Before the gospel first came to Tahiti in the South Pacific the people feared and worshipped many gods of wood and stone. When they heard the gospel and believed on Christ, they desired to get rid of those idols, but they had a deep fear that somehow those gods would attack and hurt them.
At last Pomare the King, ordered a chief to take an axe and chop his (the king’s) gods to pieces. The chief was terrified and expected that if the gods were destroyed there would be great judgments as the heathen priests claimed would happen. However the chief was determined to put these gods to the test.
With trembling hands, he began his work and smashed the gods with his axe, but nothing strange or hurtful happened.
Then King Pomare went further in demolishing idols; he ordered his men to go to the temple and to bring out the god of war, Oro, and also the others gods and relics, and burn them all.
People were terrified and few would attempt to do it. At last a number of brave men agreed to obey the King. As they marched to the temple they said, “Now, you gods, if you are gods, and have any power, come forth and revenge the insults that we are going to do to you.”
A multitude of people who had gathered to witness this attack on the gods, stood amazed, not only at the actions of the men, but how powerless the gods were to defend themselves. The gods were brought out and burned as the King had ordered. Later the king ordered the temple to be destroyed and a any other wooden gods to be burned. So the people were delivered from the bondage of idolatry and superstition.
Scripture tells us that man-made idols cannot see, or hear, or move or help, and we should not fear them or serve them. Psalm 115: 4-9. The Lord alone is the true and living God and Him only should we trust and obey.
Source : bennozuiddam.com/
