I want to tell you a little story. It is a true story and we will not change the names to protect the innocent, because no one in the story is innocent.
Once upon a time there was a country. Long, long ago it was inhabited by Indians who lived a very primitive life. At that time there were no cities, towns, factories, or stores in that nation. But as time passed, this land was discovered by people from different countries. Eventually these people started to migrate to the new country where the Indians lived and settled down there.
The first ones who came from the old country were mostly God-fearing people who came to gain religious freedom. They found that the primitive life there was extremely hard and rugged. They had to carve an existence out of undeveloped land. They battled the elements of nature, living in crude shelters. They worked hard to grow crops, hunt, fish, and gather berries, nuts, and fruits that were growing wild. They got their food from nature. They battled hostile Indians and fought off wild beasts to stay alive. There were many diseases and sicknesses, which often shortened their life. But the rough life made them a tough, strong people.
They found the new land to be a very rich land; a land flowing with milk and honey, and abounding with natural resources. Those pioneer-spirited people dreamed great dreams about developing that country. They carved out towns from woods and grassy meadows. They pushed westward. Soon, many more people began to join them from the old countries across the ocean, so that the trickle of people coming in became a great stream of immigrants.
Because many of these were God-fearing people, God blessed and prospered them. As God did so, they slowly came to have some leisure time and the means to enjoy some of the pleasures of the new life they were building in the new country. At first it was very little leisure and very few pleasures. The first common pleasure was simply that of eating the good food they were able to grow on the land. As they worked hard, the rich land yielded an abundance of food. So it was only natural that the people should begin to enjoy it. They seemed to be unaware that there was a hidden danger in this pleasure, and that they must exercise great care when partaking of it.
Developing this primitive land was very slow and difficult at first. But as time passed it really picked up speed. Steam was fired through the paddleboats to push them up and down the rivers, and it was fired through large, iron locomotives to push them down the newly laid rails. With that, the pace of life shifted gears to run much faster. From the east, those daring pioneers pushed out into the central and western areas. Towns grew into cities. Stores, factories, and shops were built.
As time passed, people became more prosperous. As they did, more pleasures began to enter their lives. However, eating and drinking were still the most common pleasures for them. The first settlers ate mostly food that nature provided; berries, nuts, roots, fish, and animals taken from the land. Soon they began to farm the land and grow fruits and vegetables. Most of those foods were highly nutritious and were eaten to nourish and strengthen the body. But as stores and shops began to appear, food was sold in them. These stores came to have a small variety of sweets, candies, and other delicacies that are eaten solely for the pleasure derived from eating them. As these became more common, another giant step was taken in the direction of eating for pleasure.
Throughout the nineteenth century, this country was rapidly changing and “progressing.” Regrettably, there were wars, battles, conflicts, and various problems. But each new day seemed to bring greater prosperity than ever before. The nation reached its “manifest destiny,” extending from the East Coast to the West Coast. As this happened and as prosperity continued, gradually the dinner and supper tables in many houses became more heavily laden at each meal. People were no longer struggling, fighting pioneers. They had more time to sit down to eat and drink. Now they also had leisure time to rise up and play after they ate and drank. Subtle danger was lurking much closer, but it seems as though no one was aware of it. After all, what harm could there be in sitting down to eat and drink? Hasn’t God given us these good things to enjoy?
Then as the twentieth century rolled onto the scene, life began to change more rapidly than ever before. The industrial age gave birth to many new machines and gadgets. Around the turn of the century the whole world was shocked, amazed, and changed completely, by the birth of one of its biggest “babies”. The century opened by rolling out the automobile, and life would never be the same again.
Towns and cities were becoming more numerous and growing larger. People began a slow exodus from the country to the city, and that exodus grew every year. City life meant that a larger variety of foods were available for people to eat. At that time, country living typically meant eating mostly what food you could grow on your farm. On the occasional trips to the town, store, or junction, other staple foods were bought, loaded onto the wagon, and brought home.
