Psalm 135:18 on idolaters' state?
What does Psalm 135:18 reveal about the spiritual state of idolaters?

Psalm 135:18 in Its Context

“Those who make them will be like them, as will all who trust in them.”


Core Truth Drawn from the Verse

• Idols are lifeless, senseless objects; therefore, those who worship them become spiritually lifeless and senseless.

• The condition described is not partial but complete: makers and trusters alike share the same fate.

• Scripture, accurate and literal, equates the character of the worshiper with the character of the object worshiped.


The Spiritual State of Idolaters

• Spiritual deadness

– No capacity to respond to God (Ephesians 2:1).

• Spiritual blindness

– Eyes that cannot see truth (2 Corinthians 4:4).

• Spiritual deafness

– Ears closed to God’s voice (Jeremiah 6:10).

• Moral stagnation

– Hearts unresponsive, mirroring the inert nature of idols (Romans 1:21–23).

• Self–inflicted futility

– Investing hope in what can never save (Isaiah 44:9–20).


Echoes in the Rest of Scripture

Psalm 115:8: “Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”

Isaiah 44:20: One who worships an idol “feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has led him astray.”

Habakkuk 2:18–19: Idols “cannot breathe,” yet people look to them for guidance.

Romans 1:25: They “exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”


Contrast with True Worshipers

• Those who worship the living God become increasingly alive (John 10:10).

• They receive sight (2 Corinthians 3:16), hearing (John 10:27), and hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

• Instead of futility, they bear fruit that lasts (John 15:5).


Living in Light of This Truth

• Guard the heart from any rival that would dull spiritual senses.

• Measure devotion by the standard of a living, speaking, active Lord (Hebrews 4:12).

• Pursue fellowship with the One in whose image we are meant to grow (2 Corinthians 3:18), not with objects that freeze us in spiritual paralysis.

How does Psalm 135:18 warn against the futility of idol worship today?
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