Psalms 135:18
They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
Psalms 135:18: "They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them."
This verse turns the critique inward: those who fashion idols become like the idols they worship. The logic is stark: if you entrust your life to something deaf, blind, and breathless, you gradually assume the same condition—spiritually numb, emotionally inert, spiritually blind. The cultural backdrop includes the common ancient practice of making offerings to statues and then attributing agency to them. The psalmist warns that trust in idols shapes character. The object of worship isn’t neutral; it forms the soul. This verse functions as a mirror: do you resemble your source of hope? It also explains a social consequence: societies that place ultimate trust in manufactured power often suffer moral and spiritual decline. The verse serves as a caution against reducing divine reality to objects and symbols, which only produce hollow maturity and a brittle faith.
Theologically, the verse underscores the anthropology of formation: what you worship shapes you. When people fix their trust on lifeless things, their ethics, decisions, and desires harden accordingly. It also highlights the prophetic critique of idolatry as not merely wrong beliefs but corrupting influences that deform the worshiper. The verse reinforces the biblical call to worship the living God who breathes, sees, and acts, thereby forming faithful people who reflect God’s character (mercy, justice, humility). It points to the transformative power of worship as a corrective to spiritual dullness and moral decay.
In contemporary life, consider how your sources of security shape your character. Do you become more anxious, entitled, or self-reliant when you invest heavily in wealth, reputation, or status? The remedy is to realign worship with the living God, allowing true relationship with God to reform desires and decisions. Practical steps: audit where your time and money go, assess your emotional responses to loss or disappointment, and invite accountability partners to remind you where your ultimate trust lies. Embrace practices that cultivate dependence on God—gratitude, generosity, fasting, and regular Scripture engagement. As you do, you’ll find that trust in God reshapes you into a fuller, freer, more compassionate person than clinging to empty idols ever could.
Cross-References: Psalm 115:4-8; Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:2; Romans 1:22-25.