Daily Word: Idolatry Part 5

Daily Word

For the last four days, we have examined some types of things that could be considered idols. Our text is Shemoth (Exodus) 20:3-4 which says: You have no other mighty ones against My face. You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth.... (The Scriptures) Today, we consider the English word "glory." So often we hear, "Lord, we want to live for your glory." There is actually a popular chorus that uses that exact phrase. In Exodus 33:18, Moses says (at least according to our English translations): And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." (NKJV) Is that what Moses really said? The Hebrew word translated "glory" is kabod and it means to be heavy, to be honored, to be great, abundant, rich, and magnificent. Glory is not among its meanings.

So where does glory come from? In many dictionaries and encyclopedias, we find many pictures of Jesus, Mary, and the apostles with radiant circles of light about their heads. Webster's New International Dictionary states: "Glory is the general term of the aureola and the nimbus." The aureola is the halo around the sun and the nimbus is the sun-disc. The Hebrew word kabod carries no meaning of sunlight, yet we see kabod translated as follows in the King James Version Bible: glory 156 times; honour 32 times; glorious 10 times; gloriously 1 time; and honourable 1 time. The translations of honour and honourable would seem to fit the meaning of kabod. Once more, we see the adoption of sun worship into the church.

Removing idolatry is far more than just tearing down statutes of idols. It is searching for truth and then removing those items that reflect anything to do with sun worship. This won't make you popular with those who will call you eccentric or crazy; however, it will make you popular with YHWH.