Golden Calf Idol
An illustration imagining the golden calf idol worshiped by the Hebrews at Mount Sinai
February 5, 2025
Lamentation dethrones false gods (2:1). The writers say that God did not consider his own footstool when judgment time came. The “people of God” were not exempt when they turned the nation into a gigantic golden calf. And right here is one place where the deception of the oligarchs stinks to high heaven in our day as well.
harper ident 2024
But it’s all a lie, just as it was in Judah’s day. Corruption in that day brought down the kingdom and its leaders. They were “forced to the ground, shamed” (2:1). We will not escape a similar consequence; we are in the opening acts of it right now.
God does not let God’s name stand, when it is hijacked by political/religious charlatans. False gods go along with everyone and everything else when God acts to bring an end to evil. False religion perishes, no matter how much it uses God-language and Jesus-talk. The footstool goes on the garbage heap (1:17) along with the rest of the furniture.
It is difficult to imagine that there could be a time when no “religion” (as defined by the imperialists) is better than having it. Hard to imagine there could be a time when no “God” (as defined by the nationalists) is preferable to having one. But Judah spiraled downward to that point, and we are at, or approaching it too.
Lamentation dethrones false gods. No, actually, God does. Lamentation only notices it. False gods tumble.