Flee From Idolatry

by J.C. Ryle

“Flee from idolatry”—1 Corinthians 10:14 

THIS text may seem at first sight to be hardly needed in England. In an age of education and intelligence like this, we might almost fancy it is a waste of time to tell an Englishman to “flee from idolatry.”

I am bold to say that this is a great mistake. I believe that we have come to a time when the subject of idolatry demands a thorough and searching investigation. I believe that idolatry is near us, and about us, and in the midst of us, to a very fearful extent. The Second Commandment, in one word, is in peril. “The plague is begun.”

Without further preface, I propose in this paper to consider the four following points:

I.  The Definition of Idolatry. What Is It?
II.  The Cause of Idolatry. Whence Comes It?
III. The Form Idolatry Assumes in the Visible Church of Christ. Where Is It?
IV. The Ultimate Abolition of Idolatry. What Will End It?

I feel that the subject is encompassed with many difficulties. Our lot is cast in an age when truth is constantly in danger of being sacrificed to toleration, charity, and peace falsely so-called. Nevertheless, I cannot forget, as a clergy man, that the Church of England is a church which has “given no uncertain sound” on the subject of idolatry; and unless I am greatly  mistaken, truth about idolatry is, in the highest sense, truth for the times.

Read more--->HERE.

Day 194-11

2Ch 28:23  For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. 

Intriguing.  They have the true God to worship, help and defend them, yet they turn to the *gods* of those who which smote them. 

Those chosen of God have such a rich history of God and HIS impact and deliverance, yet when difficulties and trials beset, where did they turn?  Where do we?

Could or can we be as guilty of relying on something or someone other than the Lord?  O' Father, search the hearts of Your people, show us where we transgress in trusting in our own strength or abilities.

Gill's commentary on the verse:

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him,.... As he foolishly imagined, that they might do him no more hurt; as it is said of the Indians, that they worship the devil, that he may not hurt them; but that a king of Judah should do this is monstrous stupidity; rather therefore the meaning may be, that he worshipped the gods of those that smote him, those of the men or soldiers of Damascus (m) see 2Ch_28:5 for the Spirit of God would never ascribe the smiting of him to idols, though he himself might: 

and he said, because the gods of the kings of Syria help them; which looks as if this was before Damascus was taken by the king of Assyria, and when Rezin king of Syria prevailed over Ahaz: 

therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me; against the Edomites and Philistines; wherefore rather to this, his idolatry, respect is had in 2Ch_28:22, 

but they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel; the worship of them was the cause of all the calamities that came upon that part of Israel of which he was king.

Henry's commentary:   (3.) He cast off God himself; for he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus (2Ch_28:23), not because he loved them, for he thought they smote him; but because he feared them, thinking that they helped his enemies, and that, if he could bring them into his interest, they would help him. Foolish man! It was his own God that smote him and strengthened the Syrians against him, not the gods of Damascus; had he sacrificed to him, and to him only, he would have helped him. But no marvel that men's affections and devotions are misplaced when they mistake the author of their trouble and their help. And what comes of it? The gods of Syria befriend Ahaz no more than the kings of Assyria did; they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. This sin provoked God to bring judgments upon them, to cut him off in the midst of his days, when he was but thirty-six years old; and it debauched the people so that the reformation of the next reign could not prevail to cure them of their inclination to idolatry, but they retained that root of bitterness till the captivity in Babylon plucked it up.

The words wine and strong drink captured my attention in the next verse:

Isa 28:7  But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 

And made me think of this passage:

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.  (1 Timothy 3:1-6)

And while I was searching, this one came up...Luk 1:15  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

This one intrigued me:

Isa 28:20  For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. 

I appreciated Gill's commentary on this:

For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it,.... When a bed is short, a man cannot lie at his full length, and at ease: 

and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it; when the bedclothes are narrow a man cannot cover himself with them, so as to be warm and comfortable. These proverbial expressions are interpreted by Kimchi of Jerusalem, when besieged by the Assyrian army, when the inhabitants of it were much straitened, distressed, and made uncomfortable; perhaps it may be better understood of the same city when besieged by the Romans, to which the Jews flocked from all parts, in such numbers, for shelter, that there was not room enough for them, at least not provision, and which was the cause of that great distress and miserable condition they were reduced to: in general, the design of the words may be to show that all refuges and shelters, all means made use of for safety and protection, by which they endeavoured to cover and secure themselves, would be insufficient; and particularly such that laid themselves at ease on the bed of their own righteousness, not submitting to Christ and his righteousness, and covered themselves with the rags of their own doings, and not with the garments of his salvation, would find themselves in a very uncomfortable and unsafe state.

