RELIGION IS FOLLOWING OTHER GODS
Neither clergy or those who respect clergy will easily accept that clergy are idols in God’s eyes. Since they take his place as the primary source of truth according to the terms of the New Covenant, however, we can begin to understand why other gods (i.e. clergy) arouse his jealousy.
God is jealous of clergy and religious leaders at all levels of influence because they obstruct his ability to relate to his people as a husband relates to his bride. But he is also jealous of the devotion that his people give to clergy.
The terms God uses to describe people who interfere with and usurp his relationship with his people are “idol”, “false prophet” and “other gods”. He also uses sexual terms (e.g. prostitute, adultery, whore, sexual immorality, harlotry, etc.) to describe the relationships between idols, false prophets and the people they seduce into following them. These are all words that convey the depth, passion, jealous and anger of God’s attitude about religious relationships that obstruct God’s pure, loving relationship with his people.
Knowing that God’s ideal relationship with his people is that he writes his laws on their hearts and instructs them by his spirit, not through a human mediator, and not through written laws, we can understand why God does not want anyone to be called, father, rabbi, teacher or leader. God is jealous of his role as spiritual father and does not want anyone, including well spoken, charismatic, religious leaders/teachers, to usurp Jesus’ role of mediator. When they do, they have created an idol of themselves and inserted themselves between man and God.
The main term that God uses to describe anyone or any organization that comes between God and man is “other gods”. Therefore, clergy would do well to avoid offending God by inserting themselves as an “other god” between God and spiritually immature people who might be tempted to listen to their messages. This warning might also be extended to politicians who represent themselves as individuals who can save people from broken, dysfunctional political systems. Many religious people effectively make these politicians “other gods” when they campaign to get them elected, give them money, and extol their virtues to other people. Religious people who put their trust in politicians and political parties to provide for their well-being violate what God has clearly said about trusting man.