Leading The Way - Week of July 1
July 1, 2024
Living in Opposition to God
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
Throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, Babylon is a symbol for what it means to live at enmity with God. This dubious reputation was born when the inhabitants of Babylon said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens” (Genesis 11:4). With that statement, a well-organized human opposition to God began.
The implication of the Babylonians’ figure of speech, “reaches to the heavens,” is that the top of their tower would be dedicated to the worship of the heavenly bodies. It was from Babylon that astrology, the belief that the stars and planets influence human affairs and events on Earth, was passed on to the entire world.
After four hundred years of slavery in Egypt, even the Hebrews had begun to practice astrology. When the Lord brought them out of Egypt, He warned them against worshiping the stars (see Deuteronomy 18:9-13). In reality, those who look to the stars for the key to their destinies are worshiping Satan and his demonic forces.
Notice Satan’s modus operandi. After he was thrown out of heaven, Satan deceived Adam and Eve into doubting God and managed to get them thrown out of the Garden of Eden. Then Satan deceived Cain into worshiping in his own way rather than God’s way, which led to Abel’s murder and ultimately to the massive destruction of life by the flood. Then Satan deceived Ham’s descendants into worshiping the zodiac—actually the worship of demons—thereby causing their destruction.
Satan always sows deception and confusion. He convinces people to take a gift and turn it into an idol. When people don’t worship God, they embrace false gods, intentionally or not.
Prayer: Lord, You have warned us against worshiping false gods. Help me to avoid the temptation of looking to the world’s deceptive practices for advice and counsel. Instead, turn my heart toward the Truth of Your Word. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven” (Deuteronomy 4:19).
Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon The Garden vs. the City, Part 3: LISTEN NOW
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