Your name, O LORD, endures forever; your fame, O LORD, is known to every generation. For the LORD will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants. [Psalm 135.13-14]
I wonder how it would be if God's people really felt this way about Him? The Psalmist here is pretty excited and confident about who and what God is.
But then, the Psalmist gives a contrast to the greatness of God:
The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18]
We should understand from this passage that idols all have certain characteristics. We should take those characteristics to heart allowing the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to their presence among us today. Let's go over them...
First off, idols and silver and gold are never far apart. Silver and gold represent money. Where there is money then, is where we should be on cautious lookout for idols. Criminal investigations often start by "following the money" and so, idol identification should start there too. Money does not guarantee the presence of idols, but the event of idolatry, like crime, is much higher where money is involved.
Next, idols are almost exclusively "shaped by human hands." In the broadest understanding of this phrase, it should be understood that idols are the result of man's effort. "Shaped by human hands" indicates man's undeniable involvement with idols.
Then, the Psalmist gives physical characteristics that represent the lifelessness, and therefore, the powerlessness, of idols. Mouths that cannot speak, eyes that don't see, ears that don't hear, and mouths that cannot breathe all speak of the lifelessness of idols. Without man's input, idols can do nothing.
Going further, the makers of idols are identified. Those makers of idols are just as lifeless and powerless as the idols they make. This is important! The makers of idols are simply "cash machines" - they are in it only for the money. Under the guise of "helping," their real goal is the financial "bottom line."
And finally, those who trust in idols are identified: they too are lifeless and powerless just like the makers of idols and the idols they make.
This all makes a certain degree of antiquated sense but, it becomes a "smoking gun" when we compare these characteristics to the modern idols of man's making.
Man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology all perfectly display every characteristic listed above! These industries' lifeblood is money - and lot's of it. These industries are all the ingenious inventions of man. These idols have no life or power of their own, but depend on man's operation of them. The men who make idols are as lifeless and powerless as the idols they make in that they have only one machine-like goal: money. While these idols all promise "life and power" benefits to those who trust in them, they do so to the demise of those who trust in them, taking their eyes and ears off God, the Source of Life and Power, rendering them as lifeless and powerless then as the idols they trust.
Do we dare also review the modern Church for these characteristics? Compared to the early Church described in the New Testament, and, regardless all the hype otherwise, the modern Church is lifeless and powerless... Should we not at least wonder why? Should we not associate the Church's participation in the lifeless and powerless idolatry of finance, insurance, medicine and technology as the very reason the Church is lifeless and powerless? And, what about the industry of the institutionalized "church"?
And, speaking of a "smoking gun," Jesus could not have made it more clear:
For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15]
Question: What makes man blind and deaf? Answer: Trusting in blind and deaf idols!
The disciples walked in, because they walked with, life and power in Jesus Christ. Jesus followed Matthew 13.15 with this:
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. [Matthew 13.16]
What did the disciples' eyes see? Miracles. What did their ears hear? The truth. Why? Because they had given up their own way and were fixated on the name, fame, justice, and power of God - Jesus Christ - in strict accordance with His demand:
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 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]
How will our eyes see today? How will our ears hear today? How will we realize life and power today? Only when we turn to and trust in Jesus, giving up our own way (our trust in man-made idols), taking up our cross, and following Him.
No explanation for the lifelessness and powerlessness of the Church today is as clear and simple. As long and the Church continues its wholesale trust in idols along with the world, it will remain blind and deaf ...and powerless. As long as the Church today religiously justifies its participation in idolatry with complicated doctrines and theologies (including unfulfilled "faith" teachings), it will never comprehend the words of the Psalmist:
Your name, O LORD, endures forever; your fame, O LORD, is known to every generation. For the LORD will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants. [Psalm 135.13-14]
God's name and His fame distinguish His people from the world. Or, at least, they should...
Father, may Your name and Your fame be seen in me as I give up my own way - the way of idolatry, take up my cross - the way of Jesus, and follow Him. So be it.
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