“They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; so everyone who trusts in them.” (Psalm 115:5-8 NKJV)
“They idolize what they own and what they make with their hands, but their things can’t talk to them or answer their prayers. Their possessions will never satisfy. Their futile faith in dead idols and dead works can never bring life or meaning to their souls. Blind men can only create blind things. Those deaf to God can only make a deaf image. Dead men can only create dead idols and everyone who trusts in these powerless, dead things will be just like what they worship – powerless and dead.” (Psalm 115:5-8 TPT)
“They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.” (Psalm 115:5-8 NLT)
“They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they make a sound in their throats. Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them.” (Psalm 115:5-8 AMP)
“They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them.” (Psalm 115:5-8 HCSB)
“They have a mouth and they do not speak; they have eyes and they do not see. They have ears and they do not hear; they have noses and they do not smell. They do not feel with their hands neither do they walk with their feet and they do not speak with their throats. Their makers shall be like them and all who trust upon them.” (Psalm 115:5-8 ABIPE)
It is hard to believe in something, or someone, that I can’t see. It is even harder to follow someone, or something, that I don’t fully understand. Throughout history we have created images that represent our best guesses at who and what this Being beyond our comprehension that we call “God” is. The trouble is that in doing this we “dumb down” this Being to a level that fits within our current ability to imagine. When I begin to define God in terms of my own personal understanding He ends up looking alot like me. I try to find Him in me instead of finding myself in Him.
In Psalm 115:5-8 I am given a look at a culture in which creating “idols” was common place. There were statues and figurines of all shapes and sizes representing the deities that were prominent in the various religous persuasions. These idols were created with physical characteristics common to humanity (mouths, eyes, hands, etc.) and worshiped for the particular powers that they represented (fertility, peace, protection, etc.). The problem was that they had no actual power. They had physical characteristics, but lacked the ability to carry out what they represented.
Religion is a cheap imitation of a relationship with the actual Creator. By creating a “representative religion” from my own perspective and desires I am able to live for a period of time in the safe environment that I have created. This religious environment, created in my image and likeness, serves to comfort me, until it fails me. It becomes a form of godliness that lacks any power. It has eyes, ears, feet, hands, but cannot do anything with any of them.
While pondering these verses I am forced to look at my own “religion” and ask myself, “Have I turned my Daddy into an idol?” “Am I trying to create Him in my image?” “Is there any life and power in our relationship” “Or is it just form without power, religion without relationship?” These are some tough questions. They shake up my well built, firmly constructed, religious paradigms and traditions. A living God cannot be contained in, or limited to, the depictions (idols) that I have created.
I am again opening myself up to whatever changes need to be made, as I ponder…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 274 Life’s True Hero (Psalm 115) – Part 6 – Verses 5-8