Baruch 6:33-39: a reflection

33The priests also take off garments from them and clothe their wives and children with them. 34Whether it is evil or good what one does to them, they are not able to repay it. They can’t set up a king or put him down. 35In like manner, they can neither give riches nor money. Though a man make a vow to them and doesn’t keep it, they will never exact it. 36They can save no man from death. They can’t deliver the weak from the mighty. 37They can’t restore a blind man to his sight, or deliver anyone who is in distress. 38They can show no mercy to the widow, or do good to the fatherless. 39They are like the stones that are cut out of the mountain, these gods of wood that are overlaid with gold and with silver. Those who minister to them will be confounded.

This passage exposes the utter helplessness of idols, the false gods people trusted: they can do nothing, cannot save, cannot deliver, cannot help in any real need. They can save no man from death, the passage says; they can't deliver the weak from the mighty. They can't restore a blind man to his sight, or deliver anyone who is in distress. They can show no mercy to the widow, or do good to the fatherless. The idols people trusted as gods are shown to be utterly helpless: unable to save from death, deliver the weak, restore the blind, help the distressed, or show mercy to the needy. They are but wood overlaid with gold and silver, able to do nothing. To trust such things is to trust what cannot help you. This shows the utter helplessness of idols, which can do nothing to save or help. Idols and false gods can do nothing to save or help you. Do not trust what cannot deliver you in your need. What is not the living God is helpless to save. Trust the living God, who can help, not idols who cannot.

Notice the relentless list of what the idols cannot do. They cannot save anyone from death; cannot deliver the weak from the strong; cannot restore sight to the blind; cannot deliver anyone in distress; cannot show mercy to the widow or do good to the fatherless. Whatever real need a person might have, the idol can do nothing about it. It is but wood overlaid with gold and silver, an object made by hands, utterly helpless. To trust such a thing as a god, to look to it for help, is to trust and look to what cannot help at all. This holds a warning that reaches beyond wooden idols. We can make idols of many things, trusting them as our security, our help, our hope: wealth, status, our own abilities, other people, the things we put in God's place. But all such things, like the wooden idols, are finally helpless to meet our deepest needs; they cannot save us from death, deliver us in real distress, or help us where we most need help. To trust in what is not the living God is to trust in what cannot finally help us. Only the living God can save from death, deliver the distressed, help the needy, and show mercy to the widow and the fatherless. We do well not to trust in idols, in whatever cannot save or help us, but in the living God, who can. Do not trust in idols or in whatever cannot save or help you. What is not the living God is finally helpless in your deepest need. Only the living God can save, deliver, and truly help. Trust the God who can help, not the idols who cannot.

That is worth taking to heart, for idols and false gods can do nothing to save or help us, and we do well to trust the living God instead, as this passage exposes their helplessness. We can trust in idols of many kinds to help and secure us; but they can save no one from death, deliver no one in distress, help no one in real need. They are helpless. Do not trust in idols or in whatever cannot save or help you in your deepest need; trust the living God, who alone can save, deliver, and truly help. Do not trust in idols or in whatever is not the living God, which can do nothing to save or help you, but trust the living God who alone can save, deliver, and truly help, as this passage exposes the utter helplessness of idols, the false gods people trusted, saying they can save no man from death, cannot deliver the weak from the mighty, cannot restore a blind man's sight or deliver anyone in distress, and can show no mercy to the widow or do good to the fatherless; for the idols people trusted as gods are shown to be utterly helpless, unable to save from death, deliver the weak, restore the blind, help the distressed, or show mercy, being but wood overlaid with gold and silver and able to do nothing, so that to trust such things is to trust what cannot help you, which holds a warning reaching beyond wooden idols, since we can make idols of many things and trust them as our security, help, and hope, wealth, status, our own abilities, other people, and the things we put in God's place, but all such things like the wooden idols are finally helpless to meet our deepest needs and cannot save us from death or deliver us in real distress, so that to trust in what is not the living God is to trust in what cannot finally help us, since only the living God can save from death, deliver the distressed, help the needy, and show mercy, and we do well not to trust in idols or in whatever cannot save or help us but in the living God who can.

Lord, this passage exposes the utter helplessness of idols, the false gods people trusted: they can do nothing, cannot save, cannot deliver, cannot help in any real need. They can save no man from death, the passage says; they can't deliver the weak from the mighty. They can't restore a blind man to his sight, or deliver anyone who is in distress. They can show no mercy to the widow, or do good to the fatherless. The idols people trusted as gods are shown to be utterly helpless. They are but wood overlaid with gold and silver, able to do nothing. To trust such things is to trust what cannot help me. Show me the relentless list of what the idols cannot do. They cannot save anyone from death; cannot deliver the weak from the strong; cannot restore sight to the blind; cannot deliver anyone in distress; cannot show mercy to the widow or do good to the fatherless. Whatever real need a person might have, the idol can do nothing about it. It is but an object made by hands, utterly helpless. To trust such a thing as a god is to trust and look to what cannot help at all. This holds a warning that reaches beyond wooden idols. I can make idols of many things, trusting them as my security, my help, my hope: wealth, status, my own abilities, other people, the things I put in your place. But all such things, like the wooden idols, are finally helpless to meet my deepest needs; they cannot save me from death, deliver me in real distress, or help me where I most need help. To trust in what is not you, the living God, is to trust in what cannot finally help me. Only you can save from death, deliver the distressed, help the needy, and show mercy. Take that to my heart. Keep me from trusting in idols, in whatever cannot save or help me in my deepest need; help me trust you, Lord, the living God, who alone can save, deliver, and truly help, rather than the idols who can do nothing.