IDOLATRY by W. N. Glenn

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 10, 1904

IDOLATRY.

By W. N. Glenn

THE only true God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, has a right to say, and does say, to all men, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." Yet the history of the human race is lined and interlined with the story of man's disobedience, of his setting up gods of his own short-sighted invention. Even the earth itself is marred from pole to pole by the disastrous effect of man's acknowledgment of other gods than the One who is over and above all things. Yea, for this cause "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Rom. 8:22, 23.

THAT men are utterly "without excuse" in any of the innumerable forms of idolatry that have been and are practised, is witnessed by the fact that "the invisible things of Him [God] since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity." Ch. 1:20.

THEN follows the real reason of the general apostasy: "Because that, knowing God, they glorified Him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." Verses 21-23. Then God "gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness." He did not coerce their allegiance to Him, but let them have their own way, because they chose to exchange "the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator." Verses 24, 25.

MAN did not drop suddenly to the worship of crude images. He first yielded allegiance to Satan as he spoke through the serpent in Eden, the most subtle of all the creatures under the dominion of man. This idol was able at least to make specious promises. Then we find men worshiping the sun, which is, indeed, the medium of many blessings. Then followed the worship of the moon, which was supposed to be the female factor in the production of the sun's benefits to man. The stars were utilized as visible representatives of imaginary gods of various characteristics. Then came the living creatures of earth, and afterward lifeless images of these and of other imaginary deities, which it was deemed expedient to please, in order to gain favor or to ward off calamity.

IN the illustration on this page we have a representation of totem-poles in use among the Indians of the far northwest, especially in Alaska. Some creature or plant is selected as the totem, or special god of an individual or tribe (there may be several of these totems), and on the pole are carved images of the totem or totems. These may be carved on the pole, or placed on top of it, or attached to it in some other way. And these crudely-carved posts are supposed to be a protection to those who erected them.

THE Spirit, speaking by the prophet Isaiah, says: "They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity [margin, "confusion"]; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know; that they may be put to shame." Ch. 44:9. The folly of image-worship is also set forth by the prophet in the use made of a tree after it has been planted and grown: "Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he taketh thereof, and warmth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshipeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto." Thus he worships as a god superior to himself a thing that he has himself made.

PAUL turns the saying of a heathen poet against the practise of heathen idolatry. Speaking to the learned men of Athens, he said that in God

"we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man." Acts 17:28, 29. "Shall a man make unto himself gods, which yet are no gods?" Jer. 16:20.

BUT the end of idolatry is not necessarily marked by the disappearance of visible idols. Idolatry is not confined to the worship of the planets, or the living creatures of earth or heaven, or the graven images made by "Christian" manufacturers and sold by "Christian" merchants to the people of "heathen lands." In an earnest exhortation to the church, in view of the appearing of Christ, Paul says: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." Col. 3:5, 6.

"THOU shalt not covet . . . anything that is thy neighbor's" is a part of the same law that says, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything" in heaven or earth, to bow down and worship it. The whole law is one inseparable code; for James says that to offend in one point is to make the offender "guilty of the whole." Then to offend in the violation of any command of the Decalogue is to become an idolator. Adam was an idolator the moment he yielded to the tempter and disobeyed God.

SO WE find that there will be idolatry in the church as we near the end of time. "This know also," says Paul, "that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous," etc. To what class of men does he refer?—He refers directly to men "having a form of godliness;" that is, professing to be Christians. Is there not need of a special message to the church in the last days calling her away from idolatry?

In the last days the prophecy of the Revelation shows a message of the everlasting Gospel to all the world. Another message immediately follows, declaring that "Babylon," the apostate church, "is fallen." Then follows the last message of warning to the whole world. And the result of these messages is the gathering of a people who "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." They will thus have been saved from all manner of idolatry. W. N. GLENN.