Gollum/Smeagol : The Path of Certain Death

The creature Gollum should be of great interest to us and I will get to that in a moment. First let me describe his attributes and fate.

Gollum became a thief and a murderer in his youth to possess the Ring of Power, although he did not know what it was. To him it was simply his "Precious", and remained so until his death. It is recorded for us that Smeagol, for that is his true name, once was much like a hobbit. After possessing the Ring he took to dark places, finally inside mountains and caverns. There his body, although remaining strong, aged into the most detestable of things. His speech was altered, for his mind was ever driven to the Ring, and he produced an ugly guttural sound for which he was later named "Gollum".

This might have had a happy ending when Bilbo liberated him of his Precious, although making himself an unwitting captor himself at the time, but it did not. So much of the Ring and the desire to retrieve it hold his heart that he was driven even into Mordor to seek for it. Now a creature of the night, for he hated the rays of the Sun and even a full Moon, he traveled far and wide in search of the Ring. He was held captive, first by elves, later by the hosts of Mordor, only to increase his pain and suffering. It is rightly said by Gandalf, Bilbo and Frodo that he deserved mercy, not justice, for he was greatly to be pitied.

He became a guide for Frodo and Sam to Mordor, against his will, but held to a promise to the Ring. When released of his duties Gollum continued to follow until, upon reaching Mount Doom, he entered in and saw Frodo as he was slipping on the Ring. Taking advantage of the moment he attacked, wrestled with Frodo and finally biting off Frodo's Ring finger so as to attain the Ring. This he did, for scant seconds as both he and the Ring of Power plummeted down into the fires of Mount Doom and were destroyed.

And this, my friends, is why Gollum's character is so important to us. If we allow sin to take hold of our lives so that we are a complete slave to them, Gollum's fate will appear to be gentle in comparison. Whoever sins is a servant of sin, and sin brings about death, first to the lovely being God had created and second to the eternal self that should have spent its eternity with God. Are you wondering if God loves you, if you can be salvaged from your life of sin? Think on it no more, God can if only you will ask of Him. Do you have "secret sins" that are eating you up inside? Know that if you do not repent of them that they will lead you to certain destruction. Repent and be set free today.