The mere fact that God freed Israel from a life of slavery when He used Moses to lead them out of Egypt is evidence of His grace. However, over the course of time, Israel broke this command. In Ezekiel 14:1-8, a group of Isreal elders, idolaters, went to the prophet Ezekiel pretending that they were seeking guidance from God. But since God is omniscient, He knew that they were being hypocritical. They were pretending to worship Him while clinging to various idols. God tells Ezekiel what he should say to them and to inform them that He would answer them Himself. He goes on to tell Ezekiel to inform them that they must repent and turn from their idols, or they would face the consequences of His wrath.
It is no secret or accident that even today, people attempt to worship God while holding on to the idols of their hearts. These idols are not the ones that are carved out of stone or wood, they are the ones that live in the heart of the mind. They come in various forms. One form of idolatry is addiction.
This addiction can be in the form of money, desires, alcohol, and drugs, but regardless of its form, it is destructive and deadly. These idols can destroy families, homes, marriages, careers, and other relationships when they are allowed to grow and flourish in the mind. And one of the most devasting facts about these addictions (idols) especially drugs and alcohol, is when the addicted person is in denial and refuses to acknowledge or admit he has a problem. And it is worse when the children of God fall prey to the sin of idolatry. Not only can idolatry disrupt and destroy our lives in this world, but it can also rob us of our eternal home in heaven. It can doom us to a home in the everlasting fire of hell. Therefore, as God’s people, we must let go of the idols of our hearts and commit to only worshiping God who created us and who genuinely loves and cares for us.