God's Massacre

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Introduction

As a child I was very materialistic and got very upset when I saw things get lost or damaged. At age 9 I was tramatized when I saw on TV a video of a house being vandelized. So when I went on airplanes, it always bothered me that the emergency procedure always included a note that when evacuating a place, you should not take any of your luggage with you. Immediately I would think of all the cheap and replacable things a 9 year old takes on a plane with them and was full of anxiety.
How foolish someone would have to be to, rather than leave the plane with their life, cling onto their bag and suffer a fate of sinking into the sea or being burned alive in a fire. Its going down, and there simply is no room for you and your stuff. Surely your life is more important to you.
In our text we see the true end of idols and their worshippers. The worshippers are not, however, pagans who invented them but rather the Israelites, those in covenant with the true living God.

Idols and Worshippers Destroyed

The sight is not pretty. Stones turned over and cracked. The land a waste. The mountains and rivines a desert with the remnants of these ruined places of pagan worship. And the bodies. Blood and gore of the slain from the massare cover the stones and ruines. These are the mountains where the disobedient and unfaithful Israelites would turn to their false gods and it is on these mountains that they find themselves dead, slain violently among the destroyed gods soon to be forgotten to the sands of time and the pages of history.
What are these idols? The Psalmist tells us
Psalm 115:4 ESV
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
This is true on both a technical and spiritual level. What they are really worshipping is themselves and their own abilities, dreams, desires, and ambitions. They trust their own way to get what they want. They are the judge and the god’s god. They will take the moral position of God is deciding right from wrong and then worship gods they can manipulate as they persue their own desires. Israel traded in the God of life for this massacre so that they could be gods.
God’s wrath: the massacre.
The King’s Rule
The Judges Conviction
Execution Day

Remnant Spared to Marvel at God

verse 8
They will think and know their sin is to blame
They will know that God is LORD who carries out both promise and threat.

We are the remnant, but be careful!

The remnant were not those who came back during the time of Cyrus, but rather those who would remain God’s people in the new covenant by faith in Christ. This remnant has grown as the Gospel, which was largely rejected by Israel, goes to the world. With that being the case, we are all among this remnant, and thus have some serious things to ponder.
First, as those grafted into the tree of Christ, we cannot be arrogant but rather must be fearful.
Romans 11:19–22 ESV
Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
Second, there is a possability of being cut off.
Hebrews 3:19–4:1 ESV
So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

Conclusion: Idols are not a small issue

Idols: any worldy trinket that encourages self to satisfy self.
Idols take many forms, including sanctified ones.
Our natural desires will always tend towards Idols
Idols will kill you.
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