Posted by Part I. [Zeke4Truth] on November 13, 1999 at 21:03:03 {OA5YBxH8IAQd6.0xyhd2VQ7kkCoKq6}:
THE CURSE OF IDOLATRY -- Part I.
Many have wondered about why God is not present within our world, actively giving a helping hand to mankind whenever there is such a need. Sure, it is written upon our currency, "In God We Trust". But really, is it really so.
We sometimes express our in song, in this country:
"God Bless America."
But is that really so? Is he with us, or any other country, any other nation, for that matter?
Many wonder: If God does exist, then, why does He not act to assist Humankind?
Areas of medicine...food shortages, natural disasters. Why does he not, intervene to help the sick, the poor, the homeless, the helpless ones?
Where is God? Does he not exist at all?
Why is God so distant?
Even those who lay claim to religion, are also at a loss too, disillusioned today.
Those who given serious study to the Word of God, describe him, God, as being, "distant". Yes, just as "distant" He seems to be to them, as He is thought to be to those who give no thought to His Benevolent Presence. The Atheist, the agnostic, the non-believer. And, no matter how much they pray, He doesn't seem to Hear them either. The religionists. There seems to be no response from Him?
Many on this board, have voiced these very concerns mentioned above.
Something About The Creator We Must Remember:
He hates any form of "idolatry".
Okay...I read that in the Bible...so what?
Whereas, in contrast, we, mankind, delight in ALL forms of idolatry!
Our world is full of idols...do we see a conflict here.
You see, we worship entertainers, "movie stars" we call them. Also, Rock Stars, Singers, dancers, sports heroes, ohh, we want that autograph, sign this for me. I want your picture on my wall, and on and on. We idolize them. These "celebrities," we call them. They have made a "celebrated" name for themselves and have many "fans." We are those "fans". Mankind worships them. We want to walk like them, talk like them, be like them in every way. Our youth are swallowed in the hype, the fads, sheer fanaticism. We are the "fans," the worshipers of sports heroes. Our world is rife with creature worship.
And in religion, are any different? No. But we worship those who are "taking the lead among us," like those leading the WTS, the Governing Body. Or, perhaps as a devout Catholic, we must "kiss the ring" of the Pope, which ever. We must honor his every move. So, we worship the creation rather than the Creator. We honor men more than we honor God.
For Jehovah's Witnesses, it is the "Organization" has become the object of their affection, their worship. They place the "Organization" ahead of God Himself. The Governing Body sits in a sacred place where they can be said to have "placed their threshold beside [God's] threshold and their doorpost beside [God's] doorpost". -- See Ezekiel 43:8
Yes, more creature worship, more idolatry. We just can't seem to escape it. We love to worship that which we see.
So we have a direct conflict with God and His purposes.
It seems, idolatry or the making of an idol, are the things the CREATION (Some Angels and Man in general), intelligent life created by Him, delight in making for themselves, yes idols, in various forms. This has been the case for 1,000s of years now.
Even from the first man, idolatry was the problem. Putting someone "ahead" or before God. Be it Eve, his wife, or himself, or the voice of the serpent, it matters not...some one took first place in his life, and it was not God.
Man was now dismissed from the Garden of Eden, to live a life in TOTAL ALIENATION from His Creator.
Basically, that condition continues down to this very day, with very little variation, or deviation from this basic condition. The Curse of God upon mankind. A world rife with idolatry, creature worship.
We are all ACCURSED Children, from God's Standpoint. Fatherless children. Children without a spiritual Father, "illegitimate children". Undisciplined, we are left, abandoned to discipline ourselves. -- Hebrews 12:8
Listen to what God told man, Adam after his sin:
"...Cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. And thorns and thistles it will grow for you, and you must eat the vegetation of the field. In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return." -- Gen. 3:17-19
A life of futility...searching but never finding your Creator. Mankind doomed to futility, hopelessness, emptiness with His Father, His Creator, His Progenitor of Life. A life without God. As Paul said, God Himself, "subjected the creation to futility." -- Romans 8:20
God had, for all practical purposes, abandoned mankind and placed them under a Curse. And, despite what anyone will tell you differently, you are UNDER A CURSE. Yes, as long as you continue to see the above conditions prevalent upon this earth, the visible presence of "thorns and thistles," growing effortless, with no help from man, and just as long as man continues to toil and "sweat" to make his "bread," and just as long as the human body continues to decay and finally "returns to dust", decomposes, in to "dust," with no human escaping this fate, --- just He said, We are under that Curse. The Curse is earthwide, all pervasize, excludes no one, the rich or the poor. It is the visible "evidence" of His "Eternal Godship" and Authority over All of His Creation. It is a straightforward testimony to His Great "Eternal Power" for He makes these aforementioned conditions present on earth, and more importantly, CONTINUE, PERSIST RELENTLESSLY. Only an Almighty God could do such a thing. -- Romans 1:20
Therefore, mankind, can find no relief from these aforementioned conditions, particularly, death itself, and the returning of mankind the dust. The physical breakdown of the body, the ensuing conditions of decay and finally death and decomposition, makes man now, in the same likeness of a "beast."
