Saturday, March 17, 2007

Athenians and New Things


In the Book of Acts, an account is given of Paul's journey through Athens; and two keen observations are made of the Athenian's way of life:

"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry." (Acts 17:16) "(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)" (Acts 17:21)

Those two observations of Athenian life are inseparably related. Athens was wholly given to idolatry, and the Athenians (including even the strangers there) spent their time in nothing else but either speaking or hearing something new. They therefore worshiped new things- the news, so to speak. They chased after newness- new things; and thus they were fleeing boredom.

That behavior is idolatry; for there is nothing new under the sun, as it is written. "The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun."(Ecclesiastes 1:9)

However, while there is no new thing under the sun, the Almighty God, Who created the sun and all that is under it, has promised to make all things new. "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." (Revelation 21:5)

True newness- new things, news, adventure- can only be found in God Himself. The Athenians were seeking newness apart from God, but there is nothing new to be found there. God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and He has provided the Way for us to become new creatures in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17), and so walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4), in the newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:6).

Boredom, therefore, is a certain sign of walking apart from God; and it is an ill that only walking in the presence of God can cure. The search for the adventure of new things under the sun will take away the heart; but the newness that God freely gives to those who will receive it is the great adventure, springing up into everlasting life. God always has something new to show us and to give us of His treasures- both now, and forever.

"Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD [is] his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

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