Premium On Ignorance?

The LORD made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name! [Jeremiah 51.15-19]

This passage is absolutely full of revelation about idolatry. It gives us a clear picture by which to identify idols today!

First however, this passage gives God the credit that is His alone: He made the earth and it works all by His design and plan. For us to wink at this absolute truth is to welcome idolatry.

In contrast, man is described as foolish and without knowledge. And then, here is where we are given information by which we might identify idols. The foolish and ignorant human race's craftsmen, using their foolishness and ignorance, make carefully shaped idols that are, in the end, a fraud.

Stay with me here...

Since God controls the weather, then all man's understanding otherwise is foolishness and ignorance. Man however calls his understanding of the world in which he lives "science." Man takes great pride in his advancements in science. It is man's science then that is the basis of his advancement and technology in all the sub-sciences (physics, medicine, statistics, etc...). All man's sciences constitute the carefully shaped works of man's hands. God calls these works "a fraud" and even "ridiculous lies."

Please do not misunderstand what is being said here! God places no premium on ignorance. It is man who actually does this in his idolatrous allegiance to the works of his own hands calling his science "advanced knowledge and technology" when God calls it "foolish and ignorant." 

Let it be clearly understood that God is not calling us to forsake knowledge and understanding. Instead He is calling us to find the highest knowledge and understanding IN HIM (Who controls the weather)! If we fail to observe our world with the established understanding that God created and controls it all, we prostitute ourselves to the idolatrous lower knowledge and understanding of man (albeit carefully shaped).

The only effective solution to the problem of idolatry is to wholeheartedly turn away from idols and turn instead to God. If we are to experience the fullness of Who God is in our lives, then we must remove everything that takes His space in us. The idols of the lower knowledge of man prevent us from experiencing the power of the knowledge and presence of God.

I know this is radical but it seems consistent with Jesus in every way. Jesus decidedly operated from the higher knowledge of God instead of the lower knowledge of man. He defied man's knowledge of science and physics and furthermore clearly indicated that His true followers would do the same. 

Finally, and back to Jeremiah, there will be a day of reckoning when all the works of man's ingenuity will be destroyed. When that happens, what will remain, as it has been for eternity, will be the knowledge and understanding of God.

We should all spend our efforts on the knowledge and understanding of God and strive to live at that level alone.

Father, help us to digest what is said in Jeremiah's timeless writing as it pertains to us today. May we be found void of idols and full of You!