A main task of the prophets of the Old Covenant was to reveal God’s heart on true religion. We cannot look at the prophets without considering this part of their message, because it formed a major part of their ministry. Understanding this message is central to understating God and His ways. This message is very relevant today, because it deals with the very nature of man in religion, which has not changed.
The prophets spoke a lot on the nature of false religion. The nations that were in Canaan, before Israel entered, practiced false religion. The issue was not just the false gods they served, but the whole mindset in which they served them. If we see the issue only to do with the graven images themselves and not about the whole world view, we miss the main part of what the prophets said.
The nations around Israel had a sacrifice/ritualistic approach to religion, which did not emphasise truth, justice and integrity. People thought that how they lived did not matter, so long as they could make it up through fulfilling the ritualistic appeasement worship required by the gods. Ritualism fosters corruption. It also fosters superstition and fear and thus brings into bondage.
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