Oct 26
22
| That hideous idol SELF in his little shrine (J. C. Philpot, “Israel’s Departure and Return” 1849) Never again will we say any more to the work of our hands—”You are our gods!” Hosea 14:3 The besetting sin of Israel was the worship of idols. Perhaps, if you have walked into the British Museum, and seen the idols that were worshiped in former days in the South Sea Islands, you have been amazed that rational beings could ever bow down before such ugly monsters. But does the heart of a South Sea Islander differ from the heart of an Englishman? Not a bit! The latter may have more civilization and cultivation—but his heart is the same! And though you have not bowed down to these monstrous objects and hideous figures—there may be as filthy an idol in your heart! Where is there a filthier idol than the lusts and passions of man’s fallen nature? You need not go to the British Museum to see filthy idols and painted images. Look within! Where is there a more groveling idol than Mammon, and the covetousness of our heart? You need not wonder at heathens worshiping hideous idols—when you have pride, covetousness, and above all that hideous idol SELF in his little shrine, hiding himself from the eyes of man—but to which you are so often rendering your daily and hourly worship! If a person does not see that the root of all idolatry is SELF, he knows but little of his heart. |
This is a true story about a 14-year-old boy who lives with his family in a
small house which is filled with idols, which are little images. They are in
every corner of the small house. Every day candles are lit and placed in
front of these idol figures made of clay and plaster. His father and mother
are devoted worshippers of their idols.
He and his family believed that these idols have power. One day a man
came to his village preaching the good news about the only true God and
His only begotten Son, Jesus, who is the Saviour of all those who believe in
Him. His heart was opened to receive the good news of his salvation in
Jesus Christ. He confessed his faith in Jesus Christ by obeying his Lord in
being baptised in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit.
The young boy tried to tell his family of his faith in Jesus Christ. His
father was angry with him when he told his father that his idols had no
power to save him. In his desperation to convince his father that the idols
were dumb helpless dolls and should not be worshipped, he took a hammer
and broke all the idol dolls except for one. Then he laid the hammer beside
the one that wasn’t broken.
When his father came home and saw his idols broken in pieces he was
enraged. He called all the family and began to ask who it was that had
broken his idols. Everyone denied breaking them, except the young lad.
Then his father asked him, “Did you, do it?” The boy quickly replied, “The
idol did it, and there is the hammer beside the idol to prove it!” His father
said in anger, “Silly boy, the idol couldn’t do that, you know better than
that.” Then the young lad said, “That is what I have been trying to tell
you…that he has no power.” ~
Missionary Walter Groover
Some beloved idol?
(J. C. Philpot 1841)
“A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.” Jeremiah 50:38
Have we not all in our various ways,
set up some beloved idol . . .
something which engaged our affections,
something which occupied our thoughts,
something to which we devoted all the energies of our minds,
something for which we were willing to labor night and day?
Be it money,
be it power,
be it esteem of men,
be it respectability,
be it worldly comfort,
be it literary knowledge,
there was a secret setting up of SELF in one or
more of its various forms, and a bowing down
to it as an idol.
The man of business makes money his god.
The man of pleasure makes the lust of the flesh his god.
The proud man makes his adored SELF his god.
The Pharisee makes self-righteousness his god.
The Arminian makes free-will his god.
The Calvinist makes dry doctrine his god.
All in one way or other, however they may differ
in the object of their idolatrous worship, agree in
this: that they give a preference in their esteem
and affection to their peculiar idol, above the one
true God.
“And the idols He shall utterly abolished.“
Isaiah 2:18
There is, then, a time to break down these
idols which our fallen nature has set up.
And have not we experienced some measure of
this breaking down, both externally and internally?
Have not our idols been in a measure smashed
before our eyes, our prospects in life cut up and
destroyed, our airy visions of earthly happiness
and our romantic paradises dissolved into thin air,
our creature-hopes dashed, our youthful affections
blighted, and the objects from which we had fondly
hoped to reap an enduring harvest of delight
removed from our eyes?
And likewise, as to our religion . . .
our good opinion of ourselves,
our piety and holiness,
our wisdom and our knowledge,
our understanding and our abilities,
our consistency and uprightness;
have they not all been broken down, and
made a heap of ruins before our eyes?
Were it no bigger than a child’s doll
(J. C. Philpot 1866)
“from all your idols will I cleanse you.” Ezekiel 36:25
Idolatry takes a wide range. There are ‘respectable’ idols
and ‘vulgar’ idols—just as there are marble statues, and
other objects of worship made up of shells and feathers.
And yet each will still be an idol.
Respectable idols we can admire—vulgar idols we detest.
