Idols Of Silver And Gold

"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." (Psalm 115:4-8)

How about that! We are like our idols, our gods, and demi-gods that give the appearance of something but in reality, are nothing.

We idolize and worship what we value. We give credence to it and justify it because of its value. We idolize a great boxer and give credence to his religious views, never mind the fact that boxing has no bearing or association to religion.

We idolize an entertainer and adhere to their politics even though singing and dancing doesn’t qualify as political credentials.

We idolize the Pastor who draws millions of people to their alter even though Christ and Him crucified are never preached.

Talent and ability do not have universal applications.  Albert Einstein was a renown theoretical physicist, but that doesn’t mean he could sink a 30-foot putt or prepare a delicious beef wellington.

Lebron James is idolized by millions. He is a once in a generation basketball superstar. But that basketball super stardom doesn’t qualify him to be a Pastor of a Christian Church. But countless people would get baptized and join the church if he did.

We make idols out of what we value, so we can value our idols because there is no intrinsic value in the idol itself to start with. And as the Psalmist points out that our manmade idols have a mouth, eyes, ears, nose, hands, and feet, but can’t use them. Here’s the clincher, “They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." The idol worshippers are as deaf, dumb, blind, and halt as the idol they fabricated and idolize.

We take on the attributes of who we worship. The idols are dead, but Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is alive and active.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:3-4).

All things are of Him and by Him and for Him. There is nothing that is, that didn’t come about by His hand. There is nothing that exists that isn’t sustained by Him.

We are made in the image of God and glorify Him the more we are like Him. The idols of man are deaf, dumb, blind, and halt because there is no spirit within to quicken them. God’s Spirit, “is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63) and the “body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26)

Being spirit filled we, “put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

We become who we worship. Jesus Christ is life eternal. The idol is dumb and dead.

We are, “followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us” 

(Ephesians 5:1-2)

Bill Hitchcock