“All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.”
~ Isaiah 44:9
Hi James and Ellen,
A Maximón is a dark, dirty, demonic wood personification. The liquor drinking, cigar smoking Mayan deity and folk saint that goes by the name Maximón is found in homes and in public places in indigenous Guatemalan communities. Indigenous Mayan guys and gals gift alcohol, cigarettes, cigars, money and other stuff to this devilish, diabolical carved wooden icon that they call Maximón in hopes of appeasing this appalling effigy so that it will not do anything that would harm them. Your grandpaa has no trouble believing that a foul spirit actually resides in each Maximón. There are many indigenous Mayan kids who are growing up with a dad and ma who are conditioning them to believe that a rogue spirit exists in Maximóns. There are many indigenous Mayan kids who are growing up with a dad and ma who are absolutely convinced of Maximón’s evil intentions of making their lives difficult. There are many indigenous Mayan kids who are growing up with a dad and ma who believe that they need to mollify or pacify evil spirits with some kind of sacrifice – such as a chicken. There are many indigenous Mayan kids who are growing up with a dad and ma who are making regular visits to a hidden altar with sacrifices thinking that their sacrifices will somehow keep a malicious, malevolent spirit from doing something harmful to them. A shrine that depicts the Virgin Mary can sometimes be found in a Latin American house, in the yard of a Latin American home and in public locations in Latin American countries. Do you know who the Virgin Mary is? Jesus’ ma is called the Virgin Mary. An erroneous or misguided Catholic Church belief gives the Virgin Mary divine powers. Guys and gals who have a shrine or gruta of the Virgin Mary in their house or yard really believe that the Virgin Mary is lovingly watching over them and taking care of them and their kids. A Maximón is carved out of a tree trunk. A Virgin Mary gruta is made in a mold.
Isaiah – in Isaiah 44, wonders how a piece of carved wood or a molded object could have the kind of influence that an inanimate something was having in the lives of God’s specially chosen guys and gals. Isaiah struggles with how a guy or gal could actually believe that something that was carved out of the same tree trunk that was used for firewood could have any kind of life changing, Godlike abilities or powers. Isaiah used satire – starting out with verse 9, to convey to God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals, his thoughts about their idiotic belief in inanimate idol gods, “All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.” Isaiah rips into the carpenters and blacksmiths who were making the inanimate gods. Isaiah personally saw carpenters measure off cedar, cypress, oak and pine tree trunks for the purpose of using the portion that was measured off for an inanimate god to worship. Isaiah personally saw the part of the tree trunk that was not carved into an inanimate god to worship used for fires to keep guys, gals and kids warm, heat for baking bread and fuel for roasting meat. Isaiah personally saw blacksmiths get so thirsty and tired that they no longer had the strength or energy to continue to form out of metal an inanimate god to worship. Isaiah thinks that it is absolutely ridiculous that a detestable thing can be adored, worshipped and feared that is not able to know anything, no mind to understand and no eyes that can see. Your grandpaa wonders today how a Maximón – that is nothing more than a block of wood that has been carved into the image of an unscrupulous, unprincipled guy and that at times needs to be tended by a couple of attendants, could have the kind of influence that it does in the lives of indigenous Mayan guys and gals in Guatemala.
Isaiah compares the idiocy of worshipping repugnant imamate gods – which your grandpaa thinks were and are inhabited by evil spirits, to the wisdom of worshipping the one true, loving God. Believing in and worshipping false gods cannot bring the kind of joy that believing in and worshipping the one true God brings. False gods have no redeeming power. The one true God has already redeemed His specially elected guys, gals and kids from the curse of death and an eternity in the pit of hell. The universe is not the creation of false gods; the universe is the creation of the one true God. The one true God makes fools of diviners. The one true God foils false prophets. The one true God changes wisdom to nonsense. The one true God does what He says that He will do. The one true God formed life. The one true God pours water on dry, thirsty ground. The one true God has always been and will always be. The one true God – as God the Spirit, was released on His specially chosen guys and gals and is discharged on His specially elected guys and gals. God – as God the Spirit, breathed on Isaiah to tell or remind the guys and gals who God – as God the Father, specially chose before He created planet Earth to adopt as His kids that they had or have a choice – that their choice was or is between the things that were or are being made by craftsmen – who were or are nothing more than guys, which were or are nothing more than inanimate idol gods made from carved, chiseled wood, hammered, beaten stone, shaped, sculpted clay and molten, molded metal and between the Living Creator of all things. Believing in inanimate gods – per Isaiah, means living fear filled, discontent lives that will not have any purpose for existence. Believing in the one true God – per Isaiah, means living hope filled, content lives that will be firmly anchored by faith in God – as God the Father. You have the same choice. Your grandmaa and grandpaa are praying that your eyes will always be focused on the one true God and that your ears will hear Him speaking to you.
Isaiah 44 (653)