behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. let them all assemble, let them stand forth. they shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together. — [isaiah 44:11]
idolatry leads to terror and shame
we have nothing to gain through idolatry, but we truly have everything to lose.
this verse holds nothing back in describing what awaits those who engage in leading others into idolatry, those who create images to worship in the place of God. they will not only face the shame of having engaged in such foolishness, but they will all feel that shame together. there is no escape for the unrepentant.
anyone who draws people to worship idols is inviting the worst kind of judgement upon themselves, and will suffer the wrath of God. isaiah states that they will be filled with terror and shame, and there are few emotions worse than these! the shame of sin is a weight that drags us down, immobilizing our hearts and locking us away from joy, peace, hope and love.
yet the draw of idolatry is real – it lures us in and tempts us into thinking there is some kind of fulfillment to be found apart from Christ. generations for thousands of years have proven there is not.
idolatry is no joke, and worshipping anything other than God is a serious matter.
the bible makes clear in exodus 20:3, “you shall have no other gods before me”. there is little doubt that God has no tolerance for the worship of anyone or anything but Him. deuteronomy 6:14-15 states, “you shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth”.
may we examine our hearts and habits to determine if we have allowed idolatry to find a place in our lives. God is the creator of all things, and no idol of our own making could ever replace who He is or what He brings to us. to even suggest that an idol could replace God is laughable.
to flee from idols, and live in awe of Christ and His glory is to find everlasting life and indescribable peace.
~ jason soroski