Saturday, April 27, 2013

Directed to SOMEONE, not a Nothing!


This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 96. Here is what I learned.



For all the gods of the nations are [lifeless] idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Psalm 96:5 (AMP)

For all human-made, lifeless gods are worthless idols, but the Eternal plotted the vast heavens, shaped every last detail. Psalm 96:5 (VOICE)

Nothings, nonentities.
The Hebrew word 'ĕlı̂yl - means properly "of nothing, nought, empty, vain." The meaning here is, that they were mere nothings; they had no real existence; they were the creations of the imagination; they could not in any sense be regarded as what it was pretended they were; they had no claim to reverence and worship as gods. Of most of them it was a fact that they had no existence at all, but were mere creatures of fancy. Of those that did really exist, as the sun, moon, stars, animals, or the spirits of departed people, though it was true that they had an actual existence, yet it was also true that they had no existence "as gods," or as entitled to worship; and hence, it was also true that the worship offered to them was as vain as that which was offered to mere beings of the imagination. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Idol noun
  1. an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.
  2. Bible: an image of a deity other than God.
  3. any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.
  4. a mere image or semblance of something, visible but without substance, as a phantom.
  5. a figment of the mind; fantasy.

“Any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.” I often find it interesting how people can say they “love” a celebrity. How can you love someone you actually know so little about? Why do you blindly give devotion to someone who has no clue about you, and doesn’t care about you? 

Nothings. Empty. Am I giving my attention to idols, empty people, or things, rather than God? I can know who God is by studying His Word and seeing His work in Creation. I know that God loves me and cares, because He has demonstrated it over and over. 

My praise and adoration need to be given to a very specific someone—God, Almighty—not a person, or thing that is empty and is a nothing. To create a positive day, I need to make sure my adoration is directed to SOMEONE, not a Nothing! 

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