ohio jones wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 6:37 pm
The other prominent gold statue found in the Bible is not of a person, but of a calf. Moses received instruction in Ex. 25-31 on how to use the gold the Israelites had plundered from the Egyptians in the furnishings of the tabernacle. Then he comes down from Sinai to find it had been made into an idol: "I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out." What was intended for the worship of God became the object of worship of a false god.
Jeroboam doubled down on the bovine substitution with idols in Dan and Bethel, repeating the same words Aaron used: "Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!"
And then there are the golden tumors and golden rats from 1 Samuel 6. But they did not become objects of worship.
Gold is simply an element- streets in heaven new will walk on it-line asphalt today- if a statue is not deified line it’s God, is this not much ado about nothing?
Are they not simply honoring the President?
I wouldn’t be on the same page as them but it also doesn’t equate to worship.
MattY wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 2:43 pm
Anyone see the recent video on Anabaptist Perspectives where Stephen Russell gives an alternative perspective on that idol in Daniel 3?
The Daniel part starts at 1:27:27
Could you please summarize?
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1. Are we discussing the topic? Good.
2. Are we going around and around in a fight? Let's stop doing that.
3. Is there some serious wrongdoing or relational injury? Let's address that, probably not in public and certainly not for show.
MattY wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 2:43 pm
Anyone see the recent video on Anabaptist Perspectives where Stephen Russell gives an alternative perspective on that idol in Daniel 3?
The Daniel part starts at 1:27:27
Could you please summarize?
Daniel is showing God calling a pagan king to Himself. But it's hard and the pagan king is proud and steeped in pagan ideas. In chapter 2, due to the dream that Daniel interpreted, he realizes that Yahweh is the greatest god, above all of his gods. So what does he do? Like any pagan, he builds an idol intending to represent Yahweh and tells everyone to bow down to it! But then when the three Hebrews survive the fire, he realizes he has to rethink it. But he's still proud and God has to work long and hard with him (see: the episode where he loses his mind) to bring him to Himself. God works with him and is very patient. It's not normal for someone to completely change just like that (snaps fingers). The point seems to be that God works with us in human ways, just like He did in the formation and recognition of the canon of Scripture, and we should similarly be patient with each other in whatever issues we are facing today.
I keep thinking abt the bronze snake. (Wrong metal, but still).
The snake saved them from illness/death, and they turned it into an idol. At which time God destroyed it, and punished them.
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Anything seems possible if you don't know what you are talking about. fb meme
You're entitled to your opinion, but I'm also entitled to ignore that nonsense. another fb meme
justme wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 9:41 pm
I keep thinking abt the bronze snake. (Wrong metal, but still).
The snake saved them from illness/death, and they turned it into an idol. At which time God destroyed it, and punished them.
Maybe one definition of an idol is the thing that works for us when we grow weary of doing things God's way.
Request: could all posts about 2026 and other times since the Bible be moved to a different thread?
In this thread, let's focus on what the Bible shows us. People can feel free to discuss modern applications elsewhere.
0 x
1. Are we discussing the topic? Good.
2. Are we going around and around in a fight? Let's stop doing that.
3. Is there some serious wrongdoing or relational injury? Let's address that, probably not in public and certainly not for show.
ohio jones wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 7:03 pmReminder:
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 12:08 pmRequest: keep current events and politics out of this thread.
Perhaps it's understandably challenging to completely avoid that in light of very recent events involving a golden statue raised in the image of our chief political leader being the likely impetus for this particular thread...? A bit like asking Americans the day after Pearl Harbor or 9/11: "what sneak attacks are in the Bible?"... Just sayin'...
ohio jones wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 7:03 pmReminder:
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 12:08 pmRequest: keep current events and politics out of this thread.
Perhaps it's understandably challenging to completely avoid that in light of very recent events involving a golden statue raised in the image of our chief political leader being the likely impetus for this particular thread...? A bit like asking Americans the day after Pearl Harbor or 9/11: "what sneak attacks are in the Bible?"... Just sayin'...
But isn't that the basic discipline of Bible study? We need to understand what it meant to them then before we know how to apply it to our lives now. If we can't tell the difference, we really aren't in a position to try to understand the Bible. And if we can't do that ... simple obedience to the Bible is rather impossible.
You may have noticed I have been hands-off about this thread so far. I am not trying to draw this into some political direction, I am trying to let us look at what golden statues mean in the Bible. Together. All views welcome.
Please respect that.
0 x
1. Are we discussing the topic? Good.
2. Are we going around and around in a fight? Let's stop doing that.
3. Is there some serious wrongdoing or relational injury? Let's address that, probably not in public and certainly not for show.
A bit like asking Americans the day after Pearl Harbor or 9/11: "what sneak attacks are in the Bible?"... Just sayin'... 