If you go to church regularly, you will likely be regularly exposed to teachings on major Christian topics such as grace, faith, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and salvation. You might spend weeks or months studying one of those topics.
There are probably many times you have heard a Scripture and said to yourself, “I wish someone would give me a short lesson on a particular word or topic. Not a long treatise, but enough to get a better understanding.” The purpose of this series is to do that for a wide variety of topics. For that reason, some of these videos are shorter than the typical Eyewitness episodes.
As we often caution, we are not trying to add to what the Bible says, we are trying to add context that will help you understand the Bible better. So, please read the applicable Scriptures in the study guides for these stories so you will know exactly what the Bible says.
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Perhaps the best Biblical reference for the origin of the worship of gods is found in Joshua 24:14-15. In these verses, Joshua indicates that ancestors of Abraham served and worshiped gods other than the one true God. Genesis 31:17-35 shows the two generations following Abraham worshiped other gods.
Joshua 24:14-15 says the Hebrews worshiped other gods in Egypt and after entering the Promised Land. They continued to worship other gods all the way to the time they went into exile in Babylon.
In the modern world, it’s hard to imagine a time when people’s lives were completely chaotic and seemingly random. They had no good ways to forecast or control the weather, temperature, or danger from wild animals or opposing tribes. In their quest to survive and thrive, it must have seemed useful to worship and appease unseen gods who might have the desire and power to make their lives better.
The First Commandment is “You shall have no other gods before me.” God was well aware that people worshiped other gods. The Second Commandment ups the standard by commanding the Israelites not to worship any other gods. God was steadfast in commanding the Israelites to worship him as the only god, and to have them worship him only.