But an idol is an idol—however respectable, or however
vulgar—however admired, or however despised they may be.
But O how numerous are these respectable idols!
Love of money,
ambition,
craving after human applause,
desire to rise in the world;
all these we may think are natural desires that
may be lawfully gratified. But O, what idols may
they turn out to be!
But there are more secret and more dangerous idols.
You may have a husband, or wife, or child—whom you
love almost as much as yourself—you bestow upon
this idol of yours all the affections of your heart.
Nothing is too good for it, nothing too dear for it.
You don’t see how this is an idol.
But, whatever you love more than God,
whatever you worship more than God,
whatever you crave for more than God,
is an idol.
It may lurk in the chambers of imagery—you may
scarcely know how fondly you love it. But let God
take that idol out of your breast—let Him pluck that
idol from its niche—and you will then find how you
have allowed your affections to wander after that
idol and loved it more than God Himself. It is when
the idol is taken away, removed, dethroned—that
we learn what an idol it has been.
How we hug and embrace our idols!
How we cleave to them!
How we delight in them!
How we bow down to them!
How we seek gratification from them!
How little are we aware what affections entwine
around them—how little are we aware that they
claim what God has reserved for Himself when
He said, “My son, give Me your heart.”
Many a weeping widow learns for the first time that
her husband was an idol. Many a mourning husband
learns for the first time how too dearly, how too fondly,
how too idolatrously he loved his wife. Many a man
does not know how dearly he loves money until he
incurs some serious loss. Many do not know how
dearly they hold name, fame, and reputation until
some slanderous blight seems to touch that tender
spot. Few indeed seem to know how dear SELF is,
until God takes it out of its niche and sets Himself
there in its room.
Self,
pride,
reputation,
the love of money
the love of name and fame—
these idols you cannot take with you into the courts
of heaven. How would God be moved to jealousy if
you could you carry an idol—were it no bigger than
a child’s doll—into the courts above!
“from all your idols will I cleanse you.” Ezekiel 36:25
We meekly knock at mercy’s gate
(Henry Law)
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.“ Isaiah 64:6
Holy Father, Almighty God,
We feel our weakness, our ignorance, our deep corruptions. We meekly knock at mercy’s gate. Regard us in tender love-for Jesus’ sake. Bend down Your ear-and grant Your smile.
We are blind-be our light.
We are ignorant-be our wisdom.
We are steeped in selfishness-pluck all SELF out of us.
In the deep sense of our guilt, we fly for refuge into the wounded side of Jesus!
Be merciful, be merciful unto us-whose only hope is in Your unfailing mercy.
Our sins rise higher than the heavens-but Your merits in our behalf surpass the very heaven of heavens!
Our unrighteousness would weigh us down to hell-but Your glorious righteousness exalts us to Your heavenly throne!
All things in us call for our damnation-but all things in You demand our forgiveness.
We appeal, then, from Your throne of perfect justice-to Your throne of boundless grace!
Blessed Jesus, we hide ourselves in the sure covert of Your wrath-appeasing wounds!
Grant us to hear Your voice assuring us: that by Your stripes we are healed; that You have been bruised for our iniquities; that You have been made sin for us-that we might have Your divine righteousness; and that all our vile and grievous iniquities, are forgiven and buried in the ocean of Your sin-concealing blood!
We are guilty-yet pardoned!
We are lost in ourselves-yet fully saved in You!
Enable us to cling firmly to Your cross-even as we now seek safety and repose beneath its sin-atoning shelter!
Let floods of sustaining grace from Your inexhaustible treasury, enrich our poor and weary souls.
If the enemy approaches, quicken our steps to flee into the wounds of Jesus as our sure refuge! Sheltered in the ark of safety, may we cease to tremble at all alarms. May You our good Shepherd lead us this day into the green pastures of His refreshing Word, and cause us to lie down beside the rivers of Your divine comforts.
These prayers we humbly offer in the name of Jesus Christ, and trusting only in His saving merits. Amen.
Engraved!
(John MacDuff, 1874)
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;” Isaiah 49:15-16
“Behold,” says infinite God, “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands!”
Not on the mountains, as colossal as they are, for they shall depart;
not on any page of nature’s vast volume, for the last fires shall scorch them;
not on blazing sun, for it shall grow dim with age;
not on glorious heavens, for they shall be folded together as a scroll.
But on . . .
the hand which made the worlds,
the hand which was transfixed on the cruel cross,
the hand of infinite might and unmeasurable love;
I have engraved you there! No corroding power can efface the writing, or obliterate your name!
You are Mine now, and Mine forever!
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name – you are Mine!” Isaiah 43:1