More than seven years ago retired optometrist Terry Sanderson collided with actress Gwyneth Paltrow in a skiing accident on the slopes of Utah’s Deer Valley Resort. Two lawsuits later, Paltrow was vindicated. A jury found in her favor and instructed Sanderson to pay her a symbolic $1 and her attorney fees.
Ok. But why is it that the media assumes the general public wants to know all of the newsy snippets about entertainers and stars?
Because, against all reason, we are obsessed with celebrities. We are drawn into their drama, captivated by their otherness and mystery.
And that’s why our obsession with celebrity car chases and court cases, lawsuits and liaisons, reveals a particularly heinous side of human nature.
Misplaced worship
See, we yearn to worship. We are wired for it because we are wired for a relationship with our Creator. But in our sinful condition, we will install substitutes in place of Him. In the absence of a healthy relationship with God, we do not cease to worship. Instead, we tend to worship anyone or anything. Exalt anyone. Glorify anyone. Chase after anyone. Whether they are worthy or not.
Because when we do not worship the Creator, we always worship the created.
What is worship?
Worship is adoration and fixation, reverence and awe. And worship is a choice. We decide where we will focus our attention and who will get our reverence, who we exalt and who we proclaim.
The fact is, celebrity worship serves as an apologetic argument for the existence of our Creator. If God doesn’t exist, why do we seek substitutes?
The Bible confirms continually that God alone is worthy of our worship. But we must choose to seek and worship Him (Ps. 95:6). And He takes it very seriously when we dare install anyone else in His place (Deut. 4:24).
Especially celebrities. Consider God’s response to the first celebrities.
The problem before the flood
Genesis 6 prepares the reader for the world-wide flood that God will use to judge humanity. These few verses summarize the conditions of that time and the spread of human sin that leads to God’s judgment.
It goes like this:
“When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves. And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.’ The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men” (Gen. 6:1-4).
Scholars have discussed and debated this summary for generations. But the point of the summary is clear. People are multiplying across the earth, and the more the population grows, the more sin spreads. The flow of the summary looks like this:
- Godly people are marrying ungodly people;
- They are having children and sin is spreading;
- God expresses His displeasure;
- And those days included “the Nephilim.”
That last statement seems a bit odd, doesn’t it? A bit sudden and out of place. But it is, in fact, critical to understand why God brought the flood.
Because the very next thing that the Bible says is, “When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and he was deeply grieved” (6:5-6).
See, the tipping point for “human wickedness” that resulted in God’s judgment is “the Nephilim.”
So, who are they, and why does their sudden presence matter?
The turning point toward judgement
Genesis 6 describes the Nephilim succinctly. “They were the powerful men of old, the famous men” (6:4).
Not much is known about “the Nephilim.” Some scholars argue that they were semi-divine, but that is disputed (and unlikely). But the Nephilim were clearly men of great physical stature and great warriors, and the term is later applied to others like them who were descendants of a people called the Anakim, a race of “giants” (Num. 13:33, Deut. 2:10-11, 20). The Israelites feared them for their size and their prowess in war. (It’s possible that Goliath was a descendant of the Anakim. See 1 Sam. 17:4).
But the reason the Nephilim are suddenly mentioned in Genesis 6 is their role in motivating God’s judgment. Their presence indicates that sin has gone too far, and judgment is necessary.
Why? Two unique traits of the Nephilim answer that question.
The world’s first celebrities
First, this is the first time the Bible refers to anyone as belonging to a group. Prior to this, people are known as individuals, as part of a family, or by their character traits and decisions. But the “Nephilim” are a group. None are named. Whoever they were, their personal identities were folded into their group identity.
And second, notice they are described as “the famous men.” The term means they were known by their reputation—by their brand.
So, above all else, they were known for being known. They were the world’s first celebrities. Grouped together for their fame and their reputation.
So now we know. For the first time, humans exalted other human beings and the rise of celebrities is a result of human sin. And celebrities draw human worship. So, that’s the last straw. God brings judgment on the earth.
Worship provides perspective
So, the first problem with exalting celebrities, with fixating on their every move, is that it’s idolatry.
But another reason that focusing our worship on God is so important is that worship clarifies who we are. Worship provides perspective. And worshipping celebrities distorts our perspective in at least two ways:
- Worshipping celebrities diminishes our humanity
When we exalt human beings above other human beings, we disqualify ourselves from being who God wants us to be. We see ourselves as less than we are because we see celebrities are more than they are.
All human beings are made in the image for God. That’s where we have our value. Not in our talents or the number of followers we accumulate, but in who God says we are in Christ (John 1:12, 1 John 3:1).
To worship God is to thank Him for who you are—a creation of a loving Creator.
- Worshipping celebrities diminishes God’s grace
Worshipping God maximizes what matters and minimizes what doesn’t. Worship reminds us that all human beings are, ultimately, equally sinful and in need of a Savior (Rom. 3:23).
When we elevate human beings above other human beings, we not only diminish who we are we also distort who they are.
Gifts and talents demonstrate God’s grace. Celebrities are not gods. They are recipients of the goodness of God. And until they come to faith in Christ, celebrities are just talented sinners in need of a Savior.
And Jesus answered him, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”
Luke 4:8