I can’t stop thinking about artificial vs. real after writing yesterday’s post. I mean, the Israelites had a relationship with an all wise, all powerful, loving, good God. And they traded all that in for a golden calf? That calf hadn’t sustained them with manna or “bread from heaven” new every morning BUT God did. That calf hadn’t rescued them from their oppressors BUT God did. That calf didn’t know them personally, didn’t even know their names BUT God did. Our God is a personal God. His word says this about Him –

“He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of HIs great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:26)

I think it’s safe to say if God knows the name of every star in the sky, He also knows the name of every person He has created in His image. Actually, we are told He knows more than just our names. Our Heavenly Father knows every hair on our heads. He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground. He knows the way that I take. So I can be sure that God knows not only my name, but each and every one of our names.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

I can’t say as much for that golden calf, however. The calf knew nothing about anything. But God knew and knows everything, including the names of all the rebellious Israelites who chose a golden calf over Him. This battle between what is real and what is artificial has been raging long before AI came into existence. It is as old as the battle between good and evil. God is the author of light and of life and of all that is real, which He created. Enter satan, the deceiver, the counterfeiter, the one whose only option is to attempt to copy God’s original work. In Corinthians we read this about satan –

“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

Masquerading. That says it all, doesn’t it? Pretending, deceiving, impersonating. Today, sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between what is real and what is artificial. Take counterfeit money and real money, for example. It’s often hard to tell the difference. But one has value in that you can buy needed stuff with it, the other has no real value but could land you in jail. With money, it is important to be able to discern the difference between what is real and what is fake or counterfeit.

How about artificial plants and flowers? It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between the real and the artificial from a distance. Ever wonder why the artificial is so popular? Could it be that artificial plants need no care, therefore nothing is required of me or of you? I don’t have to water artificial plants. They don’t grow, so I don’t have to prune them or repot them into bigger pots. I don’t have to clean up their dead leaves. I don’t have to interact with artificial plants or flowers at all.

Artificial requires nothing from you and me, no relationship, no care. Of course, artificial plants and flowers produce no food for us to eat or pollen for bees to gather to make honey or lovely flower fragrances. We have a symbiotic relationship with real plants – we take care of them and they produce food for us to eat. In this case, artificial just isn’t able to provide a relationship or a relationship’s life-giving results.

But what if I mistake the artificial for the real? What if I water my artificial plants in hopes that they will grow and prosper and produce food? I am going to be very disappointed. No matter how often or how much I water my artificial plants, they will never grow bigger, they will never bloom or produce food. Artificial plants can’t produce anything. They are not alive. They will not grow and bloom and reproduce like real plants do, no matter how diligently I care for them.

I wonder if the Israelites ever figured this out with the golden calf that they made and then proceeded to worship? Did they not notice that the calf they were bowing down to and sacrificing to remained unmoved and unresponsive to even their most fervent gestures? God, Himself, said this to Moses about the Israelites –

“They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ ” (Exodus 32:8)

Are you kidding me? What short memories the Israelites had! Had they forgotten their daily miracle manna or the water from the rock? They clearly had forgotten this commandment of God –

“You shall have no other gods before Me. . . . Do not make any gods to be alongside Me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.” (Exodus 20:3 & 23)

Why would they trade in the living for the non-living? the real for the artificial? the divine for the man-made? Of course, with the calf they were in control, they made the rules. The calf didn’t have commandments or rules like their living Creator God did. There was no discipline from the calf for their wayward actions. The calf also offered them no protection nor provision nor guidance nor wisdom nor purpose nor life. They were pretty much on their own with the calf as their object of worship. However, this artificial idol would never satisfy their innate longing to be in relationship with their loving Creator.

Time and again God would draw them back to Himself and time and again they would turn to other things in place of the very real and living Heavenly Father who was right there with them. How often do I do that today? How often do I substitute the artificial for the real? Cyberspace and AI make it increasingly easy to do just that. Artificial is much easier to control than real. Real people are unpredictable and multi-faceted. Artificial is predictable, controllable – man made it, man controls it.

BUT – I want the real adventure of walking with my real Heavenly Father rather than giving my attention and allegiance to artificial things of my own invention. Being in a relationship with my Creator requires of me trust, submission, obedience, courage – lots of courage to follow where He leads because it is almost always counter cultural and not what my human nature would choose. That’s where trust and courage come in handy.

Something else just occurred to me. That real life is painful – joyful but also painful. If I deal only with the artificial, there is no pain (ie. artificial plants never die) but there is also no joy.

Oh Lord, I don’t want to waste my time building and bowing down to artificial golden calves of my own making, when I could be walking with and worshiping You, the only real and living God.

“I am the Lord; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols. . . . This is what God the Lord says – He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:8 & 5-7)

sincerely, Grace Day