What We Worship Matters

This morning I ran across an interesting verse while reading in Second Kings.  Here are a couple of verses to help set context - 2 Kings 17:14-15 NIV:

[14] "But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. [15] They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

The phrase that stood out to me was, "They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless."

That saying just makes me stop and think.  

The NASB translation has it "they followed vanity and became vain".

The transliteration of the original Hebrew words would be hebel hawbal, and could be translated empty, vapour, or vanity, and became vain, or empty.

Looking at that statement, I guess we could say what we worship matters!  In their case they worshipped nothingness, thinking they were something, and in the end they were nothing, of no value, essentially empty of worth, or substance in God's eyes. 

I think about all the things people give themselves to these days, we have influencers and those trying to be influencers, people focused on gaining followers on social media, and the like, and it just seems to all be emptiness, or vanity.

Going back to that phrase, we could also say that we take on the value of what we worship.

While God loves his sons and daughters, there is only one name that is Highest, one name that causes every knee to bow, one name that is the center of all worship.  I believe that John saw this very thing in his revelation on Patmos.  Here are just a few verses - Revelation 5:9-14 NIV:

[9] "And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. [10] You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” 

[11] Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. [12] In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 

[13] Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 

[14] The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped."

Amen and Amen!  In this season, let us remember who we worship!  Let our worship of Him bring value to us, not in our own eyes, but in the eyes of God!