Bow Down & Worship

Years ago, I recall walking through the dining hall at my local camp. And, as was often the case, there was a small group of youngsters, gathered together, playing a board game. In this particular instance they were playing a game with the end goal of being a winner who would win total world domination.
Or, something like that.
Mm, hm. “Okay, carry on”, I thought as I passed through the hall.
The gospel of Matthew places the “worship” temptation as the third temptation of Christ while Luke places it as the second.
Either way, we learn the devil took Jesus high up on a mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. The devil told Jesus he would give Him power and authority over all the kingdoms if only – if only – Jesus would bow down and worship the devil.
Seriously?
All Jesus had to do was bow down and worship the devil?
Mm, hm.
“Get behind Me, Satan!”, Jesus exclaimed.
Christ declared it is written that we shall worship the Lord, our God, and serve Him only.
Worship God, not the devil.
Worship God, not idols.
Worship God, not people. Or, places. Or, things.
If we consider the first temptation the devil tempted Christ with – that is, turning stones into bread – the lesson He gave about living by every Word of God, reading the Bible, we learn we are to love God, and worship and serve Him only.
Period.
Case closed.
Discussion ended.
In Genesis, for example, we learn Jacob’s household was found full of idols and idol worship. Finally, Jacob gathered together all the idols, buried them under the terebinth tree. Then he and his entire household returned to Bethel – that is, “the house of God” – to the very place Abraham had built an altar and where Jacob had a vision of a ladder stretching from Earth to heaven.
This is where we get Jacob’s ladder from.
Once Jacob and his household did these things, God saw his faithfulness and blessed him.
Jacob had to first bury the idols, leave the area, then return to worshiping God.
The overall message here is worship God, and serve Him only – world domination not needed.
Blessings.