Idols: Lesson 4

Overview

When a Good Gift Becomes a God: The Idol of Family

The family is one of God's greatest blessings, a beautiful gift woven into His good design for human life. Yet because it is such a profound good, it carries a unique temptation: the family can quietly take the place that belongs only to God. When a spouse, a child, or a parent becomes the center of our hearts—the source of our joy, identity, and meaning—a blessing has been refashioned into an idol.

The story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22:1-18 confronts this temptation directly. Isaac was the long-awaited, only son, the child of promise through whom God would build a people and ultimately bring the Messiah. No one could have been more precious to Abraham. God's command to offer him seems to contradict everything Scripture teaches—indeed, Deuteronomy 12:31 explicitly condemns child sacrifice as something the Lord hates. But Abraham was not being asked to imitate the pagans; he was being tested. According to Hebrews 11:17-19, Abraham believed God could even raise Isaac from the dead, which is why he could tell his servants, "we will come back to you." When Abraham demonstrated that God held first place in his heart, the Lord provided a ram in Isaac's stead—on the very mountain where many believe Christ Himself was later sacrificed for our sins.

The lesson is striking: the only way to rightly love a child is to love God more than the child. When God truly holds first place, our love for our family is shaped, ordered, and purified by His will. But when the family supplants God, both God is dishonored and the family itself is crushed under a weight it was never designed to bear. Jesus speaks pointedly to this in Matthew 10:37-38 and Luke 14:25-27, where the Semitic language of "hating" father and mother is a vivid way of saying that our love for Him must so far surpass every other love that all others appear as nothing in comparison.

Some honest questions for self-examination: Is there a relationship in your life that determines whether you are joyful or depressed? Does life feel meaningless unless your children or parents are happy with you? If so, family may have crept into the place reserved for God. As Joshua warned in Joshua 24:14-15, idolatry can come from two directions—from "the gods your ancestors served" (patterns inherited and perpetuated within a family system) and from "the gods of the Amorites" (the pressures and priorities of the surrounding culture). Whichever direction it comes from, the call is the same: "Choose this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." And thanks be to God, where we have failed, Christ has borne even our idolatry on the cross, freeing us to love our families rightly by loving Him first.

Transcript

Good morning and welcome back to our study on idols. We've come to the fourth in the fifth of this series as we are studying all about idols and perhaps understanding in a new way that we have idols that perhaps we never knew that we had. 1s

We studied the idol of success and last week we studied the idol of technology. We looked at a dimension of the story of the tower of Babel that is linked with technology and we saw how Pride got linked with technology and how the people pinned their hopes and their dreams burst out of their pride on their technology. 21s

As we studied last week, God is by no means inherently against all technology but what God doesn't want us to do is primarily rely on human advancement for our greatest hope. In other words, he does not want us to turn technology into a false God. 51s

This week I would like to examine with you another potential idol and that is the family. One of the greatest blessings is the family. 76s

If you ask people, even if they have had a very difficult or experiencing a very difficult family or they have been blessed by a wonderful and supportive and close-knit family, wherever one falls on that spectrum or that continuum, if you ask them about the concept of the family, there is this overwhelming response. 96s

How the family is just a beautiful, beautiful concept. But the question I want to explore with you today, is it possible for the family to become an idol? Can the family become an idol? 122s

This wonderful blessing as God intended it, the gift of the family, but yet is the temptation to fashion the family into an idol. 143s

Let's start our study this morning in Genesis, the 22nd chapter, the very first book of Holy Scripture, Genesis chapter 22. 160s

I would like to read to you a very, or a little bit of an extended section here, the first 18 verses of chapter 22 of Genesis. 171s

After these things, God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham, and he said, here I am. He said, take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. 185s

And offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you. So, Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac. 201s

He cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. 220s

On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, stay here with the donkey, the boy and I will go over there, we will worship, and then we will come back to you. 228s

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. 248s

So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father, Abraham, father, and he said, here I am, my son. 258s

