Objects Made for Another Master
"You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it." — Deuteronomy 7:25
Some Things Cannot Be Cleansed
This is one of the most practical distinctions in this entire study, and getting it wrong wastes a great deal of effort.
Any object that was made specifically for use in the service of darkness is cursed, and it cannot be cleansed. It must be destroyed.
Idols. Statues of false gods. Ritual implements. Occult jewelry and amulets. Divination tools. Objects created for ceremonies, blessings, protection, or worship directed anywhere but to the Lord.
You cannot pray such an object into neutrality. Its purpose is embedded in what it is.
By contrast, an ordinary object that has merely been used badly, or given by the wrong person, or brought into contact with something unclean, can generally be anointed, cleansed, and kept. The distinction is what it was made for.
What God Told Israel to Do
The instruction could not be plainer, and it is repeated:
"You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing." (Deuteronomy 7:25–26)
Notice what is forbidden alongside the object itself: the value in it. Do not covet the silver or gold. Do not tell yourself it is worth too much to destroy. The precious metal was the very hook designed to make a person hesitate — and hesitation was the snare.
Notice also the consequence stated plainly: bring an abomination into your house, and you be doomed to destruction like it. The object's fate becomes the household's fate.
Where These Objects Come From
You do not have to seek out a occult shop to acquire such things.
A great many souvenirs sold anywhere in the world are objects of exactly this kind, because souvenirs are drawn from local culture — and the heart of most cultures is its religion. The carving is a god. The mask was worn in a ceremony. The jewelry bears the symbol of a local spirit. The little figure is a household deity sold to tourists who have no idea what they are buying.
The same is true of much decorative art, much imported furniture, and a great deal of what fills gift shops at museums, airports, and tourist sites.
The seller rarely explains. He assumes you know, or he assumes you do not care.
Point to Ponder
An object made for another master cannot be cleansed and repurposed. It can only be destroyed.
Verse to Remember
"Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it." — Deuteronomy 7:26
Question to Consider
Is there anything in my home whose original purpose I have never asked about?
Today's Practice
Walk through your home slowly, room by room, and look at your decorations as though you had never seen them before.
For each item that came from a foreign culture, a religious tradition, an antique shop, or an unknown origin, ask: what is this a representation of?
If you do not know, find out. A few minutes of research will usually tell you what a symbol or figure means.
Make a list of anything questionable. Do not throw anything away yet — that comes in the coming lessons — but do begin asking the Holy Spirit about each item on the list.
Pay particular attention to what you feel oddly reluctant to put on the list.
Prayer
Father, I have decorated my home by taste and never once by discernment. I bought what was beautiful and never asked what it was.
Open my eyes as I walk through my own house. Show me what is here that was made for another master. Do not let me excuse anything because it was expensive, because it was a gift, or because I like it.
I do not want to live in a house full of things that dishonor You. My home belongs to You. Every room of it.
Give me the discernment to see clearly and the resolve to act on what I see. In Jesus' name. Amen.
The silver on the idol was never the reason to keep it. It was the reason it was a snare.