Worthless Idols and the Living God

Jeremiah 10:1–10 ESV

Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

Opening Prayer

Idol Worship Is Wrong

Jeremiah 10:1 ESV

Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

Jeremiah 10:2 ESV

Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them,

The way of the nations = (more specifically) Idolatry

How did non-Jewish people deal with life?

They worship various kinds of idols.

(do not) be dismayed at the signs of heaven because the nations are dismayed at them.

Natural phenomena (comet, changing season ect.) would be enough to cause people to credit their personal “god” with doing it.

God is saying don’t get worked up over this stuff just because they do.

DON’T LET THE WORLD HAVE THAT MUCH INFLUENCE ON YOU.

Idol Worship Is Also Delusional

Jeremiah 10:3–5 ESV

for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”

The customs of the people are vanity

NASB: a delusion

HCSB: Worthless

Don’t be impressed by the customs of these other nations. They are all fake and worthless. They do for pure vanity to look like they are sophisticated. However, these idols they worship are nothing more than wood.

Reality of idols

They have no life: “trees cut down and shaped by craftsman”

They have no value of themselves: “decorated with silver/gold”

They have no power: “they are fastened with hammer and nails so they cannot move.”

They cannot even stand on their own, let alone “be there” for you.

They are like scarecrows in a cucumber field

“cannot speak, have to be carried, cannot walk”

“Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do good.”

Who give idols their power and influence? … WE DO!!!

American Idol: “I know a star when I see one”

They popular TV show with a very unfortunate name.

(at least they can actually sing and perform … unlike the idols in Jeremiah)

Simon Cowel commented before about how fans would respond

If you are a singer you need to have a good sound and feeling

But ultimately they are looking for a person who can sell.

Ultimately they are looking for a person that everyone else will catapult to idol status.

If you look at the destructive effects of idol worship and use the Jewish people as a case study, you will see the real tragedy. They jewish people chose to follow idols for the same reason we choose to follow them… to be like everyone else. And like everyone else, we trade a relationship with God for association with a counterfeit that only has whatever value we assign to it.

Conversely....

God Alone Deserves Our Praise

Jeremiah 10:6 ESV

There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might.

There is none like you, oh lord

idols may pretend to have your qualities but only YOU have them

You ARE great

Your name IS great in might

Jeremiah rightly says...

Jeremiah 10:7 ESV

Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you.

Who would not fear you, o King of nations?

Rhetorical … what kind of fool would not fear you?

This (worship and praise)is your due.

(why do I say that)

(because) among all the wise ones of the nations

and in all their kingdoms

There is none like you. (x2)

Idols Are Temporal But God Is Everlasting

Jeremiah 10:8–10 ESV

They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

They (idols) are both stupid and foolish: the instruction is but of wood.

The greatest book ever written…because it has God as the author!

Regardless of the ignorant words of wanna]be atheist say, the Bible is highly regarded through out the world. We in the church (especially in this particular church) consider it authoritative.

(I don’t even like to place items on top of the Bible)

Why do we regard the Bible with such reverence. What gives it value is that it contains the words of the one and only true God. Without it, this is just a man made book of bound paper.

The same is true of idols.

Idols are made by human effort.

They only have the value given to them.

God alone if LIVING, EVERLASTING, OMNIPOTENT

Summary

Every idol requires a sacrifice, but only God has offered one for us.

Closing Prayer