Horrific Worship
I was reading from the book of Judges (Judges 10:6-18) the other day where we again find Israel living in idolatry – worshiping the false gods of all the surrounding nations and then finding themselves under the oppression of all those same people. Then they cried out to God in repentance and He mercifully heard and answered them. Then they went and sought out a mighty warrior to lead them in battle against their oppressors – an outcast by the name of Jephthah – born of a prostitute and originally rejected by his own family and clansmen. In exchange for leading them to victory, they offered him the leadership of his people – and he accepted.
In the midst of leading his people to victory, Jephthah vowed a burnt offering to God of whatever came first out the doors of his home upon his victorious and peaceful return. We have no record of a response from God – only that Jephthah was given the victory by God. But on returning home, his virgin daughter was the first to come out to meet him.
Most any of us would have expected the story continue that perhaps a sheep or goat followed along with her. But that was not the case and Jephthah had become so deeply influenced by the corruption of his culture and society that it didn’t even cross his mind that God would not require, let alone receive, human sacrifice. Even though he was in anguish (Judges 11:35) at the tragic outcome of his vow, without hesitation, he readily assumed that sacrificing his daughter was the right and god-fearing thing to do! Human sacrifice was unequivocally condemned by God (Deuteronomy 18:10) but Jephthah had no idea.
This is in every respect a worst-case scenario of being conformed to this world – a striking example of why Paul warns and exhorts us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
In our own world (i.e.: culture, society, etc.) we can see examples of this conform-ation that produces all matter of deformation and delusion. We’re far too civilized to burn our children alive on an altar, yet unborn babies are sacrificed by the hundreds of thousands each year – and many merely for their inconvenience. Much of the entertainment industry produces songs, shows, and movies that either promote human goodness apart from God or range anywhere from joking about immorality to celebrating seduction. Then there’s the morass of politics that foments hateful division over topics or principles that in reality both sides are blatantly hypocritical about.
In order for us not to be conformed to this deformation and delusion, we need to purposefully seek the transformational renewal of our minds that is produced as we live out our logically right and true worship – each of us offering up our body by the mercies of God as a holy and acceptable living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). This is the holistic surrender and consecration of our heart, soul, mind, and strength to the love of God and neighbor (Mark 12:30-31).
May God grant us discernment to understand and recognize the depth of the influence that our culture and society has on the formation of our thinking… and any ways that it might lead us to live and worship that are ungodly.