WISDOM OF SOLOMON

ORIGINS OF IDOLATRY

Sexual immorality began when idols were invented.  They have corrupted human life ever since they were first made.  Idols have not always existed, nor will they exist forever.  It was human pride that brought them into the world, and that is why a quick end has been planned for them.

Once there was a father who was overwhelmed with grief at the untimely death of his child, so he made an image of that child who had been suddenly taken from him.  He then honoured a dead human being as a god, and handed on sacred rituals and ceremonies to those who were under his authority.  As time went on, this ungodly custom became stronger.  Finally, it became law, and idols were being worshipped at the command of powerful rulers.  When people lived too far away to honour a ruler in his presence but were eager to pay honour to this absent king, they would imagine what he must look like, and would then make a likeness of him.  The ambitious artists who made these likenesses caused these worship to spread even among people who did not know the king.  An artist might want to please some ruler and so he would use his skill to make the likeness better looking than the man himself.  Then people would be so attracted by the work of art that the man whom they had earlier honoured now became the object of their worship.  So all this became a deadly trap, because people who were grieving or under royal authority would take objects of stone or wood and give them the honour reserved for the one God. 

THE RESULTS OF IDOLATRY

One thing led to another.  It was not enough to be wrong about the knowledge of God.  They lived in a state of evil warfare, but they were so ignorant that they called it peace.  They murdered children in their initiation rituals, celebrated secret mysteries, and held wild ceremonial orgies with unnatural practices.  They no longer kept their lives or their marriages pure.  A man might kill another by an act of treachery or cause him grief by committing adultery with his wife.  Everything was a complete riot of bloody murder, robbery, deceit, corruption, faithlessness, disorder, falsehood, harassment of innocent people, ingratitude, moral decay, sexual perversion, broken marriages, adultery and immorality.  They worship of idols whose name should never be spoken, is the beginning and the end, the cause and results of every evil.  People who worship them lose control of themselves in ecstasy, or pass off lies as prophecies of live wickedly or break their word without hesitation.  They tell lies under oath and expect no punishment, because the idols they put their trust in are lifeless.  But punishment will finally catch up with them, for two reasons.  First, they were in error about God when they worshipped idols, and secondly, they had so little regard for holiness that they made false statements to deceive people.  When unrighteous people commit sin they will be hunted down, not by the power of whatever thing they swear by, but by the punishment that sinners deserve.

(Chapter 14:12-31)

May the Lord bless you and take care of you. May He be kind and gracious to you. May the Lord look on you with favour and give you peace.

With love filled blessings,

Your Sister in Christ