Isaiah 44:9

 Isaiah 44:9 says, They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.  Isaiah said that those who made graven images were full of vanity, or we could say putting their faith in nothing, since vanity can also mean nothingness.  These false gods could see or know nothing.  We can be certain that if we put our faith in any idol that we are putting our faith in nothing, because only God has the power to deliver us from the penalty of sin and death. 

Verse ten adds, Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?  Isaiah said that they had formed a god that was worth nothing.  No matter how powerful we may think anything of this world makes us, if we put it before our relationship with God, it has become a worthless god to us. 

Verse eleven continues, Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.  Isaiah said that all the workmen who had helped make these idols should be ashamed together.  They were called on to defend their taking part in attempting to make a god when they were but men themselves.  No person can ever create a god, since the one true God created men and people have limited power. 

Verse twelve states, The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.  Isaiah said that the smith who formed the idol was but a man and would faint from hunger and thirst himself.  The implication was that if he could keep himself from suffering this way, how did he think he could make a god that would keep others safe and prosperous.  Matthew Henry says this means that the smith was in such a hurry to get the god made that he didn’t take the time to eat or drink, which could be true, but I believe that my statement about their lack of power is equally true. 

Verse thirteen adds, The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.  After the smith formed the basic idol, the carpenter then began to make it look better so it would look beautiful in the house.  It would take the work of more than one craftsman to attempt to make a presentable god that people would want to worship, and today often more than one person is involved in attempting to make a beautiful false god.  They will one day all be ashamed of their doing something that leads others away from God, and if we promote anything that stands between people and God, one day we are going to be ashamed as well.  

Verse fourteen continues, He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.  Isaiah said that the material that the carpenter used, the wood, came from a tree that was no better than any other tree, whether it be cedar, cypress, or oak.  Men might put more value in one than the other, but they were all still just wood.  No matter how much people may value things that we make idols of today, they are still just made from something that God created.  They have no power themselves. 

Verse fifteen says, Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.  Isaiah said that those who worshipped these idols that were made by men, especially those that were made of wood, were of no more power than the wood that the people burned to warm themselves or to make bread.  To then think that a tree  made into an idol was more powerful would be insane.  If we are putting our faith in anything other than God, we are spiritually insane I believe. 

Verse sixteen states, He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:  Isaiah said that they used the leftovers from the wood used to make idols to burn in the fire.  If any of the wood could be burned so easily, it stands to reason that the part used for the idol was no more powerful, yet people put their faith in it.  If things that we worship can be destroyed, and everything can be, then it is powerless to help us.  Anything that we may worship is created by God and He can destroy it just as easily as He created it.  

Verse seventeen adds, And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.  Isaiah said that the one who created this idol and then burned up the left overs of the wood then fell down on the idol and worshipped it.  Once more, this should have made them see the fact that the idol was powerless, but they still worshipped it.  God will let us know how powerless our idols are if we are only willing to look at them reasonably.