Our God versus Their Idols
Psalm 115
Intro:
We live in a society saturated with idolatry. Money, materialism, family,
friends, parties, addictions, technology, education – all of it has become a
graven image in the hearts and lives of many people.
The Bible has much to say
about the sin of idolatry.
·
1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved,
flee from idolatry.
·
Galatians 5:20 Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
·
Colossians 3:5 Mortify
therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
·
1 John 5:21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
In this chapter, we see a
stark contrast in OUR GOD and THEIR GOD. Let’s notice the contrasts:
I. The Contrast of their Place – vs. 3 …our
God is in the heavens…
Look at Psalm 113:4-6 The LORD is
high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the
LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things
that are in heaven, and in the earth!
II. The Contrast of their Power – vs. 3-7
·
vs. 3b …he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
Our God does WHAT He wants
to; WHEN He wants to; WHERE He wants to; HOW He wants to.
Their God can do nothing!
A. Evident in their Construction – gold and
silver; cold, hard, impersonal
But our God is a spirit –
John 4
B. Evident in their Character
1. Limited Proclamations – vs. 5 no mouth
·
John 6:68 – thou hast the words of life…
·
John 7:46 The
officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
2. Limited Perception – vs. 5 they see not…
·
Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of
the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
3. Limited Prayer – vs. 6 they hear not…they smell not
Altar of Incense – picture of the prayer life of God’s people
Our God smells the prayers of
his saints;
·
Rev. 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four
beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one
of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of
saints.
False god have a nose, but
cannot smell. The prayers of their
faithful followers are unheard.
4. Limited Participation – vs. 7 they
have hands, but they handle not…
Our God can handle it!
5. Limited Presence – vs. they walk
not;
Contrast Psalm 23 “Yea though I
walk…thou art with me.” We have a
God that walks with us!
ILLUSTRATION:
3 Hebrew children in the fiery furnace; walking with them. Disciples saw Him walking on the waves.
Song: He
walks with me and he talks with me, and he tells me I am His own.
III. The Contrast of their Pattern – vs. 4b, 8
The false gods are created in
the likeness of man.
We were created in the
likeness of our God.
GO TO Isaiah 44:9-19
Vs. 13 says they fashion
their God after the “figure” of a man.
I’m glad I haven’t “figured”
out my God. He’s “figured” me out.
The false gods are made in
the likeness of us.
But our God – there is none
like Him!
·
Jeremiah 10:6 Forasmuch
as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great
in might.
·
2 Samuel 7:22 Wherefore
thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any
God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
NOTE: In
these verses, it tells us that the false gods is made from the “residue” – it
diminishes their god to meet their need.
My God can diminish our need
and is not ONE BIT diminished!! AMEN!
Conclusion:
He said, ‘THEY THAT MAKE THEM
ARE LIKE UNTO THEM.”
What that means is this:
those that worship idols are dead and without life themselves.
SEE Eph. 2:1
And you hath he quickened, who were dead
in trespasses and sins;
Who can trust in Him? Vs. 9-11
The Israelites. That’s not me. The house of Aaron. That’s not me. Those that fear Him. That’s me!!!
