An article in the Straits Times newspaper on Sunday 3 June 2007 titled 'Buddha Tooth Relic Temple' reminded me what happened 5,000 years ago when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus).
The Egyptians were worried about the increasing number and strength of the Israelites. 400 years earlier, Jacob and his household (mere 70 of them) escaped from a severe drought and migrated to Egypt for food. They multiplied and multiplied in Egypt. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, there were probably 2 million of them.
While in Egypt, most of the Israelites were slaves or servants in the Egyptian households. The slaves served their masters. They assisted the Egyptian masters in their religious worships. They helped the Egyptians to lay the offerings on the tables and alters of worship during religious festivals and other celebrations and functions.
The Egyptians worshipped a myriad of gods - the Sun god, the Moon god, the rain god, the thunder god, the fertility god, the calf god, the snake god, etc. They prayed and asked their gods' blessings, for wealth, for health, for harvest, for protection against harm and from their enemies, and for cure. Apparently their gods did blessed them and grant them enough favour and goodness. The Egyptians continued worshipping their gods.
As the Israelites journeyed out of Egypt, at one point, Moses went up to Mt Sinai to receive instructions from God (Exodus 32). In the absence of Moses, the Israelites yearned to adopt the religious ways of the Egyptians, and said to Aaron (the person-in-charge) - "Come, make us gods who will go before us..."
Within days, the Israelites contributed enough of their gold and jewelries for a molten calf to be made. They intended to worship this as their god.
Our God, Yahweh, called this idolatry.
Back to the newspaper article on 3 June 07. The people of Singapore had already contibuted 230 kilogrammes of gold and gold jewelries to construct a stupa to display Buddha's tooth in the new temple. Another 200 kilogrammes of gold would be added to the stupa later.
Isn't this exactly what the Israelites did about 5,000 years ago ?
Read the Book of Exodus Chapter 32 onwards. And pray for Singapore.
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2 comments:
Hi, v interesting to read thru your blog. It makes me wonder weather u are a christian or catholic. Cld u kind to share?
I am a christian. But I consider the catholic church as the Mother Church (or the Mother of all churches). When Jesus said in Matt 16:18 "...You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church...", I take it that Jesus Himself appointed the first Pope.
But when we go to Heaven, there is no such thing as catholic or Presbyterian or Anglican or Methodist, etc. These distinctions are are earthly and man-made. In Heaven, we are all children of God.
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