What is the difference between an idol and a god

They represent. In fact, idols are still idols even when they point to the One True God. The calf at the foot of Sinai ultimately represented God Himself. We assume incredible folly or naivete in the people of Israel if we think that immediately following their miraculous deliverance from Egypt and the fearsomely immediate presence of God at the top of Mount Horeb they said to each other, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt," thinking of any god other than Yahweh.

Idols are not identical with false gods. Idols point to gods. And when they point to gods, they point falsely. No graven image, no matter how wonderful, points truthfully to God. Second , Scripture routinely suggests that more should be expected of gods than idols.

Consider the implications of 1 Chronicles and Psalm , essential verses for understanding the relationship between idols and gods Psalm For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

The false gods of the nations are worthless idols, David declares. This indictment of the power of false gods reveals a popular understanding of the distinction between idols and gods. By declaring the gods of the peoples idols, David declares them worthless, impotent and futile.

David assumes his audience will recognize that a god no more powerful than an idol is unworthy of worship. This distinction is equally clear with Elijah on Mount Carmel. He asks the prophets of Baal where Baal has gone, suggesting that he may be sleeping or relieving himself. He is not speaking of idols of Baal which, whether they are atop Mt. Carmel or not, are certainly in plain view and have gone nowhere. Elijah doesn't ask the prophets of Baal where their statues are or why their images fail to light the fire.

He asks where Baal himself is. This distinction also helps explain Philistine perversity in adhering to false gods despite the defeat of their idols at the hands of Yahweh on various occasions, including: 1 After David became king over Israel and defeated the Philistines in battle at a place which came to be called Baal Perazim because the Philistines abandoned their Baals there; 2 In the aftermath of the battle in which the ark of the covenant was captured and brought into the temple of the Philistine god, Dagon, causing Dagon to be toppled and broken before the ark of God; 3 By Jerubbaal's attacks on Baal.

The use of idols allowed Philistines to rationalize their defeats in a manner denied Israel. Their idol might lose but not their god. Their idol might be taken captive but not their god. Gods are understood by all to be more powerful than idols. A god no more powerful than an idol is worthless. Third , the Bible reveals idols being treated with what would be a blasphemous lack of reverence if idols were gods, pure and simple.

Michal takes a household idol teraphim and hides it under the covers of David's bed when he flees, putting a quilt of goat hair on the teraphim to make it appear that David is still asleep. Rachel sits on her father's household idols. Fourth Scripture makes clear that idolaters are themselves aware of the difference in power between gods and idols.

The Philistines react with alarm to the entrance of the ark into the Israelite camp in the battle that leads to the death of Eli. The Philistines were terrified at what they viewed as an unprecedented entrance of a "god" into battle against men.

They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.

For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! And have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. Now let's look at 10 specific things that can quickly sneak into our lives and become idols.

We are a self-obsessed people, or at least, I am. Throughout the day, I filter everything through the lens of how it affects me, and in social settings my focus usually lands squarely on myself. Though I know I exist to glorify Christ and reveal His love to a hurting world, so often, I easily slip into self-elevation mode.

Our culture might convince me this is beneficial. According to Scripture , Christ. We belong to an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful Savior who gave His everything so that we might live. In return, He asks that we willingly give ourselves to Him.

Through surrender, we break free from the idol of self and in so doing, find the freedom to be all that God created us to be—men and women of purpose designed to glorify our Creator God. The challenge with modern day idols is they often arise from really good things, even necessary things.

These are needs and pleasures our loving heavenly Father longs to provide. The problem comes when we attempt to fill our needs, be it for significance or security, in our own strength , apart from God. This is precisely how the idol of security rises up. We know inherently, everything we rely on apart from Christ is shaky at best. But Christ never fails. When we place our security in Him, we remain strong, unshakable, no matter the chaos we encounter.

To find freedom from the idol of security, we simply need to lean deeper into Christ. We were created as social beings, to live in interdependent community with one another. God placed this longing within the human heart in order to draw us closer to Him and one another—to help us experience the same oneness God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit enjoy with one another.

The problem arises when we place our desire to be liked above our relationship with God. Therefore, when we feel the idol of approval tug on our hearts, we need to ask God to help us rest deeper in Him. When my daughter was young, I was obsessed. She was the center of my every thought and action. But no human can fill the empty places in our hearts. KeshavSrinivasan G1 — user We are not worshipping idol but we are worshipping Lord inside idol through idol.

What are the methods of worshiping God u know of other than worshiping him through an idol or image? If you are worshipping the idol as God, then that is wrong. You want to worship God through the idol Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. My question is, What is difference between Worshiping God and Idol?

KulArnava Tantram If God is present everywhere why worship him in some specific objects? For most us, imagining things that are formless , shapeless are hard things to do. Kularnava Tantram For that very reason we assign form rupa to the formless arupa. KUlArnava Tantram We worship Gods in idols and not just lifeless objects. Mantra is not different from the respective Deity For some people it might appear as strange how mantras which will appear to the naive as just combinations of some varnas alphabets have the power to invoke life force in the lifeless.

Yantram Mantramayam Proktam Devata Mantrarupini Expressions researched: "That is the difference between idol worship and Deity worship.

If there is no life, then it is idol worship, hedonism". In the Vedas it is stated, "Without becoming Brahman you cannot approach Brahman. Because the inconsistency of temperature. It will burn. Just like here is fire, and I am feeling temperature, but the fire flames within the fire, they do not feel because the temperature is the same. Similarly, without becoming Brahman, without understanding oneself, realizing himself, nobody can That is not possible. It is fire, so you have to become fire.

And how to become fire?