The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
Verses 18-20 form a cohesive unit conveying a powerful message. Isaiah 40:18-20 (KJV)
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
This passage draws a striking contrast between Almighty God and the man-crafted idols of the world.
· The wealthy craft their idols from gold and silver.
· The less fortunate opt for a tree that won't decay quickly.
Both groups hope the workman fashions a god that cannot be moved.
Yet, with few exceptions, whether made of gold, silver, stone, or wood, these idols eventually fade into insignificance. Even those unearthed by archaeologists are mere trinkets and curiosities, devoid of meaning or impact.
In our modern era, man continues to craft idols. No longer fashioned from gold or silver, these idols take the form of ideologies and theories. Some may be affluent enough to conduct personal research, while others, perhaps the majority, are intellectually impoverished and rely solely on the expertise of others. Whether the philosopher, geologist, physicist, the anthropologist, archeologist, or cosmologist, man hopes that one of them can carve out an idol worthy of comparison to and even triumph over God. At the very least they trust it to not “rot.”
The true appeal, as outlined in verses 21-26, lies in the words, "Lift up your eyes on high and behold who hath created these things...."[1]
Great comfort is extended to those who place their trust in God, but it necessitates casting aside these futile idols.
#IdolsOfIdeology #FalseGodsComparison #TrustInGod #DivineCreation #ComfortInFaith #Isaiah
Seeking Gods: Understanding the Nature of Idolatry
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Isaiah 40:19 (KJV) Seeking Gods
[1] Isaiah 40:21-26 (KJV)
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
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