Topic: Pollutants And Irritants [Sunday December 3, 2017]
Text: Ezekiel 20:27-38
Key Verse: “For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.” (Ezekiel 20:31).
The WordWeb Dictionary defines pollution as “Undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities.” It is the process of making land, water, air or other parts of the environment dirty and unsafe or unsuitable to use.
This can be done through the introduction of a contaminant into a natural environment, but the contaminant does not need to be tangible. Things as simple as light, sound and temperature can be considered pollutants when introduced artificially into an environment. But just as pollution can take place in the real world so can it take place in the spiritual.
Spiritual pollution happens when undesirable things are brought into true worship of God. It is uncleanness or defilement of man’s spiritual nature. The children of Israel knew the truth about God, that He is worthy of worship. They read it in their holy book and their leaders taught them of the providence and protection of God for their forefathers. Yet, the truth that they knew was only in theory.
In practice, Israelites polluted their spiritual life with idolatry. By copying the ungodly practices of their many neighbours, they started setting up places of worship called “high place” or Bamah to replace God’s appointed place of sacrifice. Bamah then is a human creation whereby the true worship of God was replaced with human idea and creation. Like Israel of old, many churches and church-goers today have erred in their worship of God. Spiritual pollution has taken over. Churches are everywhere but they merely represent Bamah – human high places of sacrifice. Such spiritual pollution will not profit anyone; God should be worshipped in spirit, truth and the beauty of holiness.
Thought for the day: Those that forsake the true God will wander endlessly after false ones.
Bible Reading in one Year: Luke 3-4
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
