Deaf and Dumb

Psalm 115:8

Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

The section of this psalm immediately prior to this tells of those who make idols. How the idols have mouths but do not speak; eyes, but do not see, ears but do not hear… this immediately brings to mind the prophet Isaiah when he declares this of the nation of Israel. This theme however is not confined to his prophetic book it also is carried through Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Isaiah 6:10, Jeremiah 5:21, Ezekiel 12:2) with it finally having its fulfillment in Christ.

This Psalm brings Christians to the truth that they become like what they worship. Those that worship things that are not living become like them. As the people in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel’s time were constantly faced with reality of seeing an image that was as dead as the wood they threw on the fire (and sometimes made from the same wood) this line of reasoning should have shocked them into reality that they needed to repent and listen to Yhwh yet instead of this they would chose to make an image of Yhwh as a bull! (Exodus 32:4, 1 Kings 12:28) Seeking, instead of worshiping the living God, to make the living dead! Coming face to face with the foolishness of their sin they chose to reject rather than repent!

As more and more of those who come to church have harder and harder hearts the question must come, what are we worshiping? Taking this passage to heart what dead things are inhabiting the place of greatest reverence in seat of worship, our hearts? How many times have I not been moved by the humble petitions of the Lord’s prayer? How many times has my heart not melted when I read the sacred text and see how much God has done for me? What could the only cause of this be but idolatry creeping in? How often have I panicked when finances were low, and had my greed revealed to me? How many times has God been faithful to reveal those things in which I trust rather than in he who has provided them? When I am more like the foolish Israelites in Egypt (Jeremiah 44:17-18) thinking that hard work and wise financial decisions have given me the blessings I have rather than God?

What then can Christians say to these things? We must constantly pull our vision away from the dead thing God is using to provide for us and focus our vision on the provider of all our needs. He who has given us our daily bread! And he who will do it tomorrow, but who might choose another means? We must engage in the constant battle to not confuse the means of grace with God himself. The job, 401k, pension, spouse, are all means that God uses to provide for a time. When fear starts to creep in when someone mentions those things being taken, know that you have turned your eyes a little and refocus on the provider of all good things.

CRUCE, DUM SPIRO, FIDO