ment, had both busts and candles re moved. Now there are empty niches where once the images stood. The real question is whether the sta tue is art or whether it is a part of worship or idolatry. Instead of loving Him whom we have not seen, men, the world around, have sought for ob jects they can see and touch, falling in sin to this second commandment, and into mere religious ritual rather than the true worship of God. No man in daily communion with the Lord needs to have a picture of Christ to help him pray or find a more wor shipful attitude. As a boy I used to love to fall asleep listening to my mother and father talk ing about the various affairs of the day. I couldn’t hear what they were discussing, and probably I wouldn’t have been able to understand it if I had, but it was a comfort to my child ish heart just to know they were there. Now my wife and I love to do the same thing at the end of the day, I compare notes as it were. How do you think my wife would feel if, before we began our conversation, I said to her, “Now, honey, just a moment, I want to get this picture of you out of my wallet and hold it in my hand so that I can get a good look at you and so that I can know exactly to whom I’m speak ing.” How foolish this would be. A Christian living in close fellowship with Christ doesn’t need such crutches. These things, used in worship, are de vices for the spiritually blind. God help us not to have to lean upon such false idols. In order to comply with their teach ings, some have removed these words from the text and put them in the SAN BERNARDINO RIVERSIDE . "The Bible Institute Hour" is now on the air daily 9 A M.— KCKC— 1350 on the dial (Also Sun., 7:30 AM., KAFY, 550 on the dial) 8
Man's Worship (continued) pay him richly if he would pass on by. In forceful speech, Mahmound said, “No, I would choose to be remembered as a destroyer of idols rather than as one who revered them!” Having made this declaration, he gave his men in structions to hew down and break up thte idol. As the stone image collapsed, a veritable stream of gold and precious stones poured forth from the hollow form. The conniving priests had tried to save a fortune with a temporal bribe. Yes, Christian, let us break down every idol, and cast out every foe! The Jewish people were largely mon otheists. Atheists are those who say there is no god. On the other hand, polytheists believe in many gods. Wor shipping the true God is monotheism. Why should God then give, as the second commandment, “Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image” taken from Exodus 20:4-6. Some may superficially think this is a repetition of the first commandment, coming as more or less an anti-climax. But when one actually stops to consider it and realize the conditions which existed, we can understand why God states this forceful commandment, “Thou shalt not make any graven image.” History records that during the time of Christ a number of the Jews, while they did not worship the gods of heath en lands, they were busy making and selling idols. This commandment d8es not prohibit true religious art for art’s sake, such as Sallmon’s beautiful pic ture of Christ. It should be emphatical ly underscored, however, that the mo ment any work of the hands ceases to be art, and is used in worship, we en danger ourselves and fall into difficul ty. Years ago, in Westminster Abbey — the famed burial grounds of the great and the near great of far and wide — there were busts of the departed set up outside of their individual tombs. These statues bore the likeness of the one who was buried inside. Grad ually candles also appeared, until fin ally the church leaders, in wisdom of the teaching of the second command
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