New Idols

Parasha:  Ha Azinu – give ear
Torah:  Devarim 32: 1-52          

When the Torah was written, most demon-idols were pretty simple. The sun, moon and stars were part of the pantheon.  This group included carved images, unique rock formations, some man made and others natural formations and, small and large hills and certain clusters of trees. Paro, the king of Mitzryim and the Roman emperors were also held in a position of being a god to their constituents.      

This week’s Torah Lesson expands the “demon-idol paradigm” so we can learn and deal with today’s reality.

15  But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook Avinu who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. 16  They stirred him to jealousy with strange demons; with abominations they provoked him to anger. 17  They sacrificed to demon-idols that were no elohim, to  demons they had never known, to new demons that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. 18  You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the Avinu who gave you birth.  19 Avinu saw and spurned them because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters. 20  And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. 21  They have made me jealous with what is no elohim..(Devarim 32:15-21)

I heard of this phenomenon several years ago. The old “demon-idols” are able to morph themselves into something different, something “more attractive” to modernity. Although bowing down and praying to various images is still going on, there is also a group of new images and ideas that are able to distract and hold us captive as we are serving them.     

Here is what Yeshua teaches:

 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

There are two things that we can “store up” in heaven.  Our prayers which are kept in golden censors around Avinu’s throne and our “righteous acts” (good works, acts of kindness etc) which will be the “material” for our wedding garments.

22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single (focused on the right things), your whole body shall be full of light. 23  But if your eye be evil (focused on the wrong things), your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve Avinu and mammon. 25 ¶  Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? 27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? 28  And why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29  And yet I say to you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 If Avinu so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, with what shall we be clothed?

32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. 33  But seek you first the kingdom of Avinu, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. 34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.” (Mt 6:19-34)

In general, “materialism”, in all of it’s forms, is probably the demon-idol   of choice for today’s world.