Whenever the notion of the Israelites’ repeated habit of idolatry pops up in Scripture, like in Psalm 115, I tend to ask myself “wow, how is it they keep doing this over and over when God straight-up tells them not to do that.” What a hypocrite I am then – because how often do I catch myself falling into the same trap!? In ancient days, they may have crafted their own gods of wood and metal to bow to and built places of worship for various supposed deities, which sounds bizarre to us; but the idols we build our adoration around are more conspicuous. Satan has clearly been keeping up with how to best tempt us 21st century Christians: between all our technology, simultaneous connectedness/isolation, and an increasingly jam-packed daily life, it’s frighteningly easy to throw our valuable time and effort at superfluous lesser things.
Remember the first two of the commandments in Exodus 20: “You shall have no other gods before me,” and “you shall not make for yourself a carved image… for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.” Or Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” We know how God feels when we devote the habits of worship to lesser things. But consider this in the context as well of Psalm 115:2. This is a frequent complaint of the Israelites – “Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”” – also popping up in Psalms 42 and 79, Micah 7, and Joel 2. We know God is the true living God above all else, so of course such comments by pagan peoples won’t stand the test of time.
How then is this a frequent complaint? Well, when the majority of God’s people keep disobeying Him and fashioning other gods to put before Him, it’s no wonder these mislead masses can’t put two and two together.
The prophet Hosea says in Hosea 8:5-6: “I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them.” For it is from Israel; a craftsman made it; it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.” God proclaims loud and clear through Scripture that our trust belongs to Him, and His righteous wrath will be turned against anything who’d try to take away what is rightfully His – like the Israelites worshipping a golden calf amidst experiencing God’s miraculous patience as He lead them out of Egypt in Exodus 32. So Psalm 115 is a wonderful refreshment on refusing to place our trust in worthless, powerless idols of our own meager creation, which offer nothing in comparison to the living God. Verse 8 of this passage is clear: you grow to reflect what you pour yourself into. Pouring your self into blind, senseless, worthless beings will result in ourselves becoming blind to truth, without sense, and without worth. But pouring yourself into God’s word and into worship of Him transforms you into a reflection of Him, bringing clarity, meaning, and the priceless gift of eternity with Him. Only our true God acts out of selfless love and kindness, unlike the personal gain sought in self-worshipping and self-servicing idolatry.
In verse 9, 10, and 11, we hear God is the “help and shield” of His people. Like in Deuteronomy 33:29 – “Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph” – or Psalm 33:20-21 – “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name.” We pour ourselves into God because only He embodies truth; the gods of man’s creation bring no everlasting joy nor triumph. Only our God can provide those, even over evil and death. So pray today a prayer of thanks for the Lord who sees, hears, acts, and loves on our behalf; that we could give repay Him in kind for His blessings, that the light of our trust in Him would continue to overpower the shadow of any idol of our own creation, and as verse 1 of this psalm proclaims, that all the glory life brings would go not to us, but to His name.