Bins, boxes, and barrels containing sugar drops, peppermint, and other candies were becoming more common in the general store. On the rare trip to town or to the store, the children waited, hoped, and often got treated to a piece or two of the candy by their parents. How they would look forward with excitement to the infrequent trips and dream about that candy during long, uneventful days of country life. They sure did wish they could have the candy to eat all the time. Sadly, they were unaware of the fact that it was good for them to be estranged from their lusts frequently.
The twentieth century ushered in vast and deep changes that had never been known before in human life. It brought an end to much of what had been a part of human life from the time the world began. The automobile also added many new pleasures to human life. The Sunday drive became a favorite pastime of many people, as they acquired the newly invented cars. Also the use of the car and the trucking industry that was coming along to transport goods, made it much easier for people to have access to a greater variety of foods to prepare meals for banqueting and feasting.
Another discovery gave us something else that was shocking and exciting. One day a man got a shock while flying a kite, and the world will never recover from this shock. Most of the lifestyle known by man from the beginning of time, became ancient history almost overnight. Soon wires were being strung to run electricity into homes, and new inventions of convenience were made. One of these was the refrigerator. These new machines made it convenient for people to stock and store much more food in their home. Perishable food could be kept for some time in the refrigerator and that greatly changed people’s eating habits, and changed what they ate.
“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom; pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.”
Ezekiel 16:49-50
As more families began to acquire an automobile, it was much easier to go to town or to the store more often, load up with goods, and bring them back and store them in the refrigerator. This enabled people to satisfy their lust for eating more often. This helped them not to be estranged from their lust. They could stock up on goodies that once before were a treat only when they went to town. But now these treats were often waiting for them in their own home, anytime they cared to partake of them.
“For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.”
Deuteronomy 31:20
Life began picking up at a much faster pace as the twentieth century rolled on. World War I shook much of the known world at that time, and affected this nation immensely. But when the war was over the people quickly recovered, and the gay twenties brought unthinkable excitement and fun. Life was getting filled with so much pleasure. As the pace of life increased, some people who loved their God began to be alarmed that numbers of people were turning away from God, and finding pleasure in numerous other things.
But then the depression years of the thirties took a lot of color out of the life that had been so gay just a decade before. Maybe God was trying to get their attention. And just as recovery from the depression began to come, suddenly much of the activities of normal life had to be set aside as almost every citizen joined in, in some way or another, to help win another world war. That war helped usher in an industrial revolution that shifted the pace of living into what seemed to be the highest gear possible. The nation will never be the same because of the age that was ushered in after World War II.
Speeding around the curve into the decade of the 1950’s, it seemed like so many new things were popping up on the scene. Years before, electricity had brought on the radio and it was finding its way into most homes. The pleasure that it gave became an idol in many hearts. But its power to turn people away from God was nothing compared to that of the two evil monsters that soon found their way out of Hell and followed it. When one of the baby monsters was born, it could not speak for several years. Still, crowds flocked out just to watch it move. Then, when it got old enough to speak, the moving pictures stole the hearts of millions more. That monster’s sister followed soon. It was a one-eyed monster, a big idol that the people would place in a prominent place in their home and bow down to it and worship it with undivided attention for several hours each day. People gave their time, attention, and heart to it more than they had ever given them to God.
New pleasures were being “invented” almost daily, at a rate like never before. They were vying for the people’s hearts, each one trying to woo followers to it. But even among so many pleasures, the pleasure of eating never seemed to take second place. Advertising in magazines and newspapers enticed people to buy all kinds of “new” foods. Commercials on the radio and television kept urging people to eat, eat, eat. Grocery stores were turning into supermarkets with long rows of vast shelves, which held every food that could be imagined. People were now often using machines to do work which before had to be done by hand. This gave the people more leisure time. They used this leisure many different ways, but often it was used for picnics and barbecues. They were preparing more food and eating more food, and just enjoying the pleasure of eating.
