Jeremiah 10

I’m sitting here, trying to imagine what it would be like to carve a beautiful doll out of wood, paint and decorate it, nail it to a wooden base so it won’t fall over… and then bow down in front of it and say, “Help me. Save me. You’re my god.” I know we humans can be blind to a great many things—but that just seems so obvious.

Apparently, however, Israel needed the wake-up call. In speaking to them about their idolatry, Jeremiah had to spell it out clearly for them, comparing and contrasting the God of Heaven with the gods of men: “‘[The] gods [of heathen nations] are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.’ Lord, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power. Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you.” (vs 5-7)

I was struck today with the differences between God’s creation and ours. When God created a man, He formed some clay into a “man-like” shape and breathed into it. Right then and there, Adam started breathing, opened his eyes, sat up, and began talking. Mud and clay immediately became flesh and blood.

But when man creates a god, he carves wood or chisels stone, tries to make it pretty, and then must still prop it up because it can’t do anything. It can’t walk, talk, or breathe. It’s totally impotent. It may be a prettier piece of wood, but it’s still just wood.

God is one-of-a-kind. As Jeremiah said, His name is “full of power.” In the whole history of the human race, we have yet to create anything even remotely approaching the things He’s made, such as the marvelous and intricate designs of the human body—the brain, the skin, even just a simple cell—or the celestial bodies. (I’d like to see NASA hang a fiery ball of gases in space!)

Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like God.

Truer words have never been spoken.