Isaiah 44:9-20--The Folly of Idolatry

Isaiah 44:9-20
English Standard Version

The Folly of Idolatry
9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”

​18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

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God says that those serving as priests and prophets for the idols and the craftsmen who are making them know they are lying to people.  They know that gods cannot be made by human hands, and that the idol can do nothing to help the people, but they gladly take the money from the people for false promises.  Some of the people may have been ignorant in being led to worship these idols, but the ones making them and in charge of the temples--they will be lined up and judged by the LORD for their deception.

Though there is expert craftsmanship put into the creation of the idols, the LORD sees it no differently than the same wood that is cut down and used as firewood.  What gives it any value to be worshiped? At least when the wood is fuel for the fire, it does something good for the people--keeping them warm or helping them bake bread in their ovens.  The wood it uses to roast his meat is the other half of the wood not used to make the idol.  What does this say then about worshiping an idol of wood?  One day, that idol will be thrown into the fire and burnt up like the firewood for that is all that it is meant for.

The idols are deaf, dumb, and blind.  They cannot see the needs of the people, hear the prayers of the people, or understand what is going on and discern the best course of action.  The demons behind this idolatrous worship are created beings that may be old and seem powerful and wise compared to humans, but in many ways, they are as limited as man is.  They do not know the past or the future. They are not omnipotent or omnipresent, nor are they omniscient.  They are certainly not omnibenevolent, for they only love themselves and demand that the people make their own children pass through the fire to be sacrifices to them.  Why then would these people worship these idols of iron and wood and stone?  Do they not understand they are worse than worthless?  If the idols end is destruction, will not those who worship them also be led into destruction.  How then will the people claim that they were deluded when the LORD has sent them His prophets with this message that they would not listen to?