Who You Gonna Praise?

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. [Isaiah 42.8] 

It matters not what we tell ourselves or others; if we defensively say, "God uses [anything can be inserted here]" then we have made an idol of whatever it is we are compelled to defend with that statement.

Why? Because God will not give His glory with anyone else, nor share His praise with carved (i.e. man-made) idols.

Debt, insurance, medicine and technology are overwhelmingly man-made solutions to problems God said He would deliver us from.

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. [Isaiah 43.2-4]

We cannot forget that Isaiah, like most all the Old Testament is written in the context of Israel's idolatry. God will not share the praise that belongs only to Him with man-made idols, and yet, His own people 'praise' the idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology when they stubbornly insist that "God uses them" thereby inadvertently making them idols.

What does God say about it?

But those who trust in idols, who say, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned away in shame. “Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD? You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.” [Isaiah 42.17-20] 

This passage should be understood in comparison with what Isaiah wrote just previously:

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. [Isaiah 40.31] 

The Hebrew word, הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים (hab·bō·ṭə·ḥîm), translated "trust" in Isaiah 42.17 indeed speaks of trust, trusting in, having confidence, being secure and feeling safe (careless). The Hebrew word וְקוֹיֵ֤ (wə·qō·w·yê) translated "trust" in Isaiah 40.31 is a different word that speaks of waiting, hoping for, looking for, and expecting. This is significant because those in Isaiah 40.31 who "trust in the LORD" (wait on the LORD) are notably patient in contrast to those who "trust in idols." It must be understood here that the modern idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology all market their respective solutions for impatient "relief now" versus patient "waiting." See an in-depth discussion of this in Impatience Is The Doorway To Idolatry.

How then, would we know if God indeed uses debt, insurance, medicine and technology if we don't wait for Him? How can we be sure God provided man-made debt, insurance, medicine and technology when unbelievers enjoy the same benefits but attribute those benefits to man's ingenuity? How can we be sure that debt, insurance, medicine and technology please God when Hebrews 11 says some people who believed God did not receive the benefits they waited in faith for (but they still pleased God)? We can't.

"But, if I don't take a loan, I will go broke!"

"But if I don't get insurance, I won't be protected!"

"But if I don't take medicine, I will die!"

"But if I don't have the latest and greatest knowledge and technology, I can't survive!"

Really? These are all direct statements that say God is not able. And, again, what about those commended in Hebrews 11 who had God-pleasing faith but never received the promises? To religiously argue that God is indeed able but He chooses to use the taxingly expensive solutions of debt, insurance, medicine and technology is to give His glory to man-made (same as "carved") idols.

The overriding theme of the Old Testament is Israel's repeated idolatry. The more we learn of the Old Testament, the more we see this problem. It has become almost oppressive to me (as in, convicting) to continue reading the One Year Chronological Bible as idolatry just keeps resurfacing. The need for a solution becomes more evident every day. There is only one solution and His Name is Jesus.

The problem with "if I don't take a loan, if I don't get insurance, if I don't take medicine, if I don't have the latest and greatest knowledge and technology..." is the word "I" in association with man-made solutions... See where this is going? At the risk of sounding repetitive, I quote Jesus once again here:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24, Mark 8.34, Luke 9.23]

If we transfer God's refusal to share His glory with anything else to Jesus His Son, we can only conclude that Jesus will not tolerate anything but our full compliance to His demand, "give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me."

How can we persist to declare "if I don't take a loan, if I don't get insurance, if I don't take medicine, if I don't have the latest and greatest knowledge and technology..." while still giving credence to Jesus' demands?

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. [Matthew 10:39]

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. [Matthew 16:25]

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. [Mark 8:35]

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. [Luke 9:24]

If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. [Luke 17:33]

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. [John 12:25]

Jesus demands our complete trust in Him. Our undivided faith in Jesus is our praise of God because without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11.6). Any trust in man-made solutions whatsoever gives glory to those solutions making them idols.

Who you gonna praise?

Father, as You open my eyes to the reality of gross idolatry all around me, I find myself wanting to just "put the topic down" and move on to something more "palatable." But, as of today, You have continued to speak to this issue of idolatry and to my own involvement with it. You have shown me that my utilization of idols takes praise away from You - away from Jesus Christ Who demands my full trust in every area of life. Help me to be singular in my faith in, and therefore my praise of, You in Jesus Christ. So be it.