Jer 10:2-3 | KingComments | STEP | Constantly the call to hear the word that the LORD is speaking is heard, also now again ( ). That call is made to the “house of Israel”, that is, all who belong to it, wherever they are, in the land or in the scattering. The Word is to govern all our thoughts and actions. If we do not listen to the Word, we will learn the way of the nations ( ). Not learning the way of the nations means for us not to let the world influence our thinking ( ). If the world does gain influence in our thinking, it will be seen in our behavior, in the things we pursue. We then shift the source of information about life from the Bible to idols. The nations scour the heavens to observe signs from which they can make out the future. We call this astrology, which is thus condemned here. How many Christians are there who take note of horoscopes? Behind this are frightening demons, powers that “terrify”. For God’s people, from heaven comes what comes from God and He gives good to His people. It is great folly to follow the methods of the nations, for they are nonsensical methods ( ). Paying attention to signs and not to what God says is nonsensical. Just look at how the nations operate. They worship wood that they 1. first cut from the forest themselves 2. and then worked on it and refurbished it into a god. 3. Then they decorated it with precious materials of creation ( ). 4. Finally, they nailed this god with their own hands in such a way that it could not totter or fall. 5. Later, they also put a royal robe on it ( ). They should take a good look at it. Isn’t it too silly to have any respect for or expect help from a piece of wood that can’t even keep itself going, let alone its worshipers? Can they not see that such a god looks like a scarecrow ( )? You have to be as dumb as a bird to be frightened by such an inanimate skeleton. Such gods cannot do anything at all. They cannot say a word to comfort someone. They cannot take a step to come to the aid of someone in trouble. Instead, they themselves are a burden to be borne. Yet man bows down to it. What folly to pay any attention to such a god and become afraid of it, as if it could do anything, for better or worse. Yet it still happens today, for example, with a crucifix and other attributes that the roman catholic church sells and people walk around with. God mocks the idols here ( ). The sarcasm drips off. That seems out of place in our age of tolerance. But we must show no respect for idols. They are ridiculous, idiotic. To entrust yourself to them and expect anything from such idiocy is even more idiotic. If someone does not have a personal relationship with the living God through faith in Jesus Christ, it does not mean that he has no need of a god. Such a person submits to a substitute god and replaces true worship with false worship. The result is idolatry. We see this in the worship of the pope and sports heroes, for example. We also see it in the worship of matter. Man’s greed indicates that he is an idolater. God’s Word speaks of “greed, which amounts to idolatry” ( ).

‏ Jeremiah 10:2-3

The Folly of Idolatry

Constantly the call to hear the word that the LORD is speaking is heard, also now again (Jer 10:1). That call is made to the “house of Israel”, that is, all who belong to it, wherever they are, in the land or in the scattering. The Word is to govern all our thoughts and actions.

If we do not listen to the Word, we will learn the way of the nations (Jer 10:2). Not learning the way of the nations means for us not to let the world influence our thinking (Rom 12:2). If the world does gain influence in our thinking, it will be seen in our behavior, in the things we pursue. We then shift the source of information about life from the Bible to idols.

The nations scour the heavens to observe signs from which they can make out the future. We call this astrology, which is thus condemned here. How many Christians are there who take note of horoscopes? Behind this are frightening demons, powers that “terrify”. For God’s people, from heaven comes what comes from God and He gives good to His people.

It is great folly to follow the methods of the nations, for they are nonsensical methods (Jer 10:3). Paying attention to signs and not to what God says is nonsensical. Just look at how the nations operate. They worship wood that they

1. first cut from the forest themselves

2. and then worked on it and refurbished it into a god.

3. Then they decorated it with precious materials of creation (Jer 10:4).

4. Finally, they nailed this god with their own hands in such a way that it could not totter or fall.

5. Later, they also put a royal robe on it (Jer 10:9).

They should take a good look at it. Isn’t it too silly to have any respect for or expect help from a piece of wood that can’t even keep itself going, let alone its worshipers? Can they not see that such a god looks like a scarecrow (Jer 10:5)? You have to be as dumb as a bird to be frightened by such an inanimate skeleton.

Such gods cannot do anything at all. They cannot say a word to comfort someone. They cannot take a step to come to the aid of someone in trouble. Instead, they themselves are a burden to be borne. Yet man bows down to it. What folly to pay any attention to such a god and become afraid of it, as if it could do anything, for better or worse. Yet it still happens today, for example, with a crucifix and other attributes that the roman catholic church sells and people walk around with.

God mocks the idols here (Isa 40:18-20 ; Isa 41:7 ; Isa 44:9-20 ; Isa 46:5-7). The sarcasm drips off. That seems out of place in our age of tolerance. But we must show no respect for idols. They are ridiculous, idiotic. To entrust yourself to them and expect anything from such idiocy is even more idiotic.

If someone does not have a personal relationship with the living God through faith in Jesus Christ, it does not mean that he has no need of a god. Such a person submits to a substitute god and replaces true worship with false worship. The result is idolatry. We see this in the worship of the pope and sports heroes, for example. We also see it in the worship of matter. Man’s greed indicates that he is an idolater. God’s Word speaks of “greed, which amounts to idolatry” (Col 3:5).