Dead Idols And The Living God

[1] Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. [2] They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity. [3] Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: [4] And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. [5] To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? [6] They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. [7] They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. [8] Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. [9] Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, [10] Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: [11] Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. [12] Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: [13] I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

[1] Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. [2] Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? [3] But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. [4] Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. [5] They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: [6] They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: [7] They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. [8] They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. [9] O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. [10] O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. [11] Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. [12] The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. [13] He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. [14] The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children. [15] Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. [16] The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. [17] The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. [18] But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

• Church
• Temple

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

• Sorcery

And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.