Psalm 135:1-21
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
5 For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
8 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings—
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 And gave their land as a [e]heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.
19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel!
Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron!
20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!
In the midst of recalling the mercies God has given Israel, the psalmist teaches us the worthlessness of idols. “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands” (15). While they may glitter, they are not gods. They are the handiwork of an artisan. As such, “They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Nor is there any breath in their mouths” (16-17). They are unable to speak the word of God, watch over their worshipers, or hear the prayers of those who worship them. All this is because, as silver and gold, they have no breath in their mouths. They aren’t alive. Then the psalmist speaks the true God’s judgment on those who form them and worship them: “Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them” (18). Instead of, “You are what you eat,” God says, “You are what you worship.” Those who worship a created object that cannot speak, see, hear, or live, are spiritually mute, blind, deaf, and dead.
The same applies to all who worship twenty-first century idols, which are far more subtle than the false gods of antiquity. A god is that which from which we expect all good to come. That can be glittering gold, inanimate objects such as property or possessions, but it can also be a relationship, a job, popularity, or financial security. While all these are good gifts of God, they are not the source of our good, that from which we should expect all good things. If you are what you worship, then worshiping the temporal things turns the one who worships them mute to God, deaf to His word, blind to His promises—spiritually dead.
Only the true God—the Living God—speaks through His Word, sees all things, and hears the prayers of those who believe in Him. He is the highest good. He is that from which we should expect all good things. If we live by faith, fearing Him, loving Him, and trusting Him, then He gives us mouths to speak His praises and ask Him for what we need in prayer, eyes to see His blessings and ears to hear His word. Only by worshiping the true God, that is, expecting every good thing from Him, do we live.
Let us pray: Keep us from idols, O Lord, that fearing, loving, and trusting You as our highest good, we may truly live. Amen.