Stealing our Father's Idols

Stealing our Father’s Idols: Genesis 31

If most of us were honest we would admit that we think the whole story of Rachel stealing Laban’s idols is absurd. We find her childish in her petty theft and brazen in her bold-faced, nervy lie of saying that she was on her period and couldn’t get up to hide them from her father. She really did marry a man of equal caliber because they were both given to much deceit. But in point of fact we are not that different from Rachel. We fall into the same kind of sin. Jesus tells us that because man and woman were made to be one flesh—for this reason and man will leave his father and mother and the two shall become one flesh. 

Its because of God’s plan we are to leave our family of origin. But how many of us want to take some souvenirs of habit, of perspective, of attitudes or behaviors with us. We are just plain comfortable with the way our family did it. It’s scary to set out into unfamiliar territory with the man at our side who hasn’t quite made his way in the world. After all, Rachel had watched her dad’s success for years. And his idolatry had poisoned her as well. She really felt that those silly idols were a comfort of home that she just couldn’t leave behind.

What are the small little idols you have packed in your bag from home? The things you are unwilling to leave behind from your father’s household? We tend to think of idolatry as a thing of the past, something that the early primitive believers used to struggle with. But there are things we will lie and/or manipulate to protect and cover up, just to know that we have maintained a little bit of control. But what do these things get for us?

Ironically the idols we pack with us in our emotional bag when we leave home are many times sins of the father. Man-made attitudes of dealing with conflict, hurt, fear or pain, and we won’t let them go because they are the only way we have known of dealing.

Ask the Father today to reveal the idols you pack in your bag. What are you defending from His gaze? Give them back to your heavenly Father, for you will find His rest far greater when you know that you hold back nothing from Him. He is indeed a merciful Father who longs to have compassion on you. Give Him your idols. 

II Chronicles 16: For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.