by David Brenneman
"Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame. The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.” They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!” He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” Isaiah 44:9-20.
"Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." Hebrews 5:11-14.
"Cease listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge." Proverbs 19:27.
I am always amazed when a Bible reading plan that puts a book with that one across 4 places in the Bible...are connected in what's being read.
Billions of people in this world in which we live are suffering from the same various types of spiritual blindness that's written in the Bible thousands of years ago. It's the same. History repeats itself. As someone once said: forget the past and be doomed to repeat it in the future.
People today are so enthralled with what's perceived as great and wonderful possibilities for joy and happiness that they fail to see how blinded they are to the truth of the traps being set before them.
Idolatry has never gone away. Humanity has just been given ways by Satan in which to package it into something irresistible to the human mind.
Idolatry is gift wrapped into things so wonderful looking that nobody sees the thorns and briars going deep with themselves.
Jesus wouldn't have had it written in the Bible if it wasn't true then as much as it is today.
Temptations were brought to Jesus in the wilderness that we read of in the days that Satan tested Him that included idolatry. So no, this wasn't a strictly Old Testament problem.
This is as much your problem today as it was their's for all of human history since Adam and Eve.
What's the center of your life? What's the center of even your living room?
What are you so deep into that you cannot live without?
What are you really devoting your mind to?
People like to create false narratives of "You get a million dollars if you can spend a month in a secluded cabin with no internet or phone service but would have all you would need to survive, would you do it?"
Many of older generations could easily do such a thing. The last several generations would likely be borderline suicidal at the end of the 30 days.
It's a misnomer to believe that blindness comes from intense light.
Remove all light and you are blinded as well.
Cover your eyes and you are willing yourself to be blinded for a time or for as long as you are willing to endure it.
Idols exist today. They're just so intricate and designer that we can't bring ourselves to say that's what they are. Households have so many that they give up trying to understand what they are doing to their home.
Satan comes to kill and destroy. His desire for all Believer's is to get them away from those who are not.
His desire for those whom are weak in the faith is to lay traps to keep them from growing in Christ.
His desire for the unbelieving is to keep them that way.
This should be a filter for all who claim the Name of Jesus: "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," 2 Corinthians 10:5.
When we turn on the light of Christ we should be seeing the truth. For He IS Truth. We turn on His Light we should be repulsed by the things of darkness, not be attracted to them.
We are easily self-deceived. We are easily trapped because this same Satan doesn't sleep nor do his minions the demons. They study us for weaknesses and they will exploit everything they might find as long as they get permission from Jesus to do so.
Don't think that anything in particular has taken the center stage of your heart? Write down the events of your day. Video your off hours from work if you can. Be more aware of what you love to talk about.
Now...how much of your time, energy and effort is directed towards a more intimate relationship with Jesus and how much of that really brings joy and happiness to you? Take that same train of thought to all the rest of your findings.
Praying that your spiritual eyes be opened can likely scare you but it's something you ought to be doing.
"There are none so blind as those who will not see. Understanding cannot be forced on someone who chooses to be ignorant." came up as a search result to that quote.
Are you choosing, fully choosing, your life in Christ or are you so desensitized to the thorns, thistles and briars of temptation that you're choosing to ignore the dangers of the present darkness?
Jesus said that we must all take up our own cross and follow Him.
When all you have is stripped away do you have a meaningful life in Christ or is it with the world?
Choice came from the cross of Jesus Christ. What are you choosing to keep your life centered on?
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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