Idolatry

I want to start this exhortation with a true story. A while back I had a $5 bill in my wallet. One Saturday, I went into a sandwich shop and ordered some lunch. They handed me a sandwich and I handed them the $5 bill, thinking I had paid. As I started to leave, the young lady called out to me. For some reason she had tested the bill with one of those special pens and discovered that it was counterfeit! It looked like a $5 bill; it felt like a $5 bill; whoever gave it to me used it like it was a $5 bill; but I wound up being the one to find out that it wasn’t a $5 bill after all. Obviously, I had to provide another means of payment and luckily I had some other bills in my wallet. It was strange: something that looks so much like a $5 bill, isn’t. It’s fake. It’s not real. It can’t do anything that a real $5 bill can do; in particular, it can’t buy a sandwich.

Isaiah 44: An exhortation against idolatry

When we read Isaiah 44 we tend to laugh: no one could be so silly as to worship idols. But idols are just counterfeit gods, things that are acting as if they are God but are not. They are things you love, obey, trust, and serve. You act as if they can provide the same things that God provides, but in reality it is impossible for them to provide anything of the kind.

Let’s put Isaiah 44 into context. The refrain, “There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked” divides the last part of Isaiah, chapters 40-66, into three portions, each with nine chapters: Isa 40-48 (Good News of Victory); 49-57 (Return from Death/Exile); and 58-66 (Triumph/The Triumphal Homecoming). The first of these portions, Isaiah 40-48, has seven sections:

  • 40:1-31 Good News;
  • 41:1-29 Yahweh’s Lawsuit with the Nations;
  • 42:1-43:13 The Opening of the Eyes of the Blind;
  • 43:14-44:28 Forgiveness and Restoration (or Redemption);
  • 45:1-25 Cyrus and the Universal Acknowledgement of Yahweh;
  • 46-47 Yahweh and Babylon;
  • 48 Hearing and Responding.1

Each of these sections has a structure in which Isaiah first introduces a topic, then addresses a second related topic, then returns to conclude the first topic. In particular, the structure of the fourth section is:

(A) 43:14-44:5;

(B) 44:6-20; (A’) 44:21-28.

Repetitions that connect (A) with (A’) include the following:

  • “Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer” (43:14; 44:24);
  • “Remember” (43:18; 44:21);
  • “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions…and will not remember thy sins” (43:25; 44:22);
  • “Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb” (44:1-2; 44:21, 24).

These repetitions act as topical bookends, tying topic (A’) back to topic (A).

The middle topic (B) has to do with idols, and is introduced with a powerful expression of the uniqueness of our Heavenly Father:

“Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any” (Isa 44:6-8).

The idols described in verses 9-20 provide a direct contrast:

“They that make a graven image are all of them vanity…Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?…The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms…The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house” (Is 44:9-13).

What is easily missed in our English versions is that the words used to describe the making of these idols are the same as the words used in topics (A) and (A’) to describe God’s making of Israel and the world:

Made (#6213, ‘asah, “to do or make, in the broadest sense and the widest applica­tion”): 44:2 made; v23 done, v24 maketh; 44:13 fitteth, maketh, v15 maketh, v17 maketh, v19 make.

Formed (#3335 yatsar, “to press through the squeezing into shape; to mold into a form”): 44:2 formed; v21 formed, v24 formed; 44:9 make, v10 formed, v12 fashioneth.

By using the same words in this way, the Spirit is indicating that those who make idols are trying to be like God, the creator of all things. They are trying to make for themselves something that can save them, something that can redeem them.

The silliness of such an endeavor is highlighted in the mockery that follows:

“He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god” (Isa 44:14-17).

We laugh at this. Such idols can do nothing. Their impotence is obvious. The idols have been formed from the residue, from the wood that is left over after some has been used to create a fire for providing warmth and for cooking. Such gods are obviously counterfeit. They can’t do anything that God himself can do. When the time comes that you need them, they will not be able to help you at all.

