The Absurdity of Idolatry

The first commandment forbids the sin of idolatry, which consists of worshiping anything other than the one true God or giving anything besides Him first place in our hearts and minds. Given that the Israelites had lived for centuries in Egypt, a nation that had many gods, and would be settling in Canaan, whose residents worshiped many gods (Ex. 12:12; 23:32–33), this commandment was especially important for the children of Israel. It would continue to be vital throughout the history of the old covenant people, for the history of Israel recorded in Scripture tells us that the people repeatedly fell into idolatry and, in fact, suffered exile into Assyria and Babylon because of their idolatrous ways (2 Kings 17; 2 Chron. 36).

God sent prophets to His old covenant people because idolatry was a perpetual temptation for them and because the people frequently fell into idolatry, worshiping other gods alongside Yahweh, the God of Israel. The Old Testament Prophetic Books overflow with condemnations and the mocking of idol worship. Isaiah 44:9–20 gives us one of the fiercest critiques of idolatry, pointing out its absurdity by noting that the same wood used to build images of the gods is also used for cooking and keeping warm. The point is clear: What kind of god can be made from the same materials that we use to meet our everyday needs? The unstated answer is that such a god is one that is not sovereign over all and is thus unworthy of worship.

Some people have criticized oracles such as the one found in today’s passage for lacking a nuanced view of idolatry. They argue that ancient Near Eastern peoples did not actually believe their statues were gods but that the statues only represented the gods and worship was directed to the gods, not their images. Thus, the prophets were wrong to criticize the pagans for worshiping images because the images were not the object of their worship. In response, let us note that the prophets were not ignorant of this view. They knew that the peoples around them, for the most part, did not believe a statue made of wood, metal, or stone was an actual god. They had contact with other nations and knew their religious beliefs. But that does not take away from the prophetic critique. The point is that a deity that can be imaged in a man-made carving is not much of a god at all. The gods of our imaginations, even if we never make physical images of them, are not the infinite God of Scripture, who is self-sufficient and thereby more than able to do all that He has promised His people.