Duped by Hollywood

Another great day in Philadelphia, but along the way I got duped.

View from the steps of the Franklin Institute

I had a great morning walk down to the Franklin Institute to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit now on display. While I was excited about that I was also looking forward to seeing the Silence Dogood letters, you know, the ones from National Treasure fame. I saw the bench area where "Riley" sat as the young african-american boy retrieved the secret code from the letters shown displayed in the front lobby of the Franklin Institute.

I walked up the stairs and to my surprise, no letters, only a huge statue of a seated Ben Franklin (whose birthday I share by the way - me, Franklin and Al Capone!). I'd been duped. The Silence Dogood letters are housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Rats!

But I still hope to get a photo of the Independence Hall tower clock at 2:22 p.m. before I leave!

National Treaure has become somewhat of a cult classic in the Raker household. We took a Colonial-theme family vacation not long before it was released, getting to see again many of the places we visited. There is also a striking resemblance of one of our family members to one of the movie characters, but that's not for publication.

Hollywood can make things appear where they are not and lead us to believe that which is not accurate. If we swallow everything we see and hear without some critical thinking, we could easily be led astray in our thinking and therefore the way we live.

The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit contained much more than just parchment bits and information about the Scrolls themselves. It was a story of the Jewish people from a wonderful Biblical foundation, following their history through archaeological finds.

I became most interested in the displays of household gods, goddesses and altars. Here before my eyes was the duping of Israel to follow false gods. The archaeological evidence is overwhelming confirmation of the Biblical texts. Throughout the Old Testament we read about Israel going after other gods but most especially it seems through the reign of King Jeroboam, Son of Nebat. He is most infamous for leading Israel astray in worship.

Jeroboam built shrines on high places

and appointed priests from all sorts

of people, even though they

were not Levites.

- 1 Kings 12:31

4 horned altar - oldest object in this collection

Incense altars for use in the home

Worship was to take place in only one place, the Temple in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God with the Ark of the Covenant. New Testament worship is far different but in the Old Testament it was about sacrifices, an altar and a place. God had appointed a specific place and a specific people, the Levites, to administrate worship. Jeroboam, for fear he would lose his throne, built places of worship in Israel (the northern kingdom) so that his people wouldn't have to go to Jerusalem (in the southern kingdom of Judah).

Even after this, Jeroboam did not change

his evil ways, but once more appointed priests

for the high places from all sorts of people.

Anyone who wanted to become a priest he

consecrated for the high places.

³⁴ This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam

that led to its downfall and to its destruction

from the face of the earth. - 1 Kings 13:33-34

The people were duped by a king. The king chose to ignore God's Word, duped by the hollow promises of power and title.

4 horned altar uncovered at Dan 

Household gods & goddesses

The actions of Jeroboam had a profound and lasting effect on the kings that followed him. Scripture describes those kings in the context of Jeroboam's sin: "Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them." (2 Kings 3:3). This thread is found in 1 Kings 14-16, 21-22; 2 Kings 3, 9-10, 13-15, 17 & 23, not to even mention the book of Amos which railed against the house of Jeroboam.

God is clear that there is no other god besides Him. Scripture consistently draws the contrast that our God hears and sees and understands and is actually able to help His people.

Daniel 5:23 talks about the "gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone which cannot see or hear or understand."

Jeremiah 2:26-28 refers to the apostasy of Judah following other gods:

They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’

 and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’

They have turned their backs to me

and not their faces;

yet when they are in trouble, they say,

'come and save us!'

Household gods & goddesses - a 2nd view

Heads of household gods & goddesses

I was duped by Hollywood. God and I are dealing with where I've been duped by other gods. What about you? Are there other gods you follow? Money, sex and power come to mind easily. What about image? or a method of worship? Other gods promise power and self-confidence, feeling good and fulfilled dreams but in the end they are unable to deliver and unable to save.

“There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

- 1 Samuel 2:2