Jer 2:5b (NIV) ...
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
NOTE: Last night I read this same thought in 2 Kings 17:15. The Hebrew word is hebel and comes from the root habal. Habal (second usage in verse) means to be vain in act, word, or expectation (Strongs). Hebel (first usage in verse) means emptiness or vanity, something transitory and unsatisfactory (Strongs). In a sense, the worship of an idol is vanity, because it promotes the individual, and places the individual above his god. He makes it with his hands, he places it where it stays, and he acknowledges it on his terms. The idol is encapsulated. It is not great, it is nothing. It is not a creator, it is created. That is the vanity part, where the individuals exalts himself above God by choosing his god. The foolishness is that he goes to his idol with prayer requests, which can never be answered, unless some demon sees value in the task.
In modern times, we don't see idols in the sense of the biblical example. But we still have idols. They are created and exalted. They are ours and we alone control them. They are protected, pampered, and cared for meticulously. We go to them, not with petitions or prayer, but with an emptiness of soul that the experience or enjoyment of, we believe will fill our ache. And so, in our vanity, we exalt what we have created, and we foolishly believe our "toys" will give us the happiness we seek. We really are no different than our biblical counterparts.
Lord, help me to recognize the idols in my life. May I worship you alone.
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