“You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the LORD your God that you shall make. 22 And you shall not set up a pillar, which the LORD your God hates.
Imagine how you would feel if you came home and your spouse had decided that two were better than one and that the three of you could coexist as a family. Understandably, you would feel hurt, ill used, and insulted by the fact that you were not good enough for your spouse. Imagine how God felt when the people he chose, loved, and redeemed promptly made a golden calf the moment God spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. What could they say, two are better than one? These verses tell us how God feels about such things. He understandably hates it. Now the Israelites dared to put Asherah poles and pillars next to the altar that was intended for the worship of the one true God. It is callousness at its worst, or tied for worst, with us.
How many people today profess to be Christians, yet live lives of unfaithfulness as if he never existed. It would be like being married to two people. It does not work. One will be jealous and when one of those is the Creator of the universe, it will not go well. Some seem to think they can have their solemn worship service on Sunday morning and then live a debauched life the rest of the week. It is the same as having a pagan idol on the altar because two are better than one. We need to decide who it is we are pledged to, the Lord or the world. We cannot have both. Follow Jesus Christ because…
One is better than anything.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church