Forgetting God: When Your Idols Become a Heap of Ruins

The Old Testament Cycle

When we think of the Old Testament, many of us think it is rather boring. The same story repeated over and over. What story? The Israelites worship faithfully, then turn away forgetting God, then are punished and come back to God and the cycle repeats, over and over again. The prophets preached the same story again and again. They are ignored and often killed. Kings serve God and then they don't.

A Mirror for Our Lives

But what, we think, does that have to do with me? This repeated pattern is not just Israel’s story—it is a mirror held up to our own lives. That repetition is not accidental. Repetition is a highly effective method for learning. God repeats because He is teaching an essential lesson. This lesson is as important today as it was thousands of years ago. Anything that comes before God is an idol and idolatry will not be tolerated forever.

Forgetting God, Pleasant Plants

Isaiah explains exactly what went wrong. In Isaiah 17:10-11 God tells us,

"Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, And have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, Therefore you will plant pleasant plants And set out foreign seedlings; In the day you will make your plant to grow, And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish; But the harvest will be a heap of ruins In the day of grief and desperate sorrow."

This Scripture holds true today as much as when it was written to Israel. They had forgotten the God who saved them. They had been taken out of bondage and given a new land. They had so much to be grateful for, yet because they forgot, they drifted into idolatry. They didn't remember His commandments. Their Rock, the God they could always depend on and trust in, was no longer their focus. They thought they could control their own destiny. Much like us, they felt they could do just fine on their own. But self-reliance always raises a deeper question: What happens when God is no longer blessing what we build?

The "pleasant plants" they were planting was being done without a thought for God. What will happen to their crops, to all their efforts, without the blessings of God? When God has turned His face away from them and their sin, how can they possibly succeed? All their work will be a "heap of ruins" in the "day of grief and desperate sorrow" because they have placed idols before God. They have trusted in man and not God. They have forgotten to rely on God.

Apart from God, human effort, no matter how "good" we think it is, fails. This is why these Scriptures point towards the need for a Savior. We can't rely on ourselves but only on the One who died for us to make a way to the Father. Without Jesus, judgment will come just as it did to Israel who planted their "pleasant plants" and trusted in their own efforts, but had forgotten the God of their salvation.

Our Modern Idols

Our idols today are not often made of wood and stone. We may find them in our careers, our families, or our politics. We give all our time to climbing our career ladder or work so hard to present the perfect family to others, while, sadly giving God the leftovers. What do we care fiercely about? If it isn't God, we need to step back and examine ourselves.

The Danger of Presuming on Grace

The danger is that we assume this pattern belongs only to the past. We may have come to think that these times of judgment were only for those living in Old Testament times. We may believe that because God sent us a Savior we can presume on His grace. This can happen when we are not "mindful" of our Rock.

It's as if we wave away any thought of judgment with the phrase, "God will forgive me." And yes, He will, but continued disobedience, living in repetitive sin for which we have no true remorse, will be judged just as it was back then. It reveals a heart that is not truly submitted to God. However, always know, believers are disciplined, not condemned (Hebrews 12; Romans 8:1). The heart either truly belongs to God or faces righteous judgment.

How God Judges Idolatry

Isaiah’s message also shows how God carries out this judgment. The prophets, including Isaiah, show that God sometimes uses an unholy nation to punish Israel. They will be defeated and plundered by an enemy that doesn't know God. But then, when this punishment is fulfilled, God will punish the punisher.

As we see especially in Isaiah 10, God sometimes uses an unholy nation, like Assyria, the "rod of My anger," to punish His people. He then turns and judges that nation for its arrogance; they will feel the wrath of God for harming His holy nation. And Israel will turn back, in repentance and sorrow, and, at least for a time, they will worship the One True God, their Rock, the God of their salvation. The New Testament makes it clear that this warning has not changed.

Paul clearly condemns idolatry. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul tells us that idolaters will not inherit the Kingdom of God. People who routinely place other people, ideas, and things above God, will not see Heaven. What is it we value the most? Our children? Our own plans? Our money? Whatever it is, Paul explains in Colossians 3:5-6, God's wrath will be on those greedy, coveters, those who continually want more, but not more of God.

Paul's warnings continue in Galatians 5:19-21 where he describes idolatry as a work of the flesh. There will be no inheritance of God's kingdom for people who live persistently in this lifestyle. Idolatry is not just an Old Testament warning, but one that still speaks today. And this warning is not limited to Paul.

The apostle John warns the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira of coming judgment for those practicing idolatry (Revelation 2:12-29). These churches contain both true believers and false pretenders, as ours may today. John's point is that the sin of idolatry in the visible church needs to be rooted out. And for those who never repent and believe, Revelation 21:8 is even more concerning, because it states that idolaters will be sent to the "lake of fire" in judgment.

Because of this, Paul gives a clear command in 1 Corinthians 10:14 for Christians to "flee" idolatry. Don't just walk away, run! Compromise and complacency have no place in a faithful Christian's life. The Bible describes the "complacency of fools" (Proverbs 1:32). When we sense that we are being pulled away from God or feel our heart forgetting His many blessings and care for us, that is when we should be the most concerned. This pattern is not just in the past but still holds true today.

The Purpose of Judgment

Judgment came on Israel for idolatry as God's covenant people. God can and does judge nations because He is in authority over them. The purpose of judgment is to bring us to our knees, individually, or at times nationally, and causes us to seek God. We finally realize what is and should always have been first in our lives. For believers, it is ultimately for our good. For those who reject Him, it is final.

But always God calls us to repentance. When we truly repent and seek God's mercy and forgiveness through Christ, we can escape judgment, just as Nineveh did in the book of Jonah. That doesn't just mean saying you're sorry, while still returning to the same old sin. It means turning away from sin and turning toward God. We may still struggle with sin but we will not remain immersed in unrepentant sin. So what has God taught us?

Who Comes First?

When we turn to Jesus, He expects us to be faithful to Him as He is to us. Paul warns against idolatry and forgetting God, because it is the sin that is a constant danger. Do we really believe we are any different from the children of Israel who had seen God do great and mighty things for them? Question yourself—who comes first in your life? If there is any doubt then repent and seek God's face. Pray for His guidance, flee from idolatry, and love Him with the same fierceness that He loves you.