IMAGE (2)
Isaiah 44:16-17
16 He burns half of it (wood from the forest) in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
“Deliver me, for you are my god!”
We ‘modern’ people do not carve idols to pray to or worship. Instead, we carve out atmosphere, emotion, or a special environment where we can reach God. So much division between Christians arises from these ‘house-styles’ that are not found in Scripture. There may be agreement about doctrine but serious division about things that are traditions developed from human imagination. Note that IMAGE – IMAGination.
I have heard preachers suggest that God loves us to be creative. As an artist (painter and potter) I can appreciate that. However, to give to God what I imagine He would like is not the same. That route produces idols – or ‘images’
There are world religions that include figurines and icons in their celebrations and rituals. Such worship has been around almost since Adam sinned! In Scripture we read about people being commanded to get rid of their ‘household gods’. When Aaron threw all the bits of gold into a fire and made from them an image of a calf (a young bull). He said, “This is your god who brought you out of Egypt.” In spite of all the warnings about making wooden, metal or stone images to worship, Israel ignored them all.
We may not have idols like in olden times but:
Colossians 3:5-7
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
We can be tricked so easily into a worship of man-made things, ideas or passions. We are warned to be watchful about this. Otherwise we might fall into beliefs and ways which spoil our lives for God and bring us into bondage to sin.
Romans 8:15-17
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
But someone might ask, “Didn’t God make Man is His image?”
More soon …..
David Chapman
April 2026