"Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did."

I know what you're thinking. We don't have temples for Baal. We don't worship Ashtoreth. We don't have wooden poles in our homes. So this doesn't really apply to us.

But those gods only became gods because that's what the people turned to in their need. We can make a god out of anything.

The real question is this. What are you seeking to save, support, bless, and celebrate instead of God? What do you turn to for peace? For comfort? For identity? For significance? For security? For deliverance?

When you need peace, where do you go first? When you feel afraid, what do you reach for? When you feel insignificant, where do you seek worth?

Baal promised productivity, provision, and control over outcomes. He was the god of agriculture. In a world where life depended on rain and harvest, those promises seemed like everything you needed. And while you waited on the promises, the practices kept you satiated.

Ashtoreth promised comfort, pleasure, and emotional satisfaction. She promised what your flesh craved in the moment.

We don't bow to bronze plaques. But we do look to screens and constant stimulation for peace from anxiety and comfort from reality. We do turn to entertainment when we should fall on our knees. We do reach for our phones when we're distressed instead of reaching for our Bibles.

We worship the idol of comfort and convenience, measuring God's blessing by how easy our lives are. We worship the idol of political deliverance, looking to election results for the emotional stability our prayer life should provide. We worship the idol of financial security, trusting money for the peace only God can give. We worship busyness and productivity, finding our worth in what we accomplish rather than who we're becoming.

And here's the one that gets me. The idol of religious performance. Where we substitute church attendance for communion with God. Biblical knowledge for Spirit-filled living. Religious reputation for genuine transformation.

Paul said these things were written as examples so we wouldn't desire evil as Israel did. And yet here we are. Same mistakes. Different packaging.

Notice something important about Israel's sin. It wasn't rejection. It was addition. They didn't abandon God. They just refused to let Him be their only God. They lamented after Him while worshiping other things on the side.

What you reach for first reveals what you trust most.

Tomorrow we'll look at what it means to serve Him only. Singular focus without substitutes.

1. What is your darling sin... the compromise you keep returning to despite repeated attempts to stop?
2. Why do you think it has such a hold on you? What does it promise that keeps you coming back?

Name your Ashtaroth today. Write it down specifically. Not a general category but the actual thing. Then confess it to God and ask Him to break its power over you.