申命記4:15-31

4:15 「所以，你們要分外謹慎；因為耶和華在何烈山、從火中對你們說話的那日，你們沒有看見甚麼形像。
4:16 惟恐你們敗壞自己，雕刻偶像，彷彿甚麼男像女像，
4:17 或地上走獸的像，或空中飛鳥的像，
4:18 或地上爬物的像，或地底下水中魚的像。
4:19 又恐怕你向天舉目觀看，見耶和華─你的上帝為天下萬民所擺列的日月星，就是天上的萬象，自己便被勾引敬拜事奉它。
4:20 耶和華將你們從埃及領出來，脫離鐵爐，要特作自己產業的子民，像今日一樣。
4:21 耶和華又因你們的緣故向我發怒，起誓必不容我過約旦河，也不容我進入耶和華─你上帝所賜你為業的那美地。
4:22 我只得死在這地，不能過約旦河；但你們必過去得那美地。
4:23 你們要謹慎，免得忘記耶和華─你們上帝與你們所立的約，為自己雕刻偶像，就是耶和華─你上帝所禁止你做的偶像；
4:24 因為耶和華─你的上帝乃是烈火，是忌邪的上帝。
4:25 「你們在那地住久了，生子生孫，就雕刻偶像，彷彿甚麼形像，敗壞自己，行耶和華─你上帝眼中看為惡的事，惹他發怒。
4:26 我今日呼天喚地向你們作見證，你們必在過約旦河得為業的地上速速滅盡！你們不能在那地上長久，必盡行除滅。
4:27 耶和華必使你們分散在萬民中；在他所領你們到的萬國裡，你們剩下的人數稀少。
4:28 在那裡，你們必事奉人手所造的神，就是用木石造成、不能看、不能聽、不能吃、不能聞的神。
4:29 但你們在那裡必尋求耶和華─你的上帝。你盡心盡性尋求他的時候，就必尋見。
4:30 日後你遭遇一切患難的時候，你必歸回耶和華─你的上帝，聽從他的話。
4:31 耶和華─你上帝原是有憐憫的上帝；他總不撇下你，不滅絕你，也不忘記他起誓與你列祖所立的約。

 ¹⁵ You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, ¹⁶ so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, ¹⁷ or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, ¹⁸ or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.

²¹ The Lord was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. ²² I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. ²³ Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. ²⁴ For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

²⁵ After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, ²⁶ I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. ²⁷ The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. ²⁸ There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. ²⁹ But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰ When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. ³¹ For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

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    偶像或假神的產生是因為人沒有認識真神，或是沒有遇到真神。但是，人被造的時候，上帝為了讓人可以信靠祂，就將人設定為需要上帝成為倚靠，就像有一個說法所說，每個人心中都有一個空處，必需要上帝才能填滿，沒有上帝時就會用別的事物來填入，這些就成了人的假神或偶像！

    就像有人以為很多錢，心裡才會滿足，錢財就成了他們的偶像，相對他們也成了錢的奴才，做甚麼事情都是以錢為他們的目標，再大的苦也會忍受，這就是以錢為偶像的人的表現！

    當然也有更高級的，就是以成就為偶像，就走到自我中心，以表現自我的成就為目的為滿足！表面上這樣的很積極，但是在這背後也有許多辛酸，所謂的人比人氣人！或是所謂的「亮瑜情節」，造成為了自我成就而與人之間的關係破壞，得不償失。

    也因為這樣，上帝拯救人也是從人性中需要上帝為依靠開始，正如祂揀選以色列人，讓以色列人的心倚賴祂，以祂為主，才能真正讓上帝來眷顧！對我們成為基督徒的人，更是如此！也唯有這樣，才能享真正的自由與平安！