Keep the “L” in “Gold” (Ezekiel 7:19)

In 2007, actress/comedian Kathy Griffin received an Emmy for her work on a reality television program. While it was no great surprise that she was nominated and selected to receive the award in this particular category, what she went on to say in her acceptance speech was quite shocking to many. She proceeded to spout off some choice words about Jesus, raised her Emmy figurine high in the air, and closed by crying out, “…this award is my god now!”

The Emmy award itself is comprised of a metal mold, which is then coated with copper, nickel, silver, and then finally dipped in gold. Total manufacturing cost for the figurine clocks in at about $400 a piece—a surprisingly low number, given the amount of prestige attributed to its legacy.

On the other hand, what is the value of the One she spoke so cavalierly about? Colossians chapter one says of Jesus:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. – Colossians 1:15-17

A Fair Trade?

In short, Kathy Griffin “traded” the infinite creator God for a $400 hunk of metal. It’s as though the Lord was illustrating Isaiah 44 before the eyes of the world…

But who lost out on that trade? Was Christ short-changed by “losing” a worshiper (realistically, one would be hard-pressed to find compelling evidence that Ms. Griffin ever genuinely followed Christ)? Assuming for a moment that an exchange occurred, where does that put Kathy?

Ecclesiastes 1:9 brings to our attention that “there is nothing new under the sun.” Idolatry is no new thing to humanity, and as such, we can look back and read about how this type of trade turns out.

Slinging Gold

The Book of Ezekiel is known for its graphic imagery. The Lord seems to hold nothing back in His depiction of judgment and Israel’s idolatry through the prophet Ezekiel. The early portion of the book wastes little time in getting to the description of what the fall of Jerusalem will entail due to its own exchange of gods.

The Lord has Ezekiel personify what the siege will entail and describe the end results: Slaughter by the sword and decimation by fire (5:2). Extreme disease and pestilence, inside and outside of the city (5:12). Severe famine—to the point where bread is baked over excrement (4:12-16) and parents are eating their children (5:10).

As the descriptions continue into chapters six and seven, 7:19 explodes with the blatant futility of their chosen idolatry:

They will fling their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their appetite, nor can they fill their stomachs… – Ezekiel 7:19

As it turns out, gold makes for a pretty figurine, but an abysmal god…

Worship is a Must

Our Creator made us as worshipers. Worship is as foundational and optional to us as the beating of our hearts. There is no question of if you are worshiping, but rather what. Kathy and the nation of Israel chose their gods, which happened to be fashioned out of precious metals. But worship is by no means limited to God and statues alone.

Romans 1 puts a New Testament spin on this level of idolatry. Paul records a similar exchange happening in his time as he describes men and women who deny God:

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures… they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. – Romans 1:22-23, 25

According to verse 25, idolatry is the worship and service of the created rather than the Creator. To state the obvious, there is a lot that falls into the first category of “created.” Narrowing our options to the current topic, gold certainly fits the criteria but is represented better in today’s terms by any valued material good. Cars, electronics, bank accounts —you name it.

Again, each may make for nifty gifts and necessities, but are they worth the exchange?

Let God be God

When Paul made his way into Athens, he entered into the midst of the Areopagus and proceeded to talk about their rampant idolatry. The Athenians were so zealous to not offend any god that they even had an altar with the inscription: “To an Unknown God” (Acts 17:23). Standing in the middle of a city filled with dead gods, Paul tells the worship-hungry occupants about the resurrection of the living God. They, too, were offered an exchange; not from Creator to creature like Kathy and the Israelites, but from idolatry to Jesus.

Christ Himself made a similar offer to the spiritually thirsty attendants at the Feast of Booths in John 7:

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” – John 7:37-38

Gold could not fill the stomachs of the emaciated Israelites in the midst of dire famine. But God can fill the souls of those who turn from worthless idolatry to the living Creator.

Let gold be gold and let God be God. Only One is worthy of our worship, and I’ll give you a hint: it’s the One that can’t be dropped and dented.


Photo by MUILLU on Unsplash

Stefan Nitzschke
Stefan Nitzschke serves on the pastoral team at Faith Church. He and his wife have a passion for discipleship and evangelism. They are the blessed parents of four carefree boys and one sweet girl.