When we see the principle of idolatry and realize that with idolatry there’s the pretense of worshipping the true God but there’s mixture in worship, we will flee from idolatry and we will worship God, be intimate with God, even be a companion of God who knows God’s heart and does all things according to His heart. Amen!
We must be warned by the principle of the golden-calf idol, an idol made by God’s redeemed people to make them an idolatrous camp.
These things were written for our admonition so that we may not perish or be disciplined by the Lord as the people of Israel did.
There is a principle of idolatry, which involves many things, starting with the matter of self-beautification, which leads to idolatry.
We believers in Christ have God as our beauty, and we become the church as the house of His beauty, for we have Christ being wrought into us as our beauty.
However, if we beautify ourselves, if we use things that God gave us by nature to make ourselves beautiful, this leads to idolatry.
The gold given to the children of Israel by God’s sovereignty by the people of Egypt was to be built and formed into God’s dwelling place, the tabernacle.
However, the people of Israel used this gold to beautify themselves, and this led to them using these things for making a golden calf, which is an idol.
When we express ourselves, there is division, no matter how lovely we are and how kind we are in our natural man.
But when we are one with the Lord and live in Christ, we become part of God’s corporate expression, and in this expression there is glory and oneness. Amen!
May we be warned in our Christian life by the principle of idolatry and flee from idolatry to worshipping the true and living God, even being a companion of God who knows His heart and does all things in oneness with Him.
The second principle of idolatry is that Satan usurps what God has given us in order to make it a waste.
Christians today may think that, as long as they have an ability, a gift, that God gave them, they need to “use it for God” and therefore they build a name for themselves “in the name of God” and use their talent “for God’s glory.”
However, this is to abuse what God has given us and fall into idolatry.
May the Lord have mercy on us that we would worship God, enjoy God, take God as our beauty, and allow Him to take us through death and resurrection so that our abilities and skills would be used by Him in resurrection for His purpose.
The third principle of idolatry is worshipping the things we enjoy, therefore falling into worshipping amusement and enjoyment.
The enjoyment of Christ has nothing to do with worldly amusement and enjoyment.
We enjoy the Lord in spirit, and we exercise our spirit to put the lusts of the flesh to death, worshipping God not in an outward, routine way but inwardly, in spirit, with the exercise of our spirit.
Being Saved from the Pretense of Worshipping God and Mixture in Worship, which are Idolatry
![And he took [the gold] from their hand and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt! And when Aaron saw [this,] he built an altar before it; then Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast to Jehovah. And they rose up early on the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Exo. 32:4-6](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/And-he-took-the-gold-from-their-hand-and-fashioned-it-with-an-engraving-tool-and-made-it-into-a-molten-calf-683x1024.webp?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "And he took [the gold] from their hand and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt! And when Aaron saw [this,] he built an altar before it; then Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast to Jehovah. And they rose up early on the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Exo. 32:4-6")
As a further warning to us in our Christian life and service before the Lord, we need to see that with idolatry there is the pretense of worshipping the true God (Exo. 32:4-5; 1 Kings 12:26-30; Matt. 4:8-11; John 4:23-24).
Idolatry is not only worshipping or praying to a statue others call “Mary, the mother of Jesus” or bowing down to a golden idol in a heathen temple.
Today in Christianity there is the worshipping of a golden-calf-idol, for many worship something that they think is God but actually is not God.
There’s the pretense of worshipping God, but in reality, the worship goes to an idol.
Many Christians today say they worship the Lord Jesus or the true God, and they use the words and practices in the Bible, but in reality, they worship something else.
What they worship is their enjoyment, their “praise and worship”, their entertainment in the church, and many such things.
If we have the Lord’s light shining on us and on the situation in today’s Christianity we will realize that much of today’s Christian worship is a matter of “sitting down to eat and drink” and rising up to sport, sing, and dance.
It is all done in the name of Jesus or in the name of God, but actually, it is around a certain kind of enjoyment, around a golden calf.
We need to let the Lord Jesus shine on us today in the church life so that we may be purified in our worship of God.
Do we gather together around a certain teaching or teacher, or do we gather together around the Lord Jesus?
Is Christ the center of our meetings, or do we come together to perform certain practices and read certain things as per our schedule?
Does the Lord Jesus have a free way to lead our meetings, speak through the saints, and be expressed through us, or do we just do things according to a routine, a habit, or a set of rules?
