Psalms 135:18

They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.

Psalms 135:18 (KJV)

Context

Psalm 135 praises the Lord for His power and His acts of deliverance, especially His rescue of Israel from Egypt. The verses just before this one describe idols made of silver and gold, the work of human hands. These idols have mouths, eyes, and ears, yet they cannot speak, see, or hear. Verse 18 draws the sobering conclusion: those who make idols and those who trust in them become like the idols themselves.

Meaning

People grow to resemble what they worship. Because idols are lifeless and powerless, those who rely on them become spiritually deaf, blind, and empty. They lose the ability to hear God, see His work, or speak His truth. This is a warning against the futility of idolatry, whether literal or figurative. Trust placed in anything other than the Lord results in spiritual deadness and emptiness.

Biblical connections

Psalm 115:8 contains nearly the same words, reinforcing this warning. The principle that we become like what we worship appears throughout Scripture. When people trust the living God, He transforms them into His likeness. When they trust lifeless things, they become spiritually inert. The broader biblical wisdom echoes this same truth, urging wholehearted trust in the Lord alone.

Application

This verse calls for honest self-examination. What do we truly trust in? Modern idols are not always carved images. Wealth, fame, comfort, or even our own abilities can become false gods. When we prioritize these transient things, we become shallow and unfulfilled, just like them. True fulfillment and purpose come only through a genuine relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ. Examine your heart: are you becoming more like the living God through your faith, or are you becoming spiritually inert by placing your confidence in things that cannot save?

Reflection

We are becoming like whatever we worship. If we trust in the Lord, who hears, sees, and acts, we grow in spiritual life. If we trust in things that cannot save, we become spiritually dead. Let us turn from every empty idol and place our whole confidence in God alone.