May 4
The Times of Ignorance
The Christian's Daily Treasury"And the times of this ignorance God winked at." — Acts 17:30.
THE chapter from which this passage is selected, contains Paul's impressive and faithful sermon to the philosophers at Athens. We are led to contemplate
THE CONDITION OF THE GENTILE WORLD, PREVIOUS TO THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION. Two things are mentioned.
Ignorance on the part of man. The knowledge of God is the foundation of religion, but the Gentile nations were destitute of this. Look at the state of Athens, as here described. Paul did not visit that great city to amuse himself with the many objects of interest it presented to his view; the architectural grandeur of the temples, the magnificence of the buildings, the beautiful paintings and images, the finest productions of art and science; he had a nobler end in view. To witness men possessing such stores of learning, surpassing all around them in intellectual attainments, falling down to worship idols erected by themselves, was to him a heart-rending scene, and "his spirit was stirred within him." The idols were so numerous at Athens, that it was said to be easier to find a god than a man there. He wished to give them the light of the Gospel, which would eclipse the glimmering taper which burnt in the schools of philosophy. Wherever a Divine revelation has not come, there are times of ignorance.
Forbearance on the part of God. He winked at these times: let us not mistake here; it does not intimate that he connived at sin. The Greek word signifies to look over; and the celebrated Howe paraphrases it, "The beams of his eye did in a manner shoot over it." While the Jews, as his favorite and peculiar people, had the Divine oracles, God suffered "all nations to walk in their own ways." When we look at the past and present state of the heathen world, sunk in ignorance, superstition, and idolatry, we find ourselves in a labyrinth, from which the powers of reason cannot extricate us, a depth which mortal lines cannot fathom, and a problem not to be solved by human calculation. Let faith stand and adore the sovereignty of the great Eternal, and patience wait for the light of immortality, to reveal to us more fully and clearly the ways of God to man.