Even in the church life, it is possible for us to come together around the enjoyment of a certain teaching or practice, being focused on the things and not on the lovely person of the Lord Jesus.
Our heart needs to be purified. Our practice needs to be purified.
We appreciate the ministry of brothers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, but they are not the center of our meeting.
We love the Bible, but even the Bible is not the center of our meeting.
We meet in the Lord’s name and in His presence, and we focus on Christ.
We come together to enjoy Christ, be with Christ, and let Christ, the Head, be manifested among us.
We do not want to build or form a golden calf in the church life; we want to smash any idol and flee idolatry, and our focus is the Lord Jesus Himself.
When there’s pretense of worshipping the true God, there is a mixture in worship (Exo. 32:4-6, 21-24; 1 Cor. 3:12).
In Christianity, the worship of God is mixed with another element.
Every Christian group or ministry has a certain element with which the worship of God is mixed.
To some, there is a particular teaching, and to others, there is a specific practice.
Still, with others, there’s a particular way of meeting, worshipping, and singing.
All these are elements mixed in with the worship of God.
There is the worship of God, but there’s yet another element there.
In the wilderness by the mountain Sinai the people of Israel worshipped the golden calf by using the sacrifices and offerings that were to be given to God.
The way was good, the offerings were the right ones, but the object of worship was wrong. This is a mixture.
We need to come to the Lord regarding this matter so that we would not mix our worship of God, which is pure and in spirit, with any other element, not even with a very good, scriptural, up-to-date teaching.
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truthfulness (John 4:24).
Lord Jesus, purify us in our worship of God. We want to be those who worship God in spirit and in truthfulness today. Oh Lord, save us from having any pretense of worshipping the true God while we worship something else. Save us from worshipping with the right elements and in the right way but actually worshipping something else. Shine on us, Lord, and expose any element of pretense and falsehood. Expose and remove anything that replaces You in us and in our worship of God. We do not want to have any mixture in worship. We want to exercise our spirit and worship God in spirit and in truthfulness. Purify our way of meeting and our way of worship. Save us from any routine and from any ordinance in our worship of God. Dear Lord Jesus, we want to gather in Your name, focusing on You, enjoying You, and with our experience of Christ as the offerings. May You gain the true worshippers today, those who don’t worship on this or that mountain but in spirit and truthfulness.
Being a Companion of God who is Intimate with God and Knows God’s Heart, being God’s Associate
In Exo. 33:7-11, after the incident with the golden calf, Moses realized that the Lord’s presence would no longer be in the midst of the people, so he moved his tent outside the camp.
After the children of Israel worshipped the golden calf, Moses realized that God could not dwell among His people due to their idolatry, so he removed his tent and pitched it some distance from the camp.
His tent then became the tent of God, for both God’s presence and speaking were there.
Moses knew God and was a companion of God. Jehovah spike to him face to face, just as a man would speak to his companion.
![Now Moses would take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, some distance from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought Jehovah went out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up and stand, every man at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses, until he entered the tent. And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stay at the entrance of the tent, and [Jehovah] would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, every man at the entrance of his tent. And Jehovah would speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his companion. And Moses would return to the camp, but his attendant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart out of the tent. Exo. 33:7-11](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Now-Moses-would-take-the-tent-and-pitch-it-outside-the-camp-some-distance-from-the-camp-and-he-called-it-the-tent-of-meeting-683x1024.webp?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "Now Moses would take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, some distance from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought Jehovah went out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up and stand, every man at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses, until he entered the tent. And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stay at the entrance of the tent, and [Jehovah] would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, every man at the entrance of his tent. And Jehovah would speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his companion. And Moses would return to the camp, but his attendant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart out of the tent. Exo. 33:7-11")
If the children of Israel wanted to seek the Lord and find out His leading concerning a certain matter, they had to go to Moses’ tent, which became the tent of meeting, outside the camp.
When the people of God become idolatrous, God cannot dwell among His people; He is a holy God who dwells among the holy people.
Moses knew God’s heart, and he did this move of the tent according to God’s heart.
He was one with God; he was a companion of God, intimate with God, knowing God’s heart, and he did all things according to God’s desire.
Moses’ tent became the tent of God; the tabernacle had not yet been constructed, so people would come to Moses’ tent to meet God.
When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud descended and stayed at the entrance of the tent, and Jehovah spoke with Moses.
Moses was a companion of God (Exo. 33:11); we need to aspire to be companions of God.
