(by Lorie Codispoti)
Even those who claim no religious affiliation believe in something, because faith is universal. The fact that there are over 10,000 distinct world religions supports this idea.
If you are an Omnist it means you possess a belief in many gods.
Famous actress Ellen Burstyne says, ”I am a spirit opening to the truth that lives in all of these religions…” and notes that she prays to many gods, including Jesus, depending on her need. An Omnist recognizes that Jesus is God, but that He is one among many to chose from.
Ms. Burstyne’s cover-all-the-bases approach is nothing new. It’s simply a repackaging of “enlightened” beliefs that have been around for centuries. I call it the alphabet soup approach - mixing all the gods together and spooning up whatever one feels palatable.
POSSESSION
History records a fascinating story in the book of First Samuel.
The Israelites had just lost 4,000 men in a battle with the Philistines. As they were evaluating what went wrong, they concluded that the reason they lost the battle was because they didn’t have the Ark of The Covenant in their possession. So they determined to retrieve it for the next battle.
As they witnessed the Ark coming into their camp they began to shout. The noise was loud enough that the Philistines could hear it from their camp. The Bible notes that the noise was so powerful that it literally caused the earth to shake.
Throughout the Philistine camp, terror spread quickly, and out of fear they began to proclaim, “God is come into the camp…” (1Sam.4:7)
Question: Does this mean that the Philistines were shaking in their sandals from a newfound fear of Israel’s God? One might get that impression, but the next verse confirms that this was just another god to them.
“Woe to us… who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?” (1Sam.4:8) The word used for “gods” here is “Elohim,” which is a generic term used to describe any disembodied spiritual being.
The Philistines were afraid because they sensed a company of Elohim. (Author and scholar, Michael Heiser, in his book, Demons: What the Bible Really Says About The Powers of Darkness, says this about the Elohim: “Yahweh is an Elohim, but no other Elohim is Yahweh.”) This insight is helpful to understand the next puzzling thing that happens in the story.
SOMETHING WENT WRONG
Not only was Israel’s army pummeled in the next battle - losing 30,000 foot soldiers - but the Philistines captured the very thing Israel thought would secure their win (The Ark of The Covenant).
If the Ark represented God’s presence, and the Israelites possessed it, what happened? Surely, securing it meant victory over their enemy, like it always had, right?
Not this time! Something significant made this battle different.
Israel lost to the Philistines because they had embraced the worship of many gods. Yahweh and His Ark had become an iconic symbol they had added to their collection of good luck charms.
MAKE IT RIGHT
Thankfully, God did not leave them to self-destruct. He sent the prophet Samuel to call them out and he rebuked their omnistic behavior (1Sam.7:3). The Israelites paid a hefty price for their sin, but they also heeded Samuel’s word and repented of their idolatry.
When we assume that God’s presence is with us, simply because we possess a religious icon, we’ve deluded ourselves. I’ve known people who believe that if they wear a cross necklace or hang a St. Christopher from their rear view mirror, nothing bad will happen to them; as if these icons have some kind of mystical powers.
The Ark of the Covenant was a representation of God’s presence in the Old Testament; it gave the Israelites access to Him. It was a type of what was to come - Jesus Christ. God’s presence now dwells inside every believer, giving us access to a holy God, who maintains the same desire He’s always had - to be with us and have a relationship with us. (That fact alone should blow your mind.) No other god, from any other religion, can say that.
No one knows what happened to the Ark, and from the time it was lost people have been searching for it (and making movies about it). But, did you know that we will see it again? At the end of the age, when all the nations are judged. Revelation 11:19 says, “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the Ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.”
What do you know - another ground shaking!
There may be over 10,000 world religions, but there is only One God who can hear you. And He responds to everyone who cries out and puts their faith in Him.
Which camp do you reside in?
If you possess a belief in many gods (Omnism), and think you’ve secured your fate by incorporating a little of this religion and a little of that religion; if you’ve bought into the idea that an “anointed” handkerchief is going to secure your victory over whatever ails you; if you think kissing the feet of a statue, twirling a drum, or offering sacrifices to Mother Earth is going to secure your position on the winning side, I implore you to heed the words of the prophet Samuel, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” (7:3)
Don’t wait any longer. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2Cor.6:2)
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