But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam--and also because he destroyed it. So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. Baal, answer us! they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world--the work of human hands. Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing? Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, Is not this thing in my right hand a lie? For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple-- all made by skilled workers. Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods! As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 13:32:51 +0000
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