Specifically liked the application to those who trust in something other than Christ.  Works based religion versus the grace of God.

Day 338

V. Book of Colossians
1. Completeness of Christ - Colossians 1:1-29: 2:1-3
2. Warning against erroneous beliefs - Colossians 2:4-23
3. Walk of the believer with Christ - Colossians 3:1-25; 4:1-18

Some verses which caught my attention and made me dig a little deeper to understand what they words meant in the Greek.

Mortify therefore you members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)

mortify - G3499 - From G3498; to deaden, that is, (figuratively) to subdue.

fornication - G4202 - From G4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry.

uncleanness - G167 - From G169; impurity (the quality), physically or morally.

inordinate affection - G3806 - From the alternate of G3958; properly suffering (“pathos”), that is, (subjectively) a passion (especially concupiscence).

evil - G2556 - Apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically such; whereas G4190 properly refers to effects), that is, (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious.

concupiscence - G1939 - From G1937; a longing (especially for what is forbidden).

covetousness - G4124 - From G4123; avarice, that is, (by implication) fraudulency, extortion.

idolatry - G1495 - From G1497 and G2999; image worship (literally or figuratively).

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not to one another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (Colossians 3:8-9)

anger - G3709 - From G3713; properly desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), that is, (by analogy) violent passion (ire, or [justifiable] abhorrence); by implication punishment.

wrath - G2372 - From G2380; passion (as if breathing hard).

malice - G2549 - From G2556; badness, that is, (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble.

blasphemy - G988 - From G989; vilification (especially against God).

filthy communication - G148 - From G150 and G3056; vile conversation.

lie - G5574 - Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (Colossians 3:13-14)

bowels - G4698 - (the “spleen”); an intestine (plural); figuratively pity or sympathy.

mercies - G3628 - From G3627; pity.

kindness - G5544 - From G5543; usefulness, that is, moral excellence (in character or demeanor).

humbleness of mind - G5012 - From a compound of G5011 and the base of G5424; humiliation of mind, that is, modesty.

meekness - G4236 - From G4235; gentleness; by implication humility.

longsuffering - G3115 - From the same as G3116; longanimity, that is, (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude.

forbearing - G430 - Middle voice from G303 and G2192; to hold oneself up against, that is, (figuratively) put up with.

forgiving - G5483 - Middle voice from G5485; to grant as a favor, that is, gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue.

Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)

wisdom - G4678 - From G4680; wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual).

teaching - G1321 - A prolonged (causative) form of a primary verb δάω daō (to learn); to teach (in the same broad application).

admonishing - G3560 - From the same as G3559; to put in mind, that is, (by implication) to caution or reprove gently.

psalms - G5568 - From G5567; a set piece of music, that is, a sacred ode (accompanied with the voice, harp or other instrument; a “psalm”); collectively the book of the Psalms.

hymns - G5215 - Apparently from a simpler (obsolete) form of ὕδέω hudeō (to celebrate; probably akin to G103; compare G5567); a “hymn” or religious ode (one of the Psalms).

spiritual - G4152 - From G4151; non-carnal, that is, (humanly) ethereal (as opposed to gross), or (daemoniacally) a spirit (concretely), or (divinely) supernatural, regenerate, religious.

songs - G5603 - From G103; a chant or “ode” (the general term for any words sung; while G5215 denotes especially a religious metrical composition, and G5568 still more specifically a Hebrew cantillation.

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.  Husbands love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (Colossians 3:18-19)

submit yourselves - G5293 - From G5259 and G5021; to subordinate; reflexively to obey.

love - G25 - Perhaps from ἄγαν agan (much; or compare [H5689]); to love (in a social or moral sense.

bitter - G4087 - From G4089; to embitter (literally or figuratively).

Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (Colossians 3:20-21)

obey - G5219 - From G5259 and G191; to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority.

provoke - G2042 - From a presumed prolonged form of G2054; to stimulate (especially to anger).

discouraged - G120 - From a compound of G1 (as a negative particle) and G2372; to be spiritless, that is, disheartened.

Concupiscence, what a word!  The definition in the Greek did not help me to better understand that word, so pressing on...dictionary.com?  **GASP**

–noun

1.

sexual desire; lust.

2.

ardent, usually sensuous, longing.

From the thesaurus:

Main Entry:concupiscence

Part of Speech:noun

Definition:lust

Synonyms:desire, lechery, prurience, sexual desire

I have a much better understanding NOW!  I also like the entry for bowels, spleen (the seat of emotion).