Got Idols?

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 44.20]

Is this idol (something made by man) a lie? In other words, does my idol promise something it cannot deliver?

Anything we trust in, that is not God, is an idol. 

Anything we depend on, that is not God, is an idol.

Got idols?

“Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right. [Isaiah 46.12]

Isaiah was not unclear that God's people had become so inundated with their foolishness and Godlessness that they were "far from doing right."

Have we taken inventory of our lives to see if Isaiah's words apply to us? Have we become so accustomed to idol worship that we no longer even recognize it? Are we so far from doing right? Are we trusting in other things besides God for our every need? 

Can we even distinguish the difference between trusting God or trusting man's devices/systems?

How does one know the answer to the question just posed? I am glad you asked!

To know if we are trusting God or trusting idols, we must only ask ourselves, "If the device (or system) of man's construct was taken away, do I still believe God would meet the need?"

Would God heal me without medicine?

Would God prevent me from dying without a vaccine?

Would God restore what is lost without insurance?

Would God protect me without my firearms?

Well, would He? Could He? Should He? The casual church-goer has no answer for these questions because these questions put the casual church-goer on the spot. Of course God could heal me without medicine, but would He? Of course God could prevent me from contracting a terminal disease without a vaccine, but should He? Again, the casual church-goer who's information about God comes mostly from hearsay and not directly from God's Word will, by experience, be forced to bow out when asked these questions. Or, the casual church-goer will have to "buy in" to some carefully crafted religious explanation that relieves them of any responsibility in the matter basically forming a doctrine about God based on their experiences instead of God's Word.

If God, in His Word declares of Himself that He is Healer, what does that mean? Does it mean He is our Healer but He needs (or mostly only uses) medicine to do it? What is that saying about Almighty God? Here is what it says, "Yes, God is my Healer, but if we didn't have medicine/vaccines, we'd be in trouble!" It furthermore says, "Yes, God is our Provider, but if we didn't have insurance, we'd be in trouble!"

No one can Biblically dispute what God says about Himself in the Bible. No one can Biblically dispute that today's OYCB reading from Isaiah is all about God's people trusting idols for the very things God say He and He alone would take care of. No one can Biblically dispute that God, in His giving of the Ten Commandments, made very clear that He will share His glory with no one or no thing: "No other gods before me..."

And, for the record, once again today in the OYCB reading (in Isaiah) we see something repeated:

I will rescue you for my sake— yes, for my own sake! I will not let my reputation be tarnished, and I will not share my glory with idols! [Isaiah 48.11]

Father, I know we take catastrophic liberty in our self-evaluation about idol worship. Forgive us - forgive me - I know we are so far from dong right by You in this.