… flee from idolatry.
IDOL SOUP RECIPE
You will need: 1 Freshly Worshipped Golden Calf; 1 Angry Prophet; A Large Rock; A Big Stick; A Pestle and Mortar; 1 Blazing Open-flame Fire; A Generous Supply of Water.
Remove idol from its elevated platform. Meanwhile, heat open fire to full strength. Handling roughly, toss idol into open flames. Allow image to thoroughly melt. Wait till gold has assumed a shapeless mass. Poke with stick to make sure it is completely melted before extinguishing fire. Allow gold to cool. Once cold, crush gold with big rock into medium size chunks. Thoroughly grind gold chunks with pestle and mortar until they reach a powder-like consistency. Spread powder over surface of the water. Serve cold. Serves 603,550. (Courtesy of First Fruits of Zion Ministries).
In the incident of the golden calf, God treated the Israelites like the woman suspected of adultery (emphasis on ‘suspected’). Here is the passage about it, And if the spirit of jealousy comes over him (the husband) … and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself, then the man shall bring his wife to the priest … And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. … And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children (Numbers 5:14-28). The Hebrew for the last part says, ‘she shall bear seed’. I believe that God is knowledgeable of human biology and that He knows that women do not bear seed. Nevertheless, this is not the first time that the Bible makes mention of this. We also find the idea of the ‘seed’ of the woman in, I will put enmity between … your offspring and her offspring (Hebrew text for offspring: seed) (Genesis 3:15).Both these references about women bearing seed are formidable Messianic expressions. The first one speaks of the final demise of the devil by the only woman (Miriam) to ever conceive seed without the agency of a man, while the other speaks of the future destiny of Israel. How does that work?
The woman in question is merely suspected of adultery; she has not been caught in the act. If she had been, she should get stoned. She is suspected of adultery because of uncomely behavior but when put to the bitter water test, if she really is guilty she should become deadly sick and a curse to her people. Israel has been put through the bitter waters tests of Sinai and of exile, but in the end has come out victorious. Looking at the full story, we see Israel again, the Israel of the believers, in the woman of Revelation 12 bearing seed from among the gentiles as a sign of her restoration.
Sometimes the Father allows us to go though bitter times. If our heart is pure towards Him, these passing moments of our lives only enhance our station. Bitter times are coming to test all those that live upon the earth (Revelations 3:10). These bitter times will also take the shape of an idolatrous image (Revelations 13:14). May we keep our heart pure from the world, that we may be found guiltless and bear ‘seed’ unto Him.