The word companion includes the elements of friendship, but it goes much further than friendship; it includes the thought of intimate association.
God and Moses share a common interest, a common enterprise, and a common career.
Moses and God were not only intimate friends; they were associates, partners, companions.
They were not only intimate friends but even more, they were associates, partners, companions.
Instead of being idolatrous, that is, forsaking God and worshipping other things besides God, we need to be God’s companions, companions of God, who know God and His heart.
If we know God, enjoy God, spend time with God, and are intimate with God, we are a companion of God, and we know what is on God’s heart.
We need to pray that the Lord would make us such ones.
We need to pray and open to the Lord to know Him, know His heart, and be intimate with Him.
Moses was so intimate with God that he even broke the tablets of commandments, written with the hand of God; in doing this, he was one with God.
Moses was a companion of God and, knew what was on God’s heart, he did not need to ask God about this or that: he simply knew God’s heart.
We need to learn the serious lesson of being persons according to God’s heart and knowing God’s heart, as seen in Exo. 32:30-33:23.
Then, we will have God’s presence and do all things according to God’s heart.
The children of Israel had God’s presence in a very limited way because of being idolatrous, but Moses spoke to God face to face, as a man speaks to his companion.
We need to learn that only a companion of God like Moses can know God’s heart and be one with God.
We need to join ourselves to the Lord, spend time with Him in His word, have His fresh appearing, and be according to God’s heart.
May we be those who are intimate with God, checking with Him in all things and doing all things according to His heart.
May we allow the heart of God to be duplicated in us and may His heart become our heart.
Then, we will share a common interest with God and will be used by God to carry out His enterprise on earth.
The Lord is pleased to make us His companions. He is pleased to make us companions of God, those to whom God’s heart is revealed and who do all things according to the desire of God’s heart.
May we ask Him to do this. May we learn to flee from idolatry on the negative side, and join ourselves to the Lord to be a companion of God on the positive side.
May we be those who have an intimate relationship with God and who know what is on God’s heart so that we may have God’s presence to the fullest extent.
Lord Jesus, make us those who are like Moses, a companion of God. We open to You. We come to You. We do not want to do anything apart from You. Make the desire of Your heart be the desire of our heart. Duplicate Your heart in us. Infuse us with Yourself. Make us persons who know the heart of God. Make us persons who are according to God’s heart, those who can touch the heart of God. Oh Lord, we yearn to have the presence of God to the fullest extent. May our daily living be governed by a vision of God’s economy, the great enterprise of God. We do not want to do anything that is not in oneness with You. May You reveal to us what is in Your heart and may we be fully one with You in everything we say and do. Amen, dear Lord Jesus, we love You, we open to You, and we want to be one with You! We want to be persons near God’s heart, persons according to God’s heart.
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Ed Marks in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Exodus (pp. 1878-1883) by Witness Lee, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ Typified by the Good land for the Building up of the Church as the Body of Christ, for the Reality and the Manifestation of the Kingdom, and for the Bride to make Herself Ready for the Lord’s Coming (2023 Winter Training), week 2, entitled, Inheriting the All-inclusive Christ as the Good Land by Taking Heed to His Words of Advice and Warnings and by Receiving His Renewed Training to Have Our Inner Man Renewed Day by Day.
- Similar articles on this topic:
– Podcast #3 – Vitality, Companionship, and the Group Life at Yale 100 Years Ago, via, Ageturners.
– Radio broadcast on Exodus – recommending 166 and 167 on, A Companion of God, via, LSM radio.
– Morning revival on this day via, The Church in Auckland.
– Organic Practices for An Overcoming Living, via, Living to Him.
– What Is the Real Significance of Prayer? Read more via, Holding to Truth in Love.
– The need for companions, a portion from, Fellowship with the Young People, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee. - Hymns on this topic:
– Pray to fellowship with Jesus, / Speaking nothing in pretense; / Ask according to the spirit, / Praying by the inner sense. / Pray to fellowship with Jesus, / List’ning earnestly to Him; / Be impressed with His intentions, / Yielding to Him from within. (Hymns #784 stanzas 4-5)
– As for Thy life within, / In darkness I mistake— / If spirit or the flesh, / One for the other take. / As for Thy way, O Lord, / I often am not clear; / I toward seclusion tend / And from the pathway veer. / As for Thy will for me, / I do not know it well; / I substitute my own / And often would rebel. (Hymns #426 stanzas 4-6)
– Go to Him “without the camp,” / His companion I will be; / Never join religion’s ranks / Or the world’s society. / Go to Him “without the camp,” / Though the path be lone and grim; / Let all human friends desert, / I am satisfied with Him. (Hymns #583 stanzas 4-5)
About aGodMan
![In My Father's house are many abodes; if [it were] not [so,] I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2](https://i0.wp.com/agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/In-My-Fathers-house-are-many-abodes-if-it-were-not-so-I-would-have-told-you.jpg?fit=178%2C100&ssl=1)
Life-study of Exodus, pp. 1878-1879, by Witness Lee
I was touched today that our worship of God should be without any pretense and mixture. We worship God in spirit and in truthfulness.
