We’ve been told in the Old Testament that manufactured idols can do nothing for us. Oh. Those who lived during those ancient times tried and failed to achieve anything with their prayers and sacrifices to their handmade idols. But it didn’t stop them from repeatedly worshiping these fake gods. There were those who actually made and sold the idols as a career. They believed these handcrafted objects could save them from war and disease and famine and anything else they didn’t want. They thought these idols would bless their families and their crops and their lives in untold ways. They bowed and worshiped a piece of wood they had carved into an inanimate object. And those objects. Those idols did nothing for them. Nothing at all.
The Israelites had been warned many times about their habit of idol worship. Through the years, many prophets had blasted their disobedience to God and warned of the impending punishment. But the people didn’t listen. It seemed easier and more convenient for them to bow to an image that couldn’t speak or move. After all, an image that can’t speak or move can’t convict you of your sins. It won’t bring shame or guilt onto your disobedient heart. It won’t even hear you when you cry for help. But the Israelites worshiped their idols and wouldn’t turn back to God.
This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future. Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!” How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit? All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen—mere humans— who claim they can make a god. They may all stand together, but they will stand in terror and shame. Isaiah 44:6-11
We may think modern societies don’t worship idols. Especially nations that call themselves Christian. We may believe we worship the One True God and him alone. But when we look at our lifestyle. Our goals. Our wants. Our deepest longings. What do we see? Where are we headed? What is it in life that fully satisfies us? What do we call sacred?
The thing about idols. They can’t make anything happen, because they need someone to make them. They can’t make themselves, and they will wear out and possibly break. In other words, they’re useless. Who but a fool would make their own god?
Let’s see if your idols can save you when you cry to them for help. Why, a puff of wind can knock them down! If you just breathe on them, they fall over! But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain. Isaiah 57:13
Idolatry. The worship of an image built on man’s imagination is a severe act of rebellion against God. An idol doesn’t have to be manufactured out of wood or stone or metal or ceramic. Idolatry is the act of giving sacred value or power over to something or someone other than God. We may worship our best friend. Or our spouse. Or our job. Or our fancy car. Or that designer handbag. Or our closet full of clothes. Or that sports team. Or that hobby. What holds sway over your life in the place of God? Where do you look for security and happiness? What do you bow down to?
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! Psalms 95:6-7
The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, “Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?” The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?” Isaiah 44:19-20
Just as God warned his chosen people, the Israelites, that they must not worship other gods, he is telling us the same thing. The first and second commandments warn that we must have no other gods or idols. But we, like the Israelites, have chosen to place other gods above the One True God. And, unless we repent, there is punishment for that act of disobedience. God allowed his chosen nation to be attacked over and over in an attempt to make them see the error of their ways. Oh sure. They repented of their sins for a time, but they continued to return to their false gods.
We can’t think that we’re safe from God’s punishment for our waywardness as a nation and as individuals. Just as Israel did, we will bring disaster upon ourselves if we continue down the path we’re on. The truth will catch up with us sooner or later. And while it’s still today, we have time to repent and turn from our wicked ways. God is a jealous God, and he wants the hearts of all nations to bow to him. And they will. At the appointed time, every knee will bow. Why not today?
“What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk! What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside. But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.” Habakkuk 2:18-20
Many times we’re seeking God, but we don’t realize it. There is a deep longing, a yearning inside each of us that is looking to be filled and satisfied. And we search and search for the answer. We look in the oddest places to find fulfillment. We choose the most unsatisfying activities or items to try to fill that longing. We look for relationships or people who are broken to make us whole, and they’re not whole themselves. We aren’t happy. We blame others for our problems. We seek comfort in the wrong places. Nothing we try fills us. There is no manmade idol that can comfort us. That can forgive us. That can love us. Only God can do that. Only God will satisfy our souls.
Continue seeking Him with seriousness. Unless He wanted you, you would not be wanting Him.
C.S. Lewis
Mercy for the Day 