The Foolishness of Idol Worship

I have to admit. I don't understand this worshipping of idols that people do. I just don't "get it".

The buddhas and so forth. I don't understand making a car or a house or a whatever so very important in a person's life. I do understand people caring about their stuff, but I don't understand putting that "stuff" ahead of the true God or ahead of people. I just don't get it.

I have to admit, I also don't "get" the lack of care that some people show towards their "stuff" either. The wanton disregard for pets, for possessions, and for some their very family members. But that would be a post for a different day.

I especially don't get the idol worship of "stuff". It makes no sense to me. Why would this block of wood, or that hunk of stone be so much more important than that wood or that stone. Or why is this vehicle so important, but that one is like...who cares? I don't understand it.

So here I was reading in Isaiah 44 this morning, not really thinking about that and I come across these words from God through Isaiah.

9All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

Here we see God speaking through Isaiah. He is saying how idol makers are worthless. They make objects that do nothing. And because they do so, they shall be put to shame.

12The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!" 17And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"

Do you see it? Do you see how they do it? They make the decision on how to use the wood or the stone. Let's say a tree is picked.
1. THEY pick the tree
2. THEY water it and keep an eye on it.
3. THEY decide which part of the tree is to be used for what purpose
4. THEY do all the work of it. - the chopping, the burning, the forming etc.
And then
5. THEY worship the part they've decided is to be worshipped.

18They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, "Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?" 20He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

Do you see the foolishness? A guy has a tree, half he uses for his personal sustenance, the other half he worships like it's supposed to help him. It makes no sense. How does he determine which half is to be the "god" and which half he can do with whatever he wants? Makes no sense to me. It really exemplifies to me how the wisdom of men is but foolishness to God.

But God explains why this is. He has shut their eyes (so they cannot see) and shut their hearts (so they cannot understand). They don't think about what they are doing. There is no knowledge or discernment or anything. It is just something they do. Their hearts are deluded, and they are led astray by it. They cannot save themselves.

Makes me think of who I was before my faith became really important to me. I didn't think about what I did half the time. I just did what I wanted to because I wanted to and somehow it made sense to me. DUMB!!!!

Makes me think abit more about the conference I was just at. The one teacher expounded upon the fact that it is the HOLY SPIRIT who does this work of illuminating the Word to us. I cannot save myself, I cannot make myself understand God's word... but the Holy Spirit comes along, lives inside of me and makes the Word of God real and understandable. He makes it so that MY heart cannot be deluded. If he didn't, I would be like those poor idol makers, who have no idea of just how lost they really are.

We need to be so aware of what the Holy Spirit keeps us from. :) AND pray all the more diligently that we can be of use to him in the saving of others for God. (and yes, i know... i probably didn't word that well. ) :)