He said the fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham said, God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. 270s

So the two of them walked on together. 284s

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. 290s

He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. 299s

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, and he said, here I am. 313s

He said, do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God. 321s

Since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. 331s

And Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 339s

So Abraham called the place. The Lord will provide, as it is said to this day, on the mount of the Lord it shall be provided. 352s

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, by myself, I have sworn says the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son. 365s

I will indeed bless you and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. 379s

And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies. And by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice. 390s

You'll notice in that section of scripture what is emphasized that Isaac was their only child. 408s

Isaac was the one that they had so longed for. Isaac was the one that they had waited for. Isaac was the one through whom? 418s

God is going to build this people and eventually out of this people comes the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. 428s

Isaac's son is only son. 437s

Genesis chapter 21 verse 7, please. 442s

Genesis chapter 21 verse 7. 447s

And she said, who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children, yet I've borne him a son in his old age? 451s

Isaac, the one who has anticipated longed for, waited for. Isaac, beloved, beloved, Isaac. 464s

God's command to sacrifice Isaac seems so contradictory to what God says about children being sacrificed. 480s

For example, go to Deuteronomy chapter 12, please. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and then Deuteronomy. 494s

Deuteronomy chapter 12 verse 31. 503s

Deuteronomy 12 verse 31. 508s

There the scripture says, 512s

You must not do the same for the Lord your God because every uphorned thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods. 515s

They would even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. 527s

So the very command of God here that God gives to Abraham to sacrifice his sons seems so contradictory. 537s

It seems so antithetical to what God believes that we see in Holy Scripture. 546s

It's really intriguing also. 556s

It's verse 5. 560s

So let's go back to Genesis chapter 22, Genesis chapter 22, and notice verse 5. 562s

Then Abraham said to his young men, 576s

Stay here with the donkey. 579s

The boy and I will go over there, we will worship, and then we will come back to you. 582s

Then we will come back to you. 593s

How is that possible? 596s

How could he say that? 598s

How could he sacrifice his son but yet say here that they will return back to them? 601s

The answer that gives us the understanding to that question is in Hebrews the 11th chapter. 614s

So let's turn there please, a good way to find Hebrews in the New Testament is go to the very last book Revelation and then work left. 621s

You're going to cross over the Johns, you're going to cross over the Peters, you hit James, and then you'll bump into Hebrews. 630s

So Hebrews the 11th chapter, and we'll pick up in verse 17. 640s

By faith, Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. 649s

He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son of whom he had been told. 658s

It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you. 668s

He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 674s

Note that phrase once again. 690s

He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead. 693s

Abraham clung to the promise of the Lord. 707s

He clung to the promise of the Lord that he and Sarah would have a child and that through this child Isaac the descendants would be named. 712s

What Abraham believed was that he could follow through on this command of God. 726s

He goes, if necessary, God then would raise Isaac from the dead. 735s

It was that confidence in the promises of God. 745s

Let's go back now. 752s

Genesis chapter 22 will pick up in verse 9. 755s

Genesis 22 verse 9. 760s

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. 767s

He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 775s

Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. 783s

God didn't desire the death of Isaac. 795s

After Abraham had demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice his son, God intervened. 802s

Verse 11. 811s

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, and he said, Here I am. 814s

He said, Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. 824s

For now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. 830s

And all knowing God certainly knew the heart of Abraham. 841s

He knew what he believed. 846s

But through this test Abraham learned a new where his allegiances, where they lay. 849s

God then guided a substitute sacrifice that was then slaughtered on that mountain in place of Isaac. 859s

Chapter 22 verse 13. 871s

And Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. 874s

Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 881s

So Abraham called the place, The Lord will provide. 889s

As it is said to this day on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. 894s

This story is such a beautiful, beautiful testimony to confidence in the resurrection. 903s

But also I want to today, I want to look at this story from the topic of the family. 914s

