Isaiah 44:21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant; O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
The Creator Helps the Created
It is just a general law of the universe that the creature needs the help of his creator. That is the problem with idolatry. Idolatry is seeking help from a god that you yourself have made. Isaiah 44 says that when you try to seek help from a god that you yourself have created it leads to failure, shame, fear, and hunger.
God contrasts idolatry with the help that He Himself can provide. To Israel He said, “Yet now here, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee.” Then God told Israel in essence, “Don’t be afraid. I am going to help you. I am the first. I am the last, and beside Me there is no god.”
Then God describes those who have made idols. Here’s a guy who goes out in the woods and cuts down a tree. With half of the tree he makes a fire with which to warm himself and make his supper. With the other half of the tree he makes a god. Then, he falls down to this tree and seeks help from it as his god.
God then declares, “They have not known nor understand: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart.” None of them say, “Hey, this is the same hunk of wood with which I made my supper. Should I then worship this same piece of wood as an idol?” The Bible describes such a person as feeding on ashes. That is, he is living on a shallow substitute of the real and nourishing provision. God says to these people who are living in idolatry, “Turn to Me.”
That is the whole point. God is the Creator; we are the created. We don’t help God. God helps us. God is our Provider. That is the way the universe works. The creature must be helped by the Creator, and the problem with idolatry is that it is seeking help from a god that you yourself have made.
Today, don’t feed on ashes. Don’t settle for a shallow substitute. Realize that you can make a god or you can be the person God made you to be, seeking Him alone and depending upon Him for that which He alone can provide.