- 63-
CHAPTER 9: The Nations and their Religion (Job)
A MODERN German writer has well said: "The birth of heathenism may be dated
from the moment when the presumptuous statement was uttered, 'Go to, let us build a
city and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name.'" Even
Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, regards Nimrod as the father of heathenism,
the characteristic of which is to find strength and happiness in sin, and not in God. Its
essential principle is to reject all that is not seen, and to cling to that which is
temporal. Thus we also may be heathens in heart, even though we are not such in
mind, and do not worship stocks or stone. Indeed, it is very remarkable, that neither
nation nor tribe has ever been discovered which did not acknowledge and worship
some superior Being; and yet from the most savage barbarians to the most refined
philosopher, they have all been destitute of the knowledge of the one living and true
God. The only exception in the world has been that of Israel, to whom God specially
revealed Himself; and even Israel required constant teaching, guidance, and
discipline from on high to keep them from falling back into idolatry. Idolatry is the
religion of sight in opposition to that of faith. Instead of the unseen Creator, man
regarded that which was visible - the sun, the moon, the stars - as the cause and the
ruler of all; or he assigned to everything its deity, and thus had gods many and lords
many; or else he converted his heroes, real or imaginary, into gods. The worship of
the heavens, the worship of nature, or the worship of man - such is heathenism and
idolatry. And yet all the while man felt the insufficiency of his worship, for behind
these gods he placed a dark, immovable, unsearchable Fate, which ruled supreme,
and controlled alike gods and men. It was indeed a terrible exchange to make - to
leave our heavenly Father and His love for such delusions and disappointments. The
worst of it was, that man gradually became conformed to his religion. He first
imputed his own vices to his gods, and next imitated the vices of his gods. Assuredly,
the heathen nations were the younger son in the parable (Luke 15:12), who had left
his father's house with the portion of goods that belonged to him - heathen science,
art, literature, and power - to find himself at the last driven to eat the husks on which
the swine do feed, and yet not able to satisfy the cravings of his hunger! Blessed be
God for that revelation of Himself in Christ Jesus, which has brought the prodigal
back to the Father's home and heart!
But even so, God did not leave Himself without a witness. The inward searching of
man after a God, the accusing voice of his conscience, the attempt to offer sacrifices,
and the remnants of ancient traditions of the truth among men - all seemed to point
upward. And then, as all were not Israel who were of Israel, so God also had at all
times His own, even among the Gentile nations. Job, Melchizedek, Rahab, Ruth,
Naaman, may be mentioned as instances of this. It will be readily understood that the
number of those "born out of season," as it were, from among the Gentiles, must have
(^)