An "unreasoning beast" or animal, yes the "idolatrous" man has become like this one. God says they are the same to Him, from His viewpoint. The idolatrous man and the "unreasoning beast". (See 2 Peter 2:12; Jude 10.) And now, he must share the fate of a "beast," and die like one. There is no superiority, none, between the "beast" and man, from God's viewpoint. So they must die in the same fashion, and experience the same ghastly consequences of death, the physical breakdowns, agonizing death and shortly after, physical decomposition,...back to the dust he goes, just as the "curse" calls for. His miserable existence now gone, forever, with no trace of him left. Compared to the Eternal One, man is nothing, nothing but a bad memory, now that he is back to his place of origin, the ground. The same as the "unreasoning beast." -- Eccl. 3:19, 20
A REPREIVE FROM THE CURSE
God decided to offer man, a particular nation, Israel, a unique opportunity to experience some relief from the original curse. That is, a measure of relief, from that original "curse". A temporary reprieve from the "curse" and SOME of its features. But how could such a thing happen?
It could ONLY happen, only if,
(a) God was so willing to propose a covenant relationship opening with Himself and
(b) man was so willing to enter into a COVENANT relationship with God and abide by the "terms" set forth by the Creator. Mankind, must meet "His" terms and abide by them, completely, to experience any "relief" from this cursed life of futility he is living.
Only then, could any relief be felt, even in a PARTIAL sense. A "partial" release from the Curse.
Such was the case with Israel.
Let's consider Deut. 28th chapter where many "blessings" from the hand of God were promised to them, as a sample of the blessings that could be enjoyed by all. God promised Israel:
"Blessed will you be in the city and blessed will you be in the field. Blessed will be the fruit of your belly and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your domestic beast, the young of your cattle and the progeny of your flock. Blessed will be your basket and your kneading trough. Blessed will you be when you come in, and blessed will you be when you go out...Jehovah will also make you overflow indeed with prosperity in the fruit of your belly and the fruit of your domestic animals and the fruitage of your ground, and on the ground that Jehovah swore to your forefathers to give to you. Jehovah will open up to you his good storehouse, the heavens, to give the RAIN ON YOUR LAND in its season and to bless every deed of your hand..." -- Deut. 28:3-6, 11, 12.
Only The "Eternal One" could propose such a thing. Only He could bring such relief for mankind. His "dealings" with "Israel," would prove to be a DEMONSTRATION of His willingness and desire, to rectify matters between mankind and Himself. Israel would serve as a Sample, an example for mankind in general, of the possibilities that could be reached in mankind's relationship with His Creator.
Man, previously all before, in his present state, in his "uncovenanted" state, merely becomes the "alien resident" which occupies space upon God's creation, the planet we call Earth. His time is limited. He is merely a "squatter", one who continues to exist, even for a short time, but who does not adhere to the original "LandLord," the true Owner of all of the Earth. The One he continues to ignore, with his continued practice of "idolatry". The One he continues to defy, in his puny, defenseless position.
The True "LandLord" reminds mankind of this one fact, when speaking to "Israel":
"So the land should not be sold in perpetuity, because the LAND IS MINE. For you are alien residents and settlers from my standpoint..." -- Lev. 25:23
Truly, from His "standpoint," we are ALL visitors, "settlers," "alien residents", on His Land. Nuff said.
And according to God, the Rent has not been paid. mankind is still subject to EVICTION, at the whim of God. To continue to exist, mankind must rid himself of idolatry, false worship, any form of it.
PAID RENT = The COMPLETE REMOVAL OF IDOLATRY!
Something that has not been achieved yet, but must be achieved, finally by mankind.
(End of Part I)