Revelation 9:20

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.

This is one of the saddest lines in the chapter.

After all the plagues, after all the warnings, after all the death and terror, the rest of the men still did not repent. That is the tragedy. Judgment fell, but hardness remained.

And notice what the Spirit points to. They would not turn from the works of their hands. They kept clinging to idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, things with no life in them at all. Things that cannot see, cannot hear, cannot walk.

We read that and think, We do not do that anymore.

Really?

Have you looked in your garage lately?

Have you looked at what we polish, protect, upgrade, and brag about? We may not bow to a carved statue, but men still worship the works of their hands. Cars. Boats. houses. toys. careers. accounts. devices. Collections. Man is still deeply devoted to what he makes, what he owns, and what he can show off.

That is why this verse is not ancient only. It is painfully current. Idolatry has not gone away. It has just changed clothes.

And do not miss the deeper line here. Behind the idols is devil worship. Men imagine they are simply enjoying things, admiring craftsmanship, or pursuing success. But when the work of man’s hands takes the place that belongs to God, there is a darker spiritual reality underneath it. That is what makes idolatry so serious. It is never harmless. It always opens the door to deception.

Think about how blind sin makes a man. The world is falling apart around these people, yet they still will not let go of their idols. That is what idolatry does. It chains the heart to dead things even while judgment is crashing down all around.

That should search us.

What is it in my life that I trust too much? What do I protect too fiercely? What do I think about too often? What would shake me most if God touched it? That may be the idol.

Saints, anything that takes the place of God in our affection becomes a cruel master. It cannot see you. It cannot hear you. It cannot help you walk through sorrow. It cannot save you in the day of judgment.

Only Jesus can do that.

Beloved, do not wait for plagues to reveal your idols. Bring them down now. The works of our hands make terrible gods.