Psalms 115:5–7

These pagans who taunted them — what were they? What were their gods? The Lord Jehovah was unseen, yet He saw everything that went on. These gods could be seen, but could not see. God was the living God, who lived in heaven. These had the form of living creatures, but no life, and were found on earth. He acted as He pleased. These could not act at all. They began in the craftsman's imagination and owed their shape to the workman's skill. ... Outwardly nothing was missing. Yet they lacked one thing: the breath of life. That came from God, and man with all his will could not give it. Like a corpse with all its parts complete, there was no life — and unlike a corpse, they had never lived, for man was their creator, not God.

What were they, these idol-images? Simply matter — silver and gold — shaped by men's hands! Mouth and eyes are there all right. People say that both of them "speak." In different ways both bear witness for the man himself, and show what is in his heart. But the idol gives no response to its worshipper by word or look.

They give them mouths, but what for? — because they do not speak; and eyes that are sightless. But it is just as well for them, since their idols cannot see what their worshippers are doing! In the same way, their deaf ears are better than having a god who could hear their evil words. Who do such people think made them in the first place, and gave them the power to do all these things? But in their folly they sink to the level of their worthless idols. They cannot use as they should the parts of the body God has blessed them with.

In one of the Psalms you find a description of the idols of the nations. On the outside they have everything that speaks of wisdom and power and intelligence, but not the reality. So to serve idols is to put the heart and the conscience under the power of something God has not revealed to the soul as real.

After the flood idolatry came into the world. Men worshipped gods of their own making. Of them the Psalmist wrote, "They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see... They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk" (Psalm 115:5-7). How different from the idols of the nations was the living God! He said to Moses, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them" (Exodus 3:7-8). From the very beginning of man's history God has shown Himself interested in man's welfare, with special interest in those who trust Him.

Since Jehovah, the true God, is the help and shield of those who trust in Him, such favours are not limited to Israel. So the call takes a wider range: "You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield." It is the day of faith for all who fear God, whether Jews or Gentiles. It is not yet the bright, joyful time of deliverance.

God Jehovah was unseen, yet seeing all that went on. These gods could be seen, but could not see. God was the living God, who dwelt in heaven. These had the form of living creatures, but without life, and were found on earth. He acted as He pleased. These could do nothing at all. Man could mould the metal into human form, shape it according to the noblest of God's creatures on earth. But where was the life? Where the will? Where the power? Mouth, eyes, ears, nose, hands, feet, throat, all were there. On the outside, nothing was missing. Yet they lacked one thing, the breath of life. That came from God, and man with all his will could not give it. Like a corpse with every part complete, there was no life. Yet in one way they differed from a corpse. The corpse had lived, for God had given it life. These never lived, because man made them, and not God.

But the idol gives no response to his worshipper by word or look. No, he notices nothing. He does not hear the voice that cries to him. He does not smell the incense or the sacrifice. He can stretch out no hand to help. No foot of his stirs to bring relief. Not even a murmur of sound comes from the idle throat.

After the flood idolatry came into the world, and men worshipped gods of their own making, of whom the Psalmist wrote, "They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear" (Psalm 115:5-6). The living God was nothing like the idols of the nations. He said to Moses, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them" (Ex. 3:7-8).

They give them mouths, but what for? — because they do not speak; and eyes that are sightless. But it is just as well for them, since their idols cannot see what their worshippers are doing! In the same way, deaf ears are better than a god that can hear their evil words. Their noses smell nothing, their hands can do nothing, their feet cannot walk. Who do such people think made them in the first place, and made them able to do these various things? But they foolishly drag themselves down to the level of their worthless idols, unable to make right use of the parts of the body God has blessed them with.

And since the LORD, the true God, is the help and shield of those who trust in Him, such favours are not confined to Israel. So the call takes a wider range: "You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield." It is the day of faith for all, whether Jews or Gentiles, who fear God.

And let us remember that the same tendency is at work with us today. That is why the first letter of John ends with the words, "keep yourselves from idols." Now for us an idol is anything that traps us and takes over in our hearts the place that belongs to God alone.