Habakkuk 2:18-20 NLT
[18] “What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation- a god that can’t even talk! [19] What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside. [20] But the LORD is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.”
The Lord completes His second response to Habakkuk by reprimanding those who create idols, instead of worshipping the one true God, Jehovah. He describes the idols as lifeless man-made items that may be decorated with gold and silver, but they cannot speak to their creators. Those who worship their own creations are pointedly called fools by God.
Things that we create, whether they are made of wood, stone or any other material, will never be able to teach us or save us in our times of need. The idols we create do not have the breath of life in them. They are dead, useless figures that may look good, but they cannot meet any need we will ever have.
Idolatry, worshipping and serving anything or anyone other than Jehovah, was one of the sins of Habakkuk’s day that resulted in punishment from God. Idols today may take forms other than wooden or stone statues, but they are idols, just the same. They may take the form of careers, possessions, status, hobbies, famous people, or even our families.
Anything we put before God as the primary focus of our lives can turn into an idol. We need to realize that our wholehearted allegiance should only go to God. If we put our jobs, our own plans for our future, our favorite sports team, or even our closest relatives before fulfilling God’s will for our lives, then we are guilty of idolatry.
We need to understand that God is the supreme being. He alone is holy. He alone is creator who speaks to us. He alone deserves our worship.