Articles
Spiritual Entropy
We may remember something about entropy from our science classes. Skipping the physics definition from thermodynamics, Webster defines entropy as “2a: the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity, and 2b: a process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder.” There is something about the structure of this world that trends toward deterioration, ruination and chaos. Efforts must be made to overcome this degeneration.
On a physical level we say, “Use it, or lose it,” recognizing that even our body’s musculature must be constantly exercised or it will atrophy. New cars become jalopies, roads develop potholes; paint fades; iron rusts … well, you get the picture.
But the same principle applies of spiritual things. The unattended soul or church will likewise deteriorate. The nation of Israel is a macro-level example of erosion, and it is amply chronicled in OT history. Moses gave the new generation of Israelites clear warnings in this regard before ascending Mt. Nebo to his heavenly departure.
Ø He reminded them that when they endured the rigors of the wilderness, when they depended on God daily for manna, when they met enemies along the way, they were strong, resilient and prosperous (cf. Dt 4:1-14, 32-40; 8:1-20; 29:1-13.
Ø He warned them of the dangers of ease and abundance: “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water; of fountains and springs … a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity [and] will lack nothing … And when you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes … lest – when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses … and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied … when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of … bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land … who brought water for you out of the rock … who fed you in the wilderness with manna … then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth’” (Dt 8:6-17).
This appeal to Israel offers insight into spiritual entropy, much of which is counterintuitive. For example, a comfortable and effortless life seems ideal. We may daydream of retirement, our rocking chair creaking against the floorboards on the porch of our rustic cabin tucked away in some hidden valley. But this can be a fatal fantasy. Too much comfort is a potential threat to our well-being, for in it we exaggerate strength, assume security, neglect danger, relax effort and take God for granted.
Further, Moses unleashes a terrible list of curses and calamities that will eventually befall the people “because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me” (Dt 28:20). The land “flowing with milk and honey” would transform into horrible disease, drought, plundering by enemies, stealing of children and eventual deportation. In short, “The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart” (see full list, Dt 28:15-68). As we know from the divine record, Israel heeded neither these warnings nor the promises of God’s provision, and they eventually fell into disobedience, exacerbated by idolatry, immorality and arrogance.
So, what are some takeaways from Israel’s devolution as we face our own tendency toward spiritual entropy?
1. Diligently teach our children about God. In a recent interview an author was discussing our cultural crisis, and he made the following point (paraphrased): “We have spent the last two generations letting our children grow up with limited parental guidance. The conventional wisdom was that it is wrong to ‘impose’ beliefs and values on children; parents should let them find their own way. The result? A large swath of the adult population is confused about values, anxious about purpose and lacking in basic maturity.” But Moses had directed Israel to “teach [God’s laws] diligently to your children, and talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up …” (Dt 6:6ff). Again, if we assume that our children will be faithful just by growing up in a Christian household or “going to church,” we may find ourselves wondering someday why they have rejected the faith.
2. Fight against the lies and deceptions of this godless world. Moses warned Israel concerning the idolatry of their neighbors: “You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them … 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 … but you shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing” (Dt 7:25-26). As we know, Israel kept falling prey to the enticements of idolatry, and Solomon eventually opened the floodgates to it by his intermarriages. Our resistance to the world and its false promises must be constant. Yet it is easy to relax and accept the world’s “entertainment,” its filthy language, its immoral standards as no big deal. We may not resist it as strenuously as we should because, truth be known, it strikes a resonant chord in us.
3. Serve the Lord strenuously. Moses also reviews various elements of the law, which were no doubt strenuous to observe (cf. Dt 13-26). The law covered nearly every aspect of life, from ceremonial impurities to offering sacrifices to observing feasts; from diet to agriculture to burial; from civil law to criminal law to rules of warfare. But such things are not part of the new covenant; not every detail of life is so regimented. And therein lies its own danger, for we can confuse such freedom with license. Thus Paul warns, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh …” (Gal 5:13). Liberty is not “coasting,” which itself implies entropy, for anything subject to resistance does not coast forever; it eventually grinds to a halt. “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience” (Heb 4:11).