It is clear that the minds of the idolaters are filled with confusion:

“They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?” (Isa 44:18-20).

We laugh at the people being described, because we think that we would never fall into this same trap. We could never make such carved idols or molten images and “fall down and worship them.” But we must ask: Are we really that different? After all, we do spend lots of time “bowed down” before the television, or movies, or the internet. We often spend time and money watching things that we ought not, tying our hopes for happiness on things that can never provide eternal blessings, learning to behave in ways that are often contrary to God’s way. So are we really that different, or do we need to wake up to the exhortations of God through His prophet Isaiah?

Covetousness is idolatry

To make the point even stronger, we need to realize that Scripture repeatedly tells us that idolatry is more than just graven and molten images. For example, the ten commandments are framed by statutes against idolatry and covetousness:

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God…Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s” (Exod 20:1-5, 17).

These two commandments underlie the others and are tied together by the apostle Paul:

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5); “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph 5:5).

Idols of the heart

Idolatry has to do with the heart. Ezekiel refers to “idols in the heart”, which are stumbling blocks of iniquity that separate us from God:

“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh ac­cording to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself” (Ezek 14:3-7).

Jesus teaches us that our heart is where our treasure is, and that we cannot serve two masters:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt 6:19-21, 24).

Similarly, in Romans 1, Paul ties idolatry to a sinful way of life and to a mind separated from God. First, he makes the general point:

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom 1:19-21).

Then three times Paul highlights God’s proportional response to their sins:

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves” (Rom 1:22-24).

“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet” (Rom 1:25-27).

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them (Rom 1:28-32).

In each case, God “gives them over” to their sin of idolatry, which is called “unclean­ness through the lusts of their own hearts” (22-24), and “changing the truth of God into a lie, and worshiping and serving the creature more than the Creator” (25-27), and “not retaining God in their knowledge” (28-32). The tie between a bad heart, bad thinking, and bad behavior is clear, and these are all outgrowths of idolatry, of trying to replace God with something else.

Counterfeit Gods

It has been cogently argued:2

  • “The human heart takes good things like a successful career, love, material possessions, even family, and turns them into ultimate things. Our hearts deify them as the center of our lives, because, we think, they can give us significance and security, safety and fulfillment, if we attain them.
  • “Anything can be an idol, and everything has been an idol. Most people know you can make a god out of money. Most know you can make a god out of sex. However, anything in life can serve as an idol, a God-alternative, a counterfeit god.
  • “We think that idols are bad things, but that is almost never the case. The greater the good, the more likely we are to expect that it can satisfy our deep­est needs and hopes. Anything can serve as a counterfeit god, especially the very best things in life.
  • “What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give. A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, ‘If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know that I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.’ There are many ways to describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship. If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol.
  • “The Bible uses three basic metaphors to describe how people relate to the idols of their hearts. They love idols, trust idols, and obey

“Is there any hope? Yes, if we begin to realize that idols cannot simply be removed. They must be replaced. If you try to uproot them, they grow back; but they can be supplanted. By what? By God himself, of course. But by God we do not mean a general belief in his existence. Most people have that, yet their souls are riddled with idols.” What we need is a belief in the one true God of the Bible, and to put this belief into practice by living the Gospel. In that way, we can replace any of the idols of modern society by the reality of the True and Only LORD God.

Flee from idolatry

Of course, we must be forgiven of our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, but that alone is not enough. In addition, we must “flee from idolatry.” We must “turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven.”(1Thess 1:9). Forgiven idolaters are still idolaters, and idolaters will have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God. We must diligently search out all of the idols in our lives, we must aggressively leave them behind, and we must fill the void with the one and only living God. He alone raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. He alone is our Redeemer. He alone is the one who blots out our transgressions.

  1. See Michael Goulder, Isaiah as Literature, 2004.
  2. See Timothy Keller Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters, This section is largely based upon his introductory chapter: I recommend the whole book.