When we consider the gods
that others trust in, what comprises them? Wood, metals, jewels,
fabricated clay or stone? All of these are man made, and none of them
have life. If we speak to them, they do not speak back. If we call
out to them, they do not respond, and the reason is simple: they are
not alive. God of the Bible is real, alive and ready to respond.
Habakkuk is recording God's words to the Chaldeans, and this time God
addresses their reliance upon false gods. Habakkuk wrote in chapter
two and verse eighteen:
What profit is the
graven image to the maker who has graven it; the molten image, and a
teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusts therein, to make
dumb idols?
For many
verses now we have been examining God's judgment against the
Chaldeans. He has told them of their greed and pride. He has indicted
them for their insatiable lust, and their desire to take glory for
themselves. Now God appeals to their worship as He asks, “What
profit is the graven image to the maker who has graven it;?”
When we consider this question, the writer of Psalms wrote it best in
chapter one hundred fifteen in verses four through nine. He wrote:
Their idols [are]
silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they
speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they
hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but
they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak
they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them;
[so is] every one that trusts in them.
The
Chaldeans worshiped worthless gods. God asks them what profit are
gods like these, and the insinuation is, especially against a God
like Him. It was God who said, “You shall not make unto
yourselves any graven images”, and yet this commandment was
ignored.
God
continues through Habakkuk, “the molten image, and a teacher of
lies, that the maker of his work trust therein, to make dumb idols?”
Let's think about this for a moment. A god has to be “made”
by someone, and then that someone trusts that the thing he or she
made is going to help them? These gods could not even “make”
themselves, never mind help someone else. Foolishness should be the
word that comes to mind. These gods become “teachers of lies”,
but it appears that some people love to believe a lie rather than the
truth. God is pointing out to the Chaldeans the uselessness of their
gods, and when He comes to bring judgment upon them, nothing they
worship will provide any defense.
A
person's god is generally wrapped up within this question, “What is
it that occupies a person's time, energy, resources, and trust?” To
whom or what does the person turn when troubles arise, but even more
importantly to whom or what does a person turn to when there are not
troubles around? If we examine our time, energy, resources and trust
today, would we find ourselves with the God of the universe and His
Son Jesus as the ones upon whom we rely? Or have we given ourselves
over to some other hobby, person, resource or thing? We have much to
think about today, and perhaps one of our questions should be, “Do
we have graven images in our lives that have no life in them, and yet
to them we convey our trust?”
Next
time we will study God's fifth “woe” to the Chaldeans and how it
relates to graven images, so read ahead, and we shall join together
then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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