We want to be God’s companion, intimate with God, knowing God’s heart and being His associate in the great enterprise of His economy.
If we are to carry out God’s interest, enterprise on earth we must be a person after God’s heart, to have God’s presence having intimate, face to face contact with God.
For this we be must be saved from any kind of pretension, mixture in worship.
Even our enjoyment can be a kind of idolatry! O Lord!
Like Moses we must present ourselves to God – outside the camp – to contact Him to know His heart and live and act accordingly! Amen.
Amen, may we worship God in the spirit and in truthfulness.
Too many of us are worshiping a golden calf, thinking we are worshiping the Lord.
We need to know Gods heart like Moses did.
Only such a person can be a companion of God
Many Christians worship a calf, but they think that they are worshipping the Lord Jesus or the true God.
Actually what they are worshipping is their enjoyment.
Much of today’s Christian worship is a matter of sitting down to eat and drink and rising up to sport, sing, and dance around a certain kind of enjoyment, around a golden calf.
Who/what is our object of worship?
We need to know God’s heart and also be according to God’s heart.
This kind of person is someone who worships God in spirit & truthfulness.
God is seeking those who can share His interest and carry out His interest on the Earth.
May we hear this call and be willing to meet God’s desire. If not us, then who?
The book of Exodus presents a picture of the complete salvation that God elect. It has two crucial issues. The first is that God desires to be everything to his chosen people. He wants to work Himself within those He has predestined for Himself. Second, since God wants to be our everything, He doesn’t want us to do anything. On the contrary, He wants to do everything for us.
Praise the Lord! 😃🙌🙏
Listen to the audio version of this article via,
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhloVfpvryE
Rumble:
https://rumble.com/v4oxglf-lord-jesus-we-want-to-be-a-companion-of-god.html
This is a most significant post my brother. I applaud and appreciate your courage and your heart in sharing this amazing portion. May God be praised for giving it to you.
The three signs of idolatry were most illuminating. God has made us beautiful, He has given us gifts and He has given us enjoyment. However, whenever we worship any of this aside from Christ our beloved, we become idolatrous. We become, as I see it, a reflection of the enemy rather than our most precious Savior. Lord have mercy.
I also agree that we should never substitute people worship for true worship. If true worship is our best weapon against the enemy, then what of this mixture, this idolatry? We harm ourselves, our Spirit, our soul, and offend our God. But He is faithful to help us. Thank you Lord.
And lastly we are to become a companion, an intimate friend and partner of God. How can we accomplish this? Or rather, how can we cooperate with this desire of God for us? I believe this is to pray without ceasing. Give Him the first place in all things. Do not let go of His hand. It is so easy to go on automatic pilot and handle things by our own abilities, our own understanding. We must stop and give it all to Him. Everything. In this way and only in this way, can we really gain an intimate knowledge of His heart, His soul.
Yes we should read the Bible, but read it with Him. Ask Him what He wants to show us. We should fellowship about Him, but with the very real view that He is there in fellowship too. When you talk about Him, He is there. When you slip up, drop the ball, He is there. Apologize, out loud, even in front of others. He is the most important person in our life. We must remember that and treat Him as such, all the time.
Amen brother. This portion has truly helped me and I thank you for your faithfulness and efforts towards the saints AND our wonderful, lovely Savior God and friend, Jesus.
In His love, s.g.
amen. I am glad that this is helpful. It was a great light for me too. May the Lord enlighten us all – all believers in Christ – that we would worship God in spirit and truthfulness, not worship anything else!
By the way, this is not a light I personally discovered; I enjoyed portions from from, Life-study of Exodus (pp. 1878-1883) by Witness Lee – see ministrybooks.org. I recommend this portion, it is very enlightening. May the Lord bring this great light to all His believers. May we return to the Lord to worship Him only!