no one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “half of it i burned in the fire; i also baked bread on its coals; i roasted meat and have eaten. and shall I make the rest of it an abomination? shall i fall down before a block of wood?” [isaiah 44:19]
isaiah, in his strong speech, mocks the absurdity of those who would worship idols made with human hands.
“aha!” we say–”such backwards people! an ancient, backwards world–how unsophisticated!”
cs lewis referred to that kind of thing as chronological snobbery–thinking that just because we were born at a later date, we somehow have the corner on wisdom and right thinking.
but think about how you have spent your time today.
how many youtube videos did you watch?
how many times have you checked your phone?
how many times have you scrolled through amazon?
how many times have you thought–”if i just had…i would be happier”
and these aren’t even the blatant sins–this is nothing to speak of lust, greed and covetousness–and these are all rebellion!
this is how we sin against our Holy God:
for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water. [jeremiah 2:13]
we forsake the God who has created things for us to enjoy–and then we fashion them into idols for us to worship. we are not satisfied with what God has graciously, mercifully given to us.
paul told those at areopagus:
for as i passed along and observed the objects of your worship, i found also an altar with this inscription: ‘to the unknown god.’ what therefore you worship as unknown, this i proclaim to you. the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. [acts 17:23-25]
people had not changed between the time of isaiah and jeremiah to the time of paul, and human nature still hasn’t changed to today. deep down, the primitive desire to make a god and worship it resides deep in our flesh. we must, by God’s Holy Spirit power seek to kill that desire–as john owen said: “be killing sin, or it will be killing you” –notice the tense of the sentence–”be killing”
–now–always be in the act of killing your sin–you must, i must be aware of our idols, tv isn’t inherently, bad, nor are our phones, but when we feel the pull of the flesh to the phone, to the tv, to the daydreams when we are bored, tired or need affirmation–when you feel “the flesh” don’t walk in it–don’t set your mind on it–
for to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. [romans 8:6]
set your mind on the Spirit, set your mind on the Prince of Peace–Jesus.
~ce