“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me'” . . . . Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.” They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. (Isaiah 44:6, 16-18, NASB)
In Isaiah 44, the prophet begins by extolling the blessings of Israel, and then discusses the futility of idols.
In the portion above, God is speaking (so pay attention!) Isaiah reminds Israel of God’s names, which also reflect what He does. Isaiah calls Him “the King of Israel”; Israel’s “Redeemer”; and “the LORD of hosts.” Then God reminds them, “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.”
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Uniqueness-Of
In the next section, Isaiah both makes fun of and expresses the futility of idols, and those who worship them. He speaks of a man who cuts down a tree. He cuts it into logs. With one, he builds a fire. He roasts his meal and warms himself with the fire. With another log, he fashions “into a god, his graven image.” He worships it. “He also prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god.'” Isaiah explains why the people of his era would worship their idols, and not the King of Israel: “They do not know, nor do they understand, for [God] has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.”
Why does God do this? I don’t know! But He still blinds people from His truth, to fulfill His purposes. I don’t understand, but He is God, and I am not. My job is to trust in His love and His promises, and love Him and other people. My hope is in His name!
We have other idols today. They may not be inanimate statues that can’t speak, hear, or move, much less save, like our God can. An idol is anything that divides our attention away from worshiping the one true God. It could be baseball. What’s wrong with baseball? Nothing, as long as we still worship God, and take care of our families. There are many things that could become an obsession and divide our attention away from where it should be.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “We know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.” (1 Corinthians 8:4) There is only one God, there is none other. Let’s worship Him!
& Dean