As the pace of life so rapidly increased during the 1950’s, those who loved God were aware that something was going wrong with the nation. They saw that new sins and new problems were creeping in. For years Paris had been steadily growing in its influence to set the style for the way people dressed. Now more and more people were consulting the fashion magazines to get their standard of dress, rather than consulting the Bible. People began to look to the world to see how they should live their life instead of looking to God and His Word. Those who did not attend church and did not follow God seemed to be increasing in numbers. Godly preachers became alarmed because the nation was beginning to rapidly turn from God. The best of the preachers would preach against movies, television and the other new gods that the devil was offering to the people. It is wonderful that they did that. But still, almost everyone was blind to the greatest idol, which had come on the scene first and opened up the way for all these others. That was the idol of eating and drinking for pleasure. The people were now “playing” with numerous new idols. But they had sat down to eat and to drink for many years before they rose up to play.
“For many walk who are enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”
Philippians 3:19
It must have been in the 1950’s that another very deadly serpent slithered its way into the country, and began to multiply. It made its way into every area it could to spread its deadly poison. The monster of rock music came into the country and caused almost an entire generation of fine young people, our hope for tomorrow, to sell their souls to the devil.
The 1950’s saw many people become affluent in so many ways they had never known before. Much of the population gained more wealth and buying power than they had ever thought to be possible. They were able to buy radios, televisions, cars, new homes, and other gadgets to make a most comfortable life. They began to live in pleasure like never before, with plenty of leisure time to use for their own self. Vast numbers of the population began to live only for this world and the things of this world, completely putting God out of their lives. They began to set their eyes on the things of this world and set great goals in their life. In doing so, they made a fatal mistake.
They set their affections on things and neglected one of the most precious gifts that God had given them, their children. They neglected to give them the teaching they needed in the home, because now there were more exciting things to do, like watch TV. They neglected to be parents to them as they should. As they entered the 1960’s, they were shocked to discover that they had reared a generation of young adults who wanted to rebel against the lifestyle of their parents. Multitudes of that generation of young people were lost to the hippie movement and other similar movements.
The affluent life that so many had begun to enjoy in the 1950’s had really taken its toll, and the change in family eating habits was at the top of the list of things that were destroying home life. It had been typical for the rural family in America to eat three meals a day together as a family. It was the exception rather than the rule if all of the family did not gather together for all three meals. The women of the house usually had to take great pains to prepare each of these meals for the family. But during the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s, the people of this country were rapidly migrating from the rural areas into the towns and cities. Their lives began to change a lot, and one of the greatest changes was their eating habits.
City life seemed to make it harder for the family to come together for the morning meal. It seemed that Dad had to eat earlier than anyone else, so he could get off to work. The children ate a little later and then went to school. And mother often sat down to eat by herself after everyone was gone. During school vacation, often the children got out of the habit of eating breakfast regularly. After sleeping late, instead of having a hot meal, they would munch on cold cereal or a piece of toast. Also it was less frequent that the family was able to get together for the noon meal. The breadwinner was usually away from home at noontime.
In many homes, Mother came to take on a job, so often she was not there at noon. The children soon became accustomed to making their own sandwich and eating alone. Even the evening meal, which should be a time for the family to get together, was destroyed. This meal slowly moved from the kitchen table to little trays in the living room, where each person sat down in front of the one-eyed monster. Instead of talking with each other, they turned to letting the monster entertain them while they ate. They quickly came to love this false god so much that they just wanted to worship it all the time. The increase in restaurants and fast food parlors quickly stepped in to finish off the family table.
In the 60’s, affluence rose at an unprecedented pace. New pleasures were cropping up every day to claim people’s attention. So this nation found that it was faced with many new sins it had never been faced with before. It was faced with problems completely unknown in the past. This nation that, a few years ago, had sat down to eat and drink was now rising up to do nothing but play. Life seemed to be providing so many new pleasures, that now the people never had to be estranged from their lust. So they were doing all they could to satisfy all the different lusts of their flesh. They discovered that as they did this, the things that satisfied their lust yesterday would not satisfy their lust today. It always seemed to take more pleasure than was required yesterday, to satisfy them.
