Scarecrows and Silver: What Are We Really Worshiping?

Reading Jeremiah 10, I was drawn into the prophet’s description of idols. He paints a picture of craftsmen shaping wood, overlaying it with silver and gold, fastening it down so it won’t topple. “Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk” (Jeremiah 10:5, NLT).

There’s something oddly vivid about that scarecrow detail—almost comical, but also sad. These manmade objects are treated as divine, despite clearly being the work of human hands. I don’t live in a world where people bow to carved statues on street corners, but I can’t help wondering what our modern equivalents might be.

Today’s Idols: Now with