Spurgeon Meditations

 

Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods.

Jer 16 20

One great besetting sin of ancient Israel was idolatry and the spiritual Israel are vexed with a tendency to the same folly. Remphan's star shines no longer and the women weep no more for Tammuz but Mammon still intrudes his golden calf and the shrines of pride are not forsaken. Self in various forms struggles to subdue the chosen ones under its dominion and the flesh sets up its altars wherever it can find space for them. Favourite children are often the cause of much sin in believers; the Lord is grieved when He sees us doting upon them above measure; they will live to be as great a curse to us as Absalom was to David or they will be taken from us to leave our homes desolate. If Christians desire to grow thorns to stuff their sleepless pillows let them dote on their dear ones. It is truly said that "they are no gods for the objects of our foolish love are very doubtful blessings, the solace whichthey yield us now is dangerous, and the help which they can giveus in the hour of trouble is little indeed. Why, then, are we sobewitched with vanities? We pity the poor heathen who adore agod of stone, and yet worship a god of gold. Where is the vastsuperiority between a god of flesh and one of wood? Theprinciple, the sin, the folly is the same in either case, onlythat in ours the crime is more aggravated because we have morelight, and sin in the face of it. The heathen bows to a falsedeity, but the true God he has never known; we commit two evils,inasmuch as we forsake the living God and turn unto idols. Maythe Lord purge us all from this grievous iniquity! The dearest idol I have known Whate'er that idol be; Help me to tear it from thy throne And worship only thee."


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