The Duck Test of Faith
In the early 1700s, the French inventor, Jacques de Vaucanson, made a mechanical duck! It could swim, walk, and quack like a duck. It seems that this invention is the origin of the phrase we have all heard and probably used at some point:
“If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”
We tend to use it to make a point about what is obvious in a given situation. I started thinking about this phrase as I was reading 1 Kings 11 and 12, which describe the results of the weakening and dilution of Solomon’s worship of God and of his repeated misuse of his resources, power, and influence.
In chapter 11, we learn that Solomon had identified a talented and industrious young man named Jeroboam. Solomon gave Jeroboam a big job overseeing all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. One day, when Jeroboam was walking outside of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah found him and walked with him. During their walk, Ahijah gave Jeroboam a prophecy that involved an interesting visual.
According to scripture, Ahijah had on a new garment. At some point, Ahijah stopped and tore his garment into twelve pieces and told Jeroboam to take ten of them and then gave him the prophecy that he would be given ten tribes of Israel because God had decided to tear these tribes from Solomon because of Solomon’s allowing the worship of Ashtoreth. God would allow Solomon to maintain a portion because of God’s promises to David.
Ahijah continued his prophecy, instructing Jeroboam about what God required of him:
“And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel. And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.”
Unfortunately, as we turn to chapter 12 of 1 Kings, we discover that Jeroboam decided to develop his own plan in running his kingdom. Jeroboam reasoned that if people from his kingdom traveled to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, they might decide to join Judah and his kingdom would become smaller. His plan was to give his citizens a “convenient” way to worship closer to home.
Things that are convenient are sometimes good and sometimes extremely dangerous. Jeroboam made two golden calves and placed one in Bethel and one in Dan where people could offer sacrifices. My opening statement applies here with a slight variation. If it looks like idolatry and smells like idolatry, it’s idolatry.
It seems that we need to be very careful about convenient solutions to solving problems. God has made clear that we are to trust in him with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding. And Jesus was clear that we are to seek God first and always and not to live in anxiety about how we deal with everyday concerns, the big ones and the small ones.
If we aren’t careful and seeking God’s wisdom each day, we might just find ourselves putting our faith and trust in our bank accounts, our plans, or the systems of the world, which include our political views. If we are making our decisions based on confidence in anything but God, we might start looking like a duck and quacking like a duck. God is our help and refuge in every situation and moment. And he is the only one worthy of our worship.
Father, reveal to us every instance of our drifting and putting our faith and hope in anyone or anything but you. You are worthy of all our praise. We thank you for your faithfulness to us in every season. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
1 Kings 11:26-43, 12:25-33 ESV
Photo by Pexels
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