AntiChrist RZ 12/02 - Tomorrow's World

The Second Commandment
that He will not countenance His children worshiping false gods.
This, of course, is for our own good! If we persist in an idolatrous
and vain form of worship, God says He will visit our iniquity
upon our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
There are many ramifications to this statement and principle. But
there is one obvious direct meaning in this context. If, in worship,
men put an idol, image or something else in place of God and
come under the influence of that false worship, then they are not
only harming themselves—but their children and grandchildren!
The principle is that their false idea of worship will be transmitted
to their children—damaging and wrecking their lives and happiness!
It is a solemn and terrible thing to pass on to your children a
false concept of God. It is one of the most awful things a parent
can do! For it should be obvious to any Bible-believing person
that the worship of idols and false “gods” has absolutely wreaked
havoc in the lives of billions of people. Cut off from the knowledge
of the Creator, untold millions have been deceived by Satan
(Revelation 12:9), and as a result have experienced wars, broken
homes, mass starvation, slavery—and all manner of human suffering
and degradation beyond description!
But together with this warning, God gives a merciful promise
to those who are willing to worship God as He commands. In
their case, He is a loving and merciful God, “showing mercy to
thousands” who love Him and keep His commandments. Here is a
remarkable contrast. God only visits the iniquity of the fathers to
the third and fourth generations before intervening with merciful
punishment and awakening to truth. But He shows mercy to the
thousandth generation! God calls men into His own immediate
spiritual presence—to worship their Creator directly. Men can
come to really know the great God of the universe as their personal
Father. They can daily walk with Him, talk with Him.
Whenever a man stops short of that face-to-face worship of the
Eternal God, he is working ruin in his own character—breaking
the commandment of God. This is the meaning and force of the
second commandment.
19