Idolatry

Psalm 115

 ¹ Not to us, O LORD, not to us
   but to your name be the glory,
   because of your love and faithfulness.

 ² Why do the nations say,
   “Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in heaven;
   he does whatever pleases him.
⁴ But their idols are silver and gold,
   made by the hands of men.
⁵ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
   eyes, but they cannot see;
⁶ they have ears, but cannot hear,
   noses, but they cannot smell;
⁷ they have hands, but cannot feel,
   feet, but they cannot walk;
   nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
   and so will all who trust in them.

Since we live in a nation that idolizes “silver and gold”, I thought I would meditate on this passage.

First I just mentally listed all the items “made by the hands of men” that can capture our fancy:  money, houses, cars, art, motorcycles, cell phones, computers, clothes, comfortable beds, chairs, air conditioners, movies, c.d.’s, r.v.’s, books, retirement portfolios, hair products… of course the list could go on and on. 

Of course none of the objects are evil in nature, but when we focus more on these items than God, we are told in verse 8 we will become like them.  So then I began to think about what that looks like.  I broke down each portion of the verse and explored what behaviors a person might exhibit if they are worshipping a man-made object. 

1.   ⁵ They have mouths, but cannot speak,

The longer I worship something other than God, the less courage I have to speak out against evil.  I also do not have wisdom or truth to share.  I cannot speak words of peace or joy.

2.  eyes, but they cannot see;

When I am not worshiping God with all my heart, mind and soul, first I do not want to help others.  If I were to continue down the path, eventually I would not see opportunities to help others.  In addition, if I neglect God worship, I do not see relationships as a blessing from God.  I focus only on the burdensome aspects of relationships.  I cannot enjoy the simple joys of children, nature and animals- all of whom God (not man) has created.  The focus is all on man-made objects.  I cannot see solutions and victory and healing by the power of God- I only see pain and problems.

3.  ⁶ they have ears, but cannot hear,

If I slip into idolatry I cannot hear the pain of those around me- the disguised cries for a friend and savior.  I cannot bear to hear correction.  I cannot hear truth and beauty or words or words of peace.

4.   noses, but they cannot smell;

Our sense of smell alerts us to danger- burning smells, gas smells, etc.  An idolater lacks the ability to recognize dangerous paths- and the dangerous thinking and decisions that lead down the path to self reliance or dependence on the wrong people. 

Again, I believe that enjoying God’s creation is an important part of our spiritual health, and nature is full of pleasing aromas.  I am sometimes consumed by problems when I am surrounded by my man-made objects inside my man-made house.  I feel a freedom and release when I step outside, away from highways, and take a walk.  When I gaze upon the universe, my problems are put into perspective.  When I am walking through the woods- my needs seems so few.  I enjoy blessings in the form of magnificent trees, delicate flowers and expansive skies.  For those who have ears, eyes and even noses to see, hear and smell- the creation testifies and praises the God who created the universe.     

5.  ⁷ they have hands, but cannot feel,

Our sense of touch allows us to feel pain so that we may avoid further damage.  If we cannot feel, we may leave ourselves in a situation where we are being hurt- and we cannot even feel the damage.

Also, we loose the wisdom that comes from our sense of touch which instructs us how tightly or loosely to hold an object.  I think an idolater looses perspective on how tight and loose to hold the children and other relationships in their lives.

God designed us to feel love and comfort from the appropriate touch within proper relationships.  An idolater does not feel love and comfort- instead he or she may seek a substitute pleasure outside of the God given relationships.  Or the person may starve and withdraw for lack of love.      

6.     feet, but they cannot walk;   

We feel stuck in the same repeating situation.  We cannot follow where Jesus is asking us to go.

I want to be alive in Jesus- He has come that I may experience life- and more abundantly!  Idolatry makes me numb- like the walking dead.  But the good news is that when we feel this way, we can take a closer look to see if worship of a God replacement has been creeping into our life.  Jesus came to heal the blind, lame, deaf and mute.  He can restore us if we seek him.  Glory be to God- because of his love and faithfulness.