“But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.”
Deuteronomy 32:15
As this progression continued, more of the things that were offered to the people to satisfy their lust, were sinful things. The earlier pleasures and delights satisfied them less and less all the time, so that something stronger, something deeper, something more intense, was required to satisfy these lusts. The people who had once found pleasure in partaking of food and non-alcoholic drink to satisfy the lust of their bodies, now were turning to alcoholic drink to satisfy these lusts. Drunkards rapidly increased in numbers, multiplying the problems such sinners cause for everyone around. More began to use tobacco. And in the sixties, the drug culture came on the scene as people began to use strong drugs to stimulate the body.
In the early 1900’s, rising up to play was ever on the increase. At that time, this playing may have consisted largely of going out for a Sunday drive, taking a walk, or playing some kind of simple sports. But that gradually began to change and there came to be more places for people to go and play. There were dances and social gatherings. The local hangout for the young people in the fifties saw them gathering around the jukebox and dropping in a nickel to spin their favorite tunes. They learned to love the movies at the local theater. They were now following after so many pleasures. They rose up to play more and more, and the play became less and less innocent. The dance halls slowly became places of gross immorality. What was seen at the movie houses yesterday would not satisfy the lust of the flesh today, so it had to be more exciting, more violent, and more immoral, until finally these places were just spewing out immorality and sin. Places where young people would hang out began to offer more sinful things for them, until almost none of the places could be classified as innocent, by any standard.
Moving through the 60’s and on into the 70’s, this nation saw such horrible atrocities as mothers and doctors murdering unborn children. Political leaders joined in on the murder by making it legal. Perverted homosexuals came out of the closets, and every perverted sin that could be imagined began to be displayed before the people as much as possible. Booze flowed like a mighty river of destruction. One other thing that characterized this generation was the fact that they were almost never estranged from their lust of eating. The refrigerator at home was always full, to offer food desired at any time. Coffee breaks were common, along with snacks, treats, fancy meals, and in between meals. This people had become a nation that ate all the time.
Radio, television, the car, other new inventions, new conveniences, and new gadgets had come into their lives, and allowed them to almost never be estranged from their lust. As they enter the 1980’s, with mental, nerve, and heart problems ever on the increase, they still want to press on to newer and more exciting things. Some faint voices in the wilderness yell, “Danger!” and predict that this rat race will soon bring destruction. They call Rome and Greece to remembrance. But the warning is drowned out by the roar of pleasure-mad people and their pleasure-making machines. We leave them here and expect to soon witness their fate.
The End
Greetings brethren, this is Brother Denny. Don’t get mad, don’t overreact, calm down if this little story troubles you. I only ask you to stop and think about it with an open heart. He has a very good point. We are not saying that a car is evil, or that electricity has ruined our nation. However, we must keep all of these new inventions in proper Biblical order. That which was made to be our servant can easily become our master if we do not walk with God and live in discernment.
Let me make a few comments on the sin of gluttony. This sin is so accepted in our land that millions of people, even Christians, stuff themselves proudly and think nothing of it. Church members boast about how much food the preacher can put away (God forbid). Many are laughingly eating themselves into leanness of soul. I for one am glad for this brother’s boldness to write about this sin. There are so many verses in the Bible on this subject that we could never list them all because of space. I challenge you to take a concordance and look up a few words on this subject. Try these words: fat, fullness, filled, eat, gluttony, belly, etc. Consider the verses spread throughout the article to stimulate you into a deeper study of God’s word on this subject.
This little story was taken from a book written by Richard Yerby, A Little Reviving. Richard is a missionary in Japan. He has some strong views, but let us remember that missionaries face many things we don’t even dream of.
