“Half of the wood he burns in the fire … roasts his meat and eats his fill …. From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships.”
Isaiah 44:16-17
Henry was “all in” with religion. He attended every service, class, and study at the prison chapel. He was convinced that because of his religious devotion, God would assure him an early release.
Isaiah describes a man who uses wood from a tree to make a fire and to cook his dinner. Then he carves from the leftover wood an idol that he worships. Sounds ridiculous, right? We would never do something so silly.
But let’s not be too quick to conclude that. John Calvin famously said our hearts are idol factories. We’re constantly churning out idols of one kind or another. When good things—family, careers, education, houses, vacations—become ultimate things, that is idolatry. We wrongly assume these will give us love, security, meaning, approval, and pleasure.
Even our religion can become an idol, as with Henry. By acting religious, he thought God would give Him what he most wanted, to go home early from prison. God doesn’t want us to seek Him for what we can get from Him. He wants us to seek Him out of love and faith.
Isaiah describes a man who uses wood from a tree to make a fire and to cook his dinner. Then he carves from the leftover wood an idol that he worships. Sounds ridiculous, right? We would never do something so silly.
But let’s not be too quick to conclude that. John Calvin famously said our hearts are idol factories. We’re constantly churning out idols of one kind or another. When good things—family, careers, education, houses, vacations—become ultimate things, that is idolatry. We wrongly assume these will give us love, security, meaning, approval, and pleasure.
Even our religion can become an idol, as with Henry. By acting religious, he thought God would give Him what he most wanted, to go home early from prison. God doesn’t want us to seek Him for what we can get from Him. He wants us to seek Him out of love and faith.
Scripture Focus
Isaiah 44:6-23
Insight
Lord, give me the grace to see where I have made good things into ultimate things. Help me return to You, knowing You have redeemed me. Amen
Bible In A Year
- Exodus 31-32
- Psalm 41
- Luke 5
