FOLLY OF IDOLATRY

FOLLY OF IDOLATRY
Psalm 115.5
“They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.”

Idolatry is humankind’s default religion. Man is made in God’s image and instinctively turns to his Creator in worship. But man is also fallen and his sinful ego turns him towards himself. An idol satisfies his instinct to worship, and at the same time, meets his desire to worship something he made.  

But the psalmist exposes the folly of idolatry by highlighting the impotency of idols (vv.5-7): “They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.” I grew up in a village and lived near a temple. Our wooden houses with attap roofs were prone to fire. Once during a fire, I saw devotees carrying the idols from the temple to a safe place. Even as a boy before I heard the gospel, I knew something was not right. 

By contrast, the psalmist declares (v.9), “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Three times, we are told (vv.9-11): “he is their help and shield”. No wonder, the psalm is full of praise to God’s glory and sovereignty, and full of tributes to God for his blessings. Unlike the lifeless idols, God “remembers us and will bless us” (v.12). Then comes a sombre warning, “Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” (v.8).

We become what we worship. When we worship money, it becomes the measure of everything we do, and eventually everything we are. So it is said, “None is so poor as one who has nothing but money.” When we worship self, it expands to occupy every part of our life, displacing everything else. Every object of worship, every idol, makes us less than what God created us to be. Instead of worshipping our Creator, we have diminished ourselves by worshipping the created. 

Thus, the psalmist’s opening call (v.1) counters the folly and danger of idolatry: “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory….” Do not take the glory for yourself or direct it anywhere else. A pastor took great pride in completing an impressive church building project, and showing it to visitors at its grand opening. That night, he dreamed that a fire burned the whole complex to ashes. Psalm 115.1 came to his mind. Not to us, or to anything we have created with our hands, but to God the Creator and to his name be the glory and praise. 

Not to us be the glory.