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我常常想，古代的以色列人怎么会如此愚笨。他们拿着一块石头或一块木头，在上面刻一个图像，然后把它当作神来跪拜。真的吗？

然后我查看了我的钱包。钱是由纸制成的，而纸是由木浆制成的。我再环顾我的社区。房子都是由木头和石头建成的。也许我们和古代偶像崇拜者的唯一区别是，我们今天的偶像可能需要更漫长的生产过程。

意识到我们在制造偶像方面有多么出色，着实令人不安。我们可以用任何实物来制造它们。我们甚至可以凭空捏造它们。例如，我们可以根据自己的政治观点自称是正义的。我们可以崇拜一个体育专营店。我们可以把我们的生命奉献给一个公司。这种偶像也被称为意识形态，或“主义”。我们创造这种假神的能力是无限的。任何附带了我们最深渴望的事物，无论是物质的还是概念的，都可能成为偶像，沦为假神。

但这些偶像不是真神，不是把以色列人从埃及解救出来的主耶和华，不是把我们从罪的奴役中释放出来的主耶和华。只有这位神在历史中与祂的子民一起行动。这就是创造我们的那一位。我们不能也不应该再造任何一个假神。

I often wondered how the ancient Israelites could be so daft. They took a rock or a piece of wood, carved an image on it, and then bowed down to it as a god. Really?

Then I checked my wallet. Money is made from paper, which is made from wood pulp. I looked around my neighborhood. The houses are made of wood and stone. Maybe the only difference between us and ancient idol worshipers is that our idols today could have a longer production process.

It is disturbing to realize how good we are at making idols. We can make them out of any physical thing. We can even create them out of thin air. For example, we can claim to be righteous on the basis of our political views. We can worship a sports franchise. We can devote our lives to the service of a corporation. Such idols are also known as ideologies, or “isms.” Our ability to create such gods is unlimited. Anything that we attach our ultimate desire to, whether physical or conceptual, can be an idol, a god.

But these idols are not the Lord God, the one who delivered Israel from Egypt, the one who freed us from our slavery to sin. Only this God moves through history with his people. This is the one who created us. We cannot and must not create another.