Amazon (and elsewhere) if you’re loyal to a particular ereader.
Become a supporter. A monthly or annual pledge through Substack helps me to bring the Septuagint to those who never knew they needed it.
Send a one-time tip. If this post has blessed you and you want to express that directly, you can Buy Me a Coffee.
Thank you for being part of this journey, your support makes this work possible.
© 2025 LXX Scrolls. All rights reserved.