Modern Idolatry

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols" (1 John, 5:21). 

In regarding the Old Testament, we find it abounding with warnings and exhortations to the people against idolatry. We can also see from the above text that the flight of time and years has not ameliorated the hot displeasure of the Lord against this giant sin. It is appalling to what extent the so-called children of God are drifting into idolatry in these modern times. It is to be remembered, we do not have to fall down in humble plight to a "golden calf," or to the great image "Diana," to be idolaters, hut any creature or object, no matter how small, that divides our affections, or has first place in our hearts, is an idol.

Let us briefly notice a few of the modern idols that are found among church people these days.

1. It is idolatry to allow your husband or wife to come between you and the service and worship of God.

2. For one to keep a caged bird, rabbit, squirrel, parrot, fish or such like thing, is idolatry. Those who do this commit a three-fold sin: first, by allowing themselves to be hampered from attending the church to care for such things; secondly, by making the little creature a prisoner, when God has designed that it be free; thirdly, by wasting money for its sustenance that might be the means of saving souls in heathen lands.

3. The next modern home god is house plants, house flowers, etc. It is astonishing how much of God's precious time and money is spent on these things, that might be spent in prayer, missionary work, visiting the sick, etc.

4. The next modern idol is a pet dog. It is actually a burning shame and disgrace to civilization, the way this unclean brute is cuddled, dandled and made over these days. Women who would disdain the idea of keeping an orphan child, will lavish hundreds of dollars on this unclean and basest of brutes. No saint of God can conscientiously keep a house dog. The Bible says, "without are dogs" (Rev. 22: 15). It may be all right to keep a watch dog about the farm (provided he is kept out of the house), but to keep a house dog is downright idolatry.

5. The next phase of idolatry is fine, expensive house furniture and fancy dishes. It is alarming the amount of God's money that is spent these days on this line. A man can no more spend God's money for high-priced fancy dishes and costly furniture, and be a Christian, than he can steal and be a Christian.

6. The next phase of modern idolatry is the wearing of jewelry. If God pronounced earrings, finger rings, breast-pins, gold chains, etc, idols in the days of Jacob (Gen. 35: 4) and in the days of Isaiah (Isa. 3: 16-22), He has by no means changed His attitude toward them in this our day.

7. The next phase of modern idolatry is the excessive photograph system. It is all right, perhaps, to have a photograph taken two or three times in a lifetime, but to have it done every year or two is "self-love," which is the highest specimen of idolatry. Again, it is becoming a common thing for people to decorate their walls with "holy" pictures, viz., pictures of angels, the Virgin Mary, and of the Savior; but I have my doubts as to whether it pleases God (see Ex. 20: 4).

8. The next phase of modern idolatry is money spent unnecessarily in burying the dead. It is alarming the amount of money spent yearly on this line. Some go so far as to spend two or three hundred dollars for a casket, fifty and seventy-five dollars for a shroud, and more or less for flowers. But this is downright idolatry. It is burying money that might be used to Christianize the heathen, or help support the widows and orphans.