ROOTED - Friday, May 1, 2026
Isaiah 40:18-20
18 To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
Reflection: The Foolishness of Idols
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
One of my favorite passages in Isaiah is here
in chapter 40. We are familiar with the parts that Handel’s Messiah made
famous, and which we love for its tenor arias:
3A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah sets up for us the great glory of the Lord. God is so great
that the mountains and the wilderness will, one day, respond to his greatness…
the rough places being made plane. Hopefully you can read these words and be
struck by the sheer majesty of God. Sadly, not all people are struck by God
with awe and wonder. They have a small
view of God. So, Isaiah confronts these people:
To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?An
idol! (Note also 41:29; 44:9-20)
Someone has made this idol with his hands, made of wood and cast
in gold. And yet, this idol “will not move.” It is merely a stupid idol, ornate
as it may be. When we have a small view of God, we too, unfortunately limit God
as a simple, inanimate idol. We compare God, unwittingly, to an object of our
making… and object that lacks power and personality. We no longer live in a
culture that has idols, but we treat God like one! May we be struck with the awesomeness
of God… the one who “comes in might” (verse 10) and is big enough to “measure
the waters in the hollow of his hand” (verse 12).
Lord God, you are majestic and awesome. Forgive us when we lose
sight of your grandeur and your majestic power. May we see you afresh.