Psa 115:4-8 | KingComments | STEP | Opposed to the trust in the exalted, almighty God, they now mock in these verses the idols of the nations ( ; cf. ; ; ; ). Prophetically, we see this in what happens to Herod, who is a type of the antichrist: God judges him by having worms eat him alive ( ). Normally corpses are eaten by worms only after someone’s death. God also mocks the antichrist by casting him alive into the lake of fire in the future, without first killing him ( ). The people eventually learned that idols are nothing. Those idols may be worth something in terms of the material they are made of, but they are merely “the work of man’s hands” ( ). By definition, that means they are worthless in terms of their ability to do anything at all. They look human, but are totally inhuman. They do have a mouth because the maker of the image engraved it himself ( ). But these mute images cannot get their lips to part. Not a word comes out of them, neither to comfort nor to judge. The maker has been able to give the images eyes, but no light in their eyes. There is no vision of the present or of the future. They notice nothing of any human being approaching them. The images are blind as a bat (cf. ; ). And look at their ears ( ) They are firmly attached to their head. Sure, they are artfully shaped by human hands. But there is no working eardrum in them. They are stone deaf. You can talk or even shout all you want, but there is no response (cf. ). There is also a nose put on the head of the image. But whatever incense they bring to the image, it doesn’t sniff it and certainly doesn’t get intoxicated by it. They also have hands, but they cannot reach them out to help someone ( ; cf. ; ). They can’t even feel with them to find something to hold on to. The hands remain motionless at the place where the maker placed them. The same is true of their feet. They cannot move a step to go ahead of someone on a certain path. They remain motionless where the maker has placed them ( ). They can’t even clear their throats; not a sound comes out. It cannot be otherwise that those who have made them become equal to these idols ( ). Thus Israel, the failing servant of the LORD, became deaf and dumb, just like the deaf and dumb idols they have come to serve ( ; cf. ). Idols are the product of the foolishness of the makers and therefore the makers become fools. He who relies on images becomes a prisoner of his own foolish, impure, wicked thoughts. He follows his own foolish insights and lapses into greater and greater absurdities. False worship is not harmless, but demoralizes. The worshiper thereby works his own destruction. The end of those who worship dead idols is eternal death.

‏ Psalms 115:4-8

The Worthlessness of the Idols

Opposed to the trust in the exalted, almighty God, they now mock in these verses the idols of the nations (Psa 135:15-18; cf. 1Kgs 18:25-29; Isa 44:9-20 ; Isa 46:6-7; Jer 10:1-9; Hab 2:18-19). Prophetically, we see this in what happens to Herod, who is a type of the antichrist: God judges him by having worms eat him alive (Acts 12:18-23). Normally corpses are eaten by worms only after someone’s death. God also mocks the antichrist by casting him alive into the lake of fire in the future, without first killing him (Rev 19:20).

The people eventually learned that idols are nothing. Those idols may be worth something in terms of the material they are made of, but they are merely “the work of man’s hands” (Psa 115:4). By definition, that means they are worthless in terms of their ability to do anything at all. They look human, but are totally inhuman.

They do have a mouth because the maker of the image engraved it himself (Psa 115:5). But these mute images cannot get their lips to part. Not a word comes out of them, neither to comfort nor to judge. The maker has been able to give the images eyes, but no light in their eyes. There is no vision of the present or of the future. They notice nothing of any human being approaching them. The images are blind as a bat (cf. Gen 16:13; 2Chr 16:9).

And look at their ears (Psa 115:6) They are firmly attached to their head. Sure, they are artfully shaped by human hands. But there is no working eardrum in them. They are stone deaf. You can talk or even shout all you want, but there is no response (cf. Psa 116:2 ; Psa 65:2 ; Psa 120:1). There is also a nose put on the head of the image. But whatever incense they bring to the image, it doesn’t sniff it and certainly doesn’t get intoxicated by it.

They also have hands, but they cannot reach them out to help someone (Psa 115:7; cf. Psa 18:17; Jn 10:28). They can’t even feel with them to find something to hold on to. The hands remain motionless at the place where the maker placed them. The same is true of their feet. They cannot move a step to go ahead of someone on a certain path. They remain motionless where the maker has placed them (Isa 46:1-7). They can’t even clear their throats; not a sound comes out.

It cannot be otherwise that those who have made them become equal to these idols (Psa 115:8). Thus Israel, the failing servant of the LORD, became deaf and dumb, just like the deaf and dumb idols they have come to serve (Isa 42:18-19; cf. Mt 12:22-27). Idols are the product of the foolishness of the makers and therefore the makers become fools.

He who relies on images becomes a prisoner of his own foolish, impure, wicked thoughts. He follows his own foolish insights and lapses into greater and greater absurdities. False worship is not harmless, but demoralizes. The worshiper thereby works his own destruction. The end of those who worship dead idols is eternal death.