Idolatry: Different, But the Same

 

Isa 2:18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish. 19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. 20 In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, each for himself to worship, To the moles and bats, 21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. 22 Sever yourselves from such a man, Whose breath is in his nostrils; For of what account is he?

It’s difficult for our culture to identify with the things spoken of here, not so much for the people in the days of Isaiah. Caves, crags, moles, and bats were all part of the environment, as were the gold and silver figurines that served as representations of the false gods that the people worshiped, in the numerous “high places.”

These things were everywhere!

 

They are not quite so evident in our culture. Oh, there may be a few who have porcelain statues around, maybe even some made of precious metal. And there are certainly people who still pray TO them as if they have some sort of power. Such people ought to read this portion of Scripture and tremble.

 

Because in the Day of the Lord, these idols will be exposed for what they really are……nothing. 1Co 8:4b says, “ we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one”

Case closed.

 

Our idolatry today is much more subtle. We can’t just sweep figurines off of shelves and tables and dismantle any shrine we may have built. No! It’s more difficult than that! The truth is, we have elevated all sorts of man-made things, and ideas and doctrines to a place ahead of the One True God.

 

What crevice can we throw that kind of worship into? What cave covers up that kind of idolatry? Let’s face it, idolatry is anything that mankind has made or invented, that the devil uses to separate us from God, and if we fall into it, we too will be looking for a place to hide to escape the holy gaze of God on the last Day!   

Today, we might call our idolatry “secular humanism.” It’s the same kind of idolatry that was practiced in the days of Isaiah, just robed differently. It’s man deifying things that he has made up with his hands or his mind.  

 

What to do? Follow the advice of verse 22 and “sever yourself from such men and their doctrines.” They both are birthed in the false reasonings of men and will be laid bare on the Last Day.

 

Jer 17:5 reminds us: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.”