Contemplative Bible Reading

Habakkuk 2:18-20 (New International Version)

¹⁸ “Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For he who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.

¹⁹ Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;
there is no breath in it.

²⁰ But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.”

Now and then I find passages in the Old Testament about people making idols. The mountain of logic piles high against the wisdom of idols. To be candid, it seems pretty stupid to make an idol and worship it. These verses from Habakkuk (the first time I have written on verses from Habakkuk) are another good example.

Imagine standing in front of a piece of wood and exhorting the wood to, “Come to life!”

Imagine standing in front of a rock and saying, “Wake up!”

Will a rock guide me? If it can, that doesn’t say much about me.

I think that Satan has wised up some on this idolatry track. People in America today don’t make many physical idols and then ask the idols for advice. When was the last time you saw a sizeable group asking rocks to “wake up?”

No, it seems that Satan is far more clever with us today. I have seen people worship money, luxury items, adoration, power, drugs, retirement, and the like. Those are idols in our modern world. The “worship” is not so obvious, but it is there and people neglect everything and everyone for their idol.

God, keep me from begging wood and stone to enlighten me. Keep me from the modern equivalents, the modern idols. Help me to keep silent and listen for your guidance.