Title: Idols Have No Life
Contents
The text is Daniel 5:17-31.
Starting with the 10 plagues in Egypt, parting the Red Sea, leading them to the pillar of cloud and fire, sweetening the bitter water of Marah, giving manna when the food ran out, watering the rock when the water ran out, giving quails, and serving God only. He wanted them to build the tabernacle and set up priests to go to God first. The main content of the Ten Commandments that God gave through Moses is in Exodus 20:3-6. “You shall have no other gods before me.” Nevertheless, if they had the opportunity, they left God and served four gods. The Bible warns that this is spiritual adultery.
Joshua, who succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel, gathers the people of Israel together before the end of his life and makes a serious statement. What is it? Joshua 24:15 "...Choose today whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in the land in which you live. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Verse 14: The gods beyond the river: Across the Jordan River, in the area of present-day Jordan, the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites were inhabited at that time. The Edomites are descendants of Esau, and the Moabites and Ammonites are descendants of the sons of Lot's daughters. (2 Kings 23:12) And, in Egypt, they served the golden calf. Verse 15 is the god of the Amorites: Anat (Sister of Baal, god of fertility) The Israelites, who understood God as the god of the wilderness and the god of war, came to live in the land of Canaan and worshiped the god of fertility more. Deities appearing in the Bible: Baal, Asherah pole (1 Kings 18:18), the sky goddess (Queen) (Jer 44:17), the sun image (Ezekiel 6:4), Gad (fortune), Meri (fortune) (Sa 65:11), the Sidonian goddess Ashtaroth (1 Kings 11:5), Baalberit (Judges 8:33), the god of Ekron Beelzebub/Baelzebub (the fly god, the dungfly) (2Ki 1:2), Bel the god of Babylon , Sucgotbenoth (2 Kings 17:30), Brodak (Jeremiah 50:2), Nehushdan (brass serpent) served by the Israelites (2 Kings 18:4), Rimmon in the days of King of Syria/General Naaman (2 Kings 5:18), Kiyun (a star) (Amos 5:26), Dagon (1 Samuel 5:2-5), Artemis, Tsuth, Zeus (Acts 19:35), Herme (Acts 14:12).
Today, science is advanced and civilization is running in the 21st century, but idolatry is more serious.
Japan: population of 127 million, there are 8 million gods, Christianity 0.4% (510,000), Mexico: the most idolatrous country in Latin America, India: population 1.1 billion, God is 330 million, Christianity 2.4% ( 26.4 million), Nepal: Population 20 million, God 330 million, Christianity 0.4% (80,000), high mountain alone 20 million There are 600,000 people. It is the prayers of Christians that do not perish even after this, and we must know that God is patient.
In Dan 5:1-4, we see that King Belshazzar of Babylon was proud and behaved like a god, poured wine from the gold vessels he had taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem and drank with nobles and queens, and drank gold, silver, bronze, and iron. It is written that they praised gods made of wood and stone. At that moment, when I saw a human finger appearing and writing on the opposite wall, I was confused. No one could read and interpret the letters. When the Empress Dowager knew this, she recommended Daniel, who was the king's favorite during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, the father of King Belshazzar. Daniel, who was recommended by the Empress Dowager, risked his life before interpreting the letters and meanings.
“O King Belshazzar, how proud are you to despise God, drink wine from the vessels of the temple, and praise and glorify God the gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which the king neither sees nor hears nor knows. don't you turn
So a finger appeared and wrote this on the wall. “Mene Mene Tegel Uvarsin”
Dear saints, God hates idolaters. It's not that you hate it, you curse it. Except for Japan, no country is prosperous for a country that worships four gods idols, and there is no country that prospers for a communist country that says there is no God. As in Exodus 20:3-6, I pray in the name of the Lord that all the saints who love God and keep God's commandments well will enjoy God's abundant grace for thousands of generations.