In Isaiah 46, we see God began by mocking the two chief idols of
Babylon, namely Bel and Nabo. Isn’t it interesting that these names should
sound like Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar, two of Babylon’s monarchs? The
intention here was to show that Babylon’s defeat was not just a political one
but also a theological one. The defeat had shown that the idols were no deities
at all. They had been captured and carried by the captor as their trophies of
war. Instead of being a help to the people who venerated them they became a
burden to them and needed to be ferried around by weary animals. How could
these impotent idols save the people who worshipped them when they could not
even save themselves. This was an indirect warning to God’s people not to trust
those dumb idols and be lured into worshipping them.
On the other hand, Yahweh,
Israel’s God was different. He did not need His people to carry Him. In fact,
He was the One who had shouldered them since their inception in Egypt. And had
since cradled them throughout their existence as a nation and would continue to
do so. Without a doubt, Yahweh had no equal. He detested being put on par with
those idols that were the products of man’s futile thought and imagination. How
foolish it would be to trust in such an immobile and mute idol of gold made
with human hands. They would certainly be of no help in time of their crisis
and distress.
Paul tells us that people who worship idols were utterly foolish. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools….” Why? They had traded the image of the true God for something that is not god, some creatures God had created. As we consider this passage, we must turn the searchlight of God’s word on ourselves. For us believers today, our idols need not necessarily be a crafted object of wood or gold. Anything from career to family, from recreation to hobbies and a whole list of endless things can be idols we venerate. Anything that we place higher than God in our heart will become our idol. Let us worship and serve only the true Creator God who has drawn us to Himself through Christ Jesus. He has made us His own. We must worship Him only, none but Him alone!.
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