Isaac could very easily become the epicenter of Abraham's heart. 923s

And the temptation, the temptation could very easily have manifested itself to put the love for the child. 932s

In front of the love for God. 943s

If Abraham would have done that, God obviously would have been dishonored because his place would have been supplanted. 948s

It would have been supplanted. 956s

God showed Abraham that his heart was right. 959s

God showed Abraham that he had the appropriate spot for God in his life. 964s

The only way to love a child is to love God more than the child. 975s

For in loving God first, it forms then how we love the child. 986s

You see, when God takes first place in our lives, when everything else comes after God, when we love God, when he is in that first place, that then forms everything else, including how it is that we love the child. 997s

Why? Because in loving God, we are seeking God's will to how to love the child. 1020s

Loving God first forms then our love. For the child, it forms our love for the family. 1028s

Let me ask you some questions for reflection. 1040s

Is there a relationship in your life that is the primary determining factor in whether you are joyful or depressed? 1045s

How about this? 1062s

Do you ever feel like life is virtually meaningless, unless your children and or your parents are happy and happy with you? 1065s

Let's go to Luke, the 14th chapter. 1085s

Matthew, Mark, and then Luke, and the New Testament. 1090s

Luke, chapter 14, and we'll begin with verse 25. 1095s

Luke, chapter 14, verse 25. 1101s

Now the large crowds were traveling with him and he turned and said to them, 1107s

Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, 1113s

yes and even life itself cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 1123s

Let's go to Matthew, the 10th chapter, very first book in the New Testament. 1140s

Matthew, chapter 10, beginning with verse 37. 1146s

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. 1156s

And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 1163s

And whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 1170s

You see how Matthew, the 10th chapter, helps us to understand Luke, the 14th chapter? 1176s

Because in Luke the 14th chapter, Jesus is using a Semitic phrase. 1184s

It's a rhetorical device to communicate that we are to love him more than anything else. 1190s

So in the Luke account, he's not calling for the literal hatred, but what he's communicating using that rhetorical device, 1202s

is we understand it very clearly when we hear it in the Matthew account, what he's communicating is, 1211s

we are to love him more than anyone else. 1218s

The idolatry of family, in fact all idolatry can come from two different directions. 1229s

Let's explore that a moment. 1238s

Let's go back to the Old Testament to Joshua, chapter 24. 1240s

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and then Joshua. 1245s

Joshua, chapter 24, and we'll start in verse 14. 1251s

Joshua, chapter 24, verse 14. 1256s

Now therefore, revere the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. 1265s

Put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord. 1272s

Now if you're unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve. 1280s

Whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living, 1286s

but is for me in my house we will serve the Lord. 1297s

Family idolatry, all idolatry, can come from two different directions. 1305s

One direction is the God of your ancestors. 1311s

In other words, poor influences of grandparents and parents, poor influences that can bring into the family and idolatry. 1316s

That then that family system just continues and perpetuates. 1330s

So it can come in then from poor influences of grandparents and parents. 1337s

It can also come in from what we call the gods of the Amorites. 1344s

In other words, from outside of that family system, it can come in from the culture and the priorities in the culture. 1349s

So that idolatrous understanding of family, where the family seplants God in his position, can come from two different directions, 1362s

from actually within the system itself, just passed on from generation to generation, or it can come from the culture. 1374s

Thanks be to God that we are forgiven our idolatry. 1386s

Thanks be to God that the Lord Jesus Christ has borne our idolatry on the cross, including idolatry of the family. 1392s

Also just a little note. 1412s

Remember Mount Mariah going back to the story of Abraham and Isaac? 1416s

Many, many scholars believe that Mount Mariah was the precise location where Jesus was sacrificed. 1425s

Thanks be to God for the forgiveness of our sins. 1442s

Thanks be to God for the forgiveness of our idolatry. 1447s

Next week we're going to conclude this class with class number five on idols. 1455s

And I'd like to talk with you about how religion can become an idol. 1463s

We will continue next week. 1472s