Here in this passage, we see a riot that started because of the worship of man-made gods. It’s interesting to me, though, that it was the god of money that seemed to be the most important to Demetrius, the silversmith who started the whole uproar. When speaking out against Paul, he mentioned first the loss of income that he and the other tradepeople would incur if the people started to believe in the one true God. The loss in “dignity” their goddess Artemis would suffer was almost an afterthought to him.
But because of his worship of these two “gods,” it nearly led to violence and could have caused utter disaster for the city had not the city clerk stepped in to quell the uprising.
Even today, however, the worship of man-made gods continues to cause havoc in the lives of people everywhere. The love of money has destroyed marriages and relationships, caused scandals in churches and governments, destroyed the lives of many through the sale of drugs and other harmful substances, and caused countless other problems in the world around us.
Worse, the love of money, false idols, and other “gods” turn people from the one true God, and unless the people who serve these gods repent, their souls will be lost for all eternity, separated from Him who is the source of life.
How about you? Are you serving man-made gods or the one true God? The worship of man-made gods ultimately leads to destruction. Only He who alone is God can give you true life.
Who are you serving?
