IDOLS

An apologetic (reasoned defence) passage in Isaiah

           Isaiah chapter 44: 6-20

This chapter begins with promises of God’s grace. Verses 6 to 20 describe the foolishness of idolatry. We know that the ten commandments forbid worshipping any graven image. Worship belongs to God alone. And yet even today, in this sophisticated educated world, millions of people pray to wood and stone images. The new Testament makes it clear that often behind the physical object is a sinister spiritual force. ( Corinthians 10.20 )

          Let Isaiah show the folly of an idol.  A man cuts down a tree, then uses some of the timber to make a fire for cooking ( and in Australia to make a house), and then he carves out an image – maybe of a human, an animal or something a bit out of this world. Then the creator of the image (and likely his family),   bows down to worship it. Logic says that something is distinctly  wrong.  Not only does he honour the idol, but also prays to it to help from it!

It was quite astounding to me when we lived in Hong Kong, a city of so many educated, intelligent and rich people, that at a certain  time of the year they were so engrossed in putting out images and idols. So much time and money spent trying to please the unseen world.

      How blessed it is to know a God who though invisible, yet is real and revealed in Jesus Christ.

I ask you to read through verses 6 to 20 and  having read it , to pray for the many, maybe not so far from you, who are captive to this lie. Verse 20  - “He trusts in something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask ‘is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?’   “  NLT

               Idolatry is non sense -  but I challenge my readers ...............what are we doing with the great liberty and knowledge we have ?

“ So we must listen carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it”  Hebrews 2.1  NLT

John McKee