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THE DANGER OF SPIRITUAL IDOLATRY
THERE is a day of grace, wherein God strives with men by his Spirit: this past, he abandons them to impenitence and obduracy [Note: Luk_19:42.]. The precise period of its termination is, in mercy, concealed from us; but we are all concerned to deprecate the judgment denounced against Ephraim in the text:
I. The sin of Ephraim—
Ephraim, to which Jeroboam belonged, comprehends all the ten tribes. These were devoted to the worship of the idols that were in Dan and Bethel. Nor could they be drawn from it by any of the means which God used—
Though we do not imitate them in this, we are not free from spiritual idolatry—
[Idolatry is described to be a loving and serving of the creature more than the Creator [Note: Rom_1:25.]. Hence covetousness and sensuality are spoken of under that term [Note: Col_3:5. Php_3:19.]. Now who has not yielded that love, fear, and confidence to the creature, which are due to God alone? “Who can say, I am pure from this sin?” — — —]
We have, in truth, been “joined” to idols—
[Many are the means which God has used to bring us to himself. Yet we have not been wrought upon effectually by any of them. Neither mercies vouchsafed, nor judgments threatened, have been able to prevail. We rather have “held fast deceit, and refused to return to the Lord our God [Note: Jer_8:5; Jer_44:16-17.]” — — —]
But this sin must of necessity provoke God to anger.
II. Their punishment—
The text may be understood as an advice to Judah, not to hold intercourse with the idolatrous Israelites. Our Lord gives a similar direction to his followers [Note: Mat_15:14.]—
But it rather imports a judicial sentence of final dereliction—
[This is a just punishment for turning away from God. Nor can there be a more awful punishment inflicted even by God himself. It is worse than the severest afflictions which can come upon us in this life. For they may lead to the salvation of the soul [Note: 1Co_11:32; 1Co_5:5.]; whereas this must terminate in our condemnation. It is worse than even immediate death and immediate damnation. For the greater our load of sin, the greater will be our treasure of wrath [Note: Rom_2:5.].]
And there is reason to fear that God may inflict this punishment upon us—
[In this way he punished the Gentiles who sinned against their light [Note: Thrice mentioned, Rom_1:24; Rom_1:26; Rom_1:28.]. In this way he visited also his once-favoured people the Jews [Note: Psa_81:12. Mat_23:32-35.]. Why then should we hope for an exemption, if we imitate their conduct? God has repeatedly warned us that impenitent sinners shall have this doom [Note: Pro_1:30-31; Pro_5:22. 2Th_2:10-12.].]
Infer—
1. What reason have we to admire the patience and forbearance of God!
[He has seen us cleaving to idols from the earliest period of our lives [Note: Eze_14:3.]; and though we have changed them, we have never turned unto him. In the mean time we have been deaf to all his expostulations and entreaties. What a mercy is it that he has never yet said, “Let him alone!” Yea, he has even restrained us from perpetrating all that was in our hearts [Note: Gen_20:6; Gen_31:29. 1Sa_25:34.]. How gracious is he in yet striving with us by his Spirit! Let then his goodness, patience and forbearance, lead us to repentance [Note: Rom_2:4.]; and let us say, like Ephraim, in his repenting state [Note: Hos_14:8.]—]
2. How evidently is salvation entirely of grace!
[If left to ourselves we never should renounce our idols [Note: Jer_13:23.]. We should act rather like that obstinate and rebellious people [Note: Zec_7:11-12.]. The case of Judas may shew us what we may do, when once abandoned by God. God must give us a will, as well as an ability, to turn to him [Note: Php_2:13.]. Let us then entreat him never to leave us to ourselves. Let us be thankful if, in any way, he rend our idols from us. If we have never yet resembled the Thessalonian converts [Note: 1Th_1:9.], let us now cry unto him [Note: Jer_31:18. Hos_14:2-3.]. If we have, let us bear in mind that affectionate exhortation [Note: 1Jn_5:21.]—.]