December 11, 2013 (Wednesday)
When it was built, the Astrodome was billed as “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” The “Seven Wonders of the World” were (1) The Great Pyramid of Giza, (2) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, (3) The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, (4) The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, (5) The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, (6) The Colossus of Rhodes, and (7) The Lighthouse of Alexandria. Only the pyramid remains today.
The Colossus of Rhodes was a bronze statue of Helios, the sun god. The statue was nearly 100 feet tall, and served as design precedent for the Statue of Liberty. It stood for 56 years until an earthquake toppled it in 226 B.C. Then it lay on the ground for 800 years.
When Paul was on his way to Jerusalem at the close of his third missionary journey, his ship made a brief stop at the island of Rhodes. No doubt the fallen statue was visible from their craft. If so, can you imagine the thoughts of the great man of God upon viewing the scrap that used to be a god? No doubt he thought of Isaiah’s description of ancient idolatry in which a man grows a tree, gathers food from it, uses it for shelter then falls down before it, exclaiming, “You are my god.”
The fallen statue at Rhodes shouted for 800 years that idolatry is foolishness. Yet its message fell on deaf ears as the Greeks and Romans continued to worship the gods of their own making.
Is it not true that whatever claims first place in your heart and life has become your god? Could it be that it has fallen and lies helpless, yet you continue to let it rule and dictate your personal decisions day after day? Isn’t it time for you to give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ? Scripture declares of Him, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 NIV).