A Major Disturbance

In the midrash, Terah is a prosperous idol maker in Ur of the Chaldees. One day, he leaves young Abraham (then called Abram) in charge of the shop while he travels. A woman enters, seeking to offer a meal to the idols as a prayer for her family. Abraham takes her flour, bakes cakes, and places them before the idols. He then smashes all the idols except the largest one, placing the woman's broken bowl and the hammer in its lap to make it look like the big idol did the deed.

When Terah returns and sees the destruction, he demands an explanation. Abraham replies innocently: "I brought food for them, but they fought over it—the big one smashed the others with the hammer." Enraged, Terah accuses him of blasphemy, realizing Abraham is mocking the idols' powerlessness. This leads to Abraham's confrontation with idolatry, setting the stage for his call by God in Genesis 12. The story emphasizes themes of monotheism, the futility of false gods, and Abraham's clever iconoclasm.

This tale has influenced Jewish teachings on faith and is echoed in later traditions, like the Quran (Surah 21:51–70), though the midrashic version is distinctly rabbinic. It's often shared in children's stories and sermons to highlight courage in questioning societal norms.

When You Come to Christ, Be Prepared for a Major Disturbance in Your Life

1. Exposure

Following The Way Continually Shines Light on the Darkness of the Way of the World

(Acts 19:21-27)

There is a difference between the Way or Christ and the way of the world.

The Way leads to repentance and fruitfulness (v. 20: "The word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power"); the world's way clings to profit-driven false gods like Artemis, goddess of fertility and magic.

Ephesians 4:17–24 “17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. 20 But that is not how you came to know Christ, 21 assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.”

—put off the old self, corrupted by deceitful desires.

Try not to get in the way of the teaching of the Way.

You are not to be the disturbance - The Way is the disturbance. You Are Not the Disturbance—The Way Is: The riot brews not from Paul's personality but from gospel truth hitting economic nerves.

Illustration: Imagine a light bulb flickering on in a dark room full of cobwebs—it doesn't attack; it just reveals the mess.

Colossians 3:5 “5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.”

Greed Which is Idolatry

1 Timothy 6:10 “10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Ecclesiastes 5:10 “10 The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile.”

When You Come to Christ, Be Prepared for a Major Disturbance in Your Life

2. Explosion 

When Your Idols Are Exposed, Your Emotions Show.

(Acts 19:28-34)

Light doesn't just reveal; it ignites. The crowd "seized" Paul's companions and rushed the theater (capacity: 25,000!), shouting "Great is Artemis!"

Emotions betray the heart: When greed's facade cracks, rage erupts to protect the idol.

1 Corinthians 16:8–9 “8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a wide door for effective ministry has opened for me—yet many oppose me.”

1 Corinthians 15:32 “32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

2 Corinthians 1:8–9 “8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.”

Tim Keller: "If anything captures your heart's affections more than God, it's an idol—and it'll rage when threatened."

Application

Journal your triggers: Road rage? Budget fights? Trace to idols (control, approval). Practice Ephesians 4:26—"In your anger do not sin"—pause, pray, redirect to righteous zeal for God's justice. Transition: "Rage fades, but if idols linger, deception sneaks in to soothe the sting..."

3.Evasion

When Your Idols Are Not Abandoned, Self-Deception Brings Comfort to Cover Conviction

(Acts 19:35-41)

Stone fallen from Heven- was a sacred meteorite or conical stone venerated as a manifestation of the goddess Artemis (also known as Diana), the city's patron deity of fertility, hunting, and the moon. This stone was housed in the grand Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and symbolized divine presence, much like other ancient "sky-fallen" idols.

The Temple - Ephesians 2:21–22 “21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.”

Application

How do you quiet the riot?

Matthew 11:28 “28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

1 Timothy 6:6–8 “6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.”