The Bible teaches that God’s followers should have no other gods before Him and that He is a jealous god.  A significant portion of the Old Testament is devoted to God repeatedly giving the Jews opportunities to follow Him and only Him and the consequences of not following Him.

It is challenging to not follow other gods in today’s culture when they are hidden throughout pop culture and many practices have been adopted by Christians.

Questions to Consider:

• Who are the other gods people throughout the world follow today and in the past?
• Who are the gods listed in the  Bible?  By name and by indirect reference?
• Can you identify ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Norse, Asian, Hindu, etc. gods? Can you identify their influence in today’s culture?
• Does the church adhere to pagan rituals or rituals incorporated from followers of other gods?

Scripture References:

• Commandment (Exodus 20:2-5)
• Ten Plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-12)
• Solomon’s Wives and Adversaries (1 Kings 11:1-25)
• A Message About Babylon (Jeremiah 50)
• Scripture for following the Lord (Joshua 24:15)

References for Descriptions of Gods

• Wikipedia
• The Dictionary of Mythology: An A-Z Guide of Themes, Legends and Heroes by J. A. Coleman

Prayer:

LORD, I repent of any times I have knowingly or unknowingly followed other gods and participated in ritual worship that honored other gods.  Please guide me to recognize ways I am influenced by other gods in my life and help me cast out those ways.  LORD, I want to worship you and only you.  If there are people and behaviors in my life that are holding me back, please guide me on a path of righteousness.