DCLM Daily Manna 19 May 2026: Stupidity of Idolatry
KEY VERSE
“Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver and there is no breath at all in the midst of it” (Habakkuk 2:19).
BIBLE READING: Habakkuk 2:13-20
13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord‘s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.
17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
READ OTHER DCLM DAILY DEVOTIONAL HERE
In many ancient mythologies, gods were often depicted as having human-like qualities, including the need for rest or sleep at night. Some were made of wood and stones that had to be carried from place to place. Tragically, some people, created in God’s own image, still worshipped these idols. Prophet Habakkuk had much to lament about in the ungodly lifestyle of his fellow Israelites and their Babylonian overlords. Though one nation was in servitude to the other, both were in bondage to Satan, as shown by their sinful practices. Two of such practices were drunkenness and idolatry, which betrayed ignorance or rejection of God’s standard of holiness. The Babylonians were ignorant of the true God, just as the Athenians, who set up altars to various gods and provided for the Unknown God in Paul’s day.
Each individual should take responsibility for his or her misdeeds, without making excuses. Hence, God condemned worship of idols, as well as both the giver and the taker of alcoholic drinks. Drinking intoxicated beverages is a sinful and dangerous form of recreation because it interferes with rational decision-making and causes damage to individual lives, homes and property.
This is why the police will arrest anyone driving under the influence. Such a person is considered careless and reckless and his action or failure to act, could lead to road traffic accidents, often causing death and injuries. If secular authorities are so concerned about the effect of intoxicants on vehicle drivers and operators of machinery, how much more is God concerned about people taking substances that could damage their organs, blur their vision, deaden their conscience and make them prone to temptation.
We should be sober and vigilant. We need also to watch against modern idolatry. Anything we value above God, becomes an idol. An idol can be ourselves, when we place our interests above that of God. Let us start on a new note today, to reject everything idolatrous. We don’t have to indulge in alcohol drinking, simply because it is legal in our area. God’s command deserves more respect than the indulgence of our worldly systems.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Worship of man-made objects is not just an affront to God, but the height of human folly
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 20-22
DCLM Daily Manna 19 May 2026
