An Altar in Reserve
2 Kings 17:33
They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from there.


When Redwald, King of Kent, embraced Christianity, he was not fully persuaded that Christ would prove stronger than the heathen gods, so he kept two altars in his temple, the larger one dedicated to Christ and the small one in the corner dedicated to the heathen gods. He thought that if Christ should ever be overthrown he might still claim the protection of the heathen deity, because of his faithfulness. How many nominal Christians have an altar in reserve!

Blest too is he who can divine

Where real right doth lie,

And dares to take the side that seems

Wrong to man's blindfold eye.

Then learn to scorn the praise of men,

And learn to lose with God:

For Jesus won the world through shame,

And beckons thee His road.



Parallel Verses
KJV: They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.

WEB: They feared Yahweh, and served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.




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