“The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.” (Psalm 135:15) It was common in those days, and it is still common in some cultures, to make gods of wood or silver or gold. People would set these gods up and worship them. In our culture, we have false gods too. A false god is anything we love more; fear more; or that we devote ourselves and our time to more than God Himself. It could be a thing or a vice – our phone, liquor, drugs, etc. Or it could be a cause. Am I spending more time worrying about and devoting my life to a cause (good or bad) than I am to Christ? There are times to speak up and promote good causes and even work for them. But this should not be the all-consuming passion of my life. Jesus Christ should be my all-consuming passion. My satisfaction should be learning and loving and heeding the word of God.
“They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.” (verses 16,17) Most idols have mouths, but they do not utter words unless an evil spirit is speaking through them. They have eyes, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear when people pray to them. They cannot listen to the pleas and answer the prayers. They have no breath; they are not alive.
Verse eighteen says something very interesting. It says, “They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.” How is that possible? People speak through their mouths and see with their eyes and hear with their ears. There is breath coming in and out of their lungs. They are living beings. So, what does this verse mean?
Matthew 13:14,15 explains, “14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15) For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” Those that worship other gods or reject the one true God -- they do not hear and understand. They cannot understand spiritual things because they have shut them out. They cannot see or hear or understand with their heart; they are spiritually dead. Before people are quickened (made alive) by God, they are dead in trespasses and sins. (See Ephesians 2:1)
The good news is that even those who are dead in sins and who are like unto the idols that cannot see and cannot hear and cannot understand; even those people can be made alive. There is hope for all. One can read about this in Ephesians 2:4-10, “4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7) That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
If you would like to know more about having this hope and how you can have the true life that God gives, click on the tab at the top that says, “A Sure Foundation of Hope.” There you can read more about how you can have true life, the life that last forever.