In Ps. 115:4, the Psalmist explains that the nations’ idols (their objects of worship) are manufactured by man’s hands through the fabrication of things the one, true God has created, like gold and silver. These idols need to be spruced up to look good to the eyes of men. In contrast, man needs to be given God’s holiness in order to look attractive to him. Then, in vv.5-7, the Psalmist notes that this man-made concoction includes giving their idol all the features of a man, except these features are just for show because none of them have any efficacy in that they do not actually function. Take particular note of the end of v.7, in that they cannot even speak, which means that they never have revealed anything directly to anyone. Wow! Think about that—take away Scripture from your life of worship and take away the Incarnate Word of God, who fully explained God and that’s what you have left when you turn to something else.
The lack of functionality, as described in vv.5-7, should be obvious to the creator of these idols, since it was their hands that put the little mouth and ears on the idols to begin with. But this insanity is an unavoidable component of idolatry and it leads us right into v.8: How do idolaters become like their idols?—They become blind and deaf and senseless. This is attested to in Jer. 5:19 It shall come about when they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’ 20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying, 21 ‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear. 22 ‘Do you not fear Me?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence?
Idolatry is itself an empty deception and brings about increasing empty deception. This is why the Apostle John writes in 1 John 5: 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.