Idolatry is Foolishness

A few years ago my wife and I visited the Lacadone Indian tribe in southern Mexico who made god-pots with ugly faces and worshiped them. They would make an intoxicating drink from certain tree leaves. They would drink this and dance around these pots and fall in a drunken s … More

Idolatry

In this passage Isaiah describes how people make their own god’s. This exposure of idolatry is the most powerful in the Bible. How absurd to make a god from the same tree that gives firewood. It shows how those who make idols are just like them: blind and ignorant and nothing.

The graven image is called vanity which means nothingness (v. 9). The worthless things refer to the extreme adornment of idols with gold, silver and precious stone. Isaiah also suggests that the workmen, as well as the worshipers, are very foolish and should be ashamed (vv. 10-11). God made people in His own image and now they are making gods in their image. These helpless idols leave people without help or hope. The fact that craftsmen are nothing but men epitomizes the foolishness of idol-worship (vv. 12-13). It is utter foolishness when part of the tree becomes a god, and the rest of the tree becomes fuel for the fire (vv. 14-17).

Those who worship idols are stupid and blind (vv. 18-19). When a man cuts down the trees of the forrest and takes part of them to build a fire to warm himself and takes another part to make a god is overwhelming and illogical stupidity to Isaiah. He says that to worship wood is to fed on ashes and trusting in something that is totally worthless (v. 20).

The utter stupidity of idolatry and a pagan religion is exposed here to the most scathing attack in the entire Bible. The fact that a person would worship this so-called god is bad enough but that he prayeth unto it and expects it to deliver him is even more ridiculous. Do we make our own gods today of money, fame or power. If so, we only deceive ourselves and can not expect to be blessed.

Application

Lord help me to not seek my own gods of money, fame or power. If I do, I deceive my own self.

Isaiah 44:9-20 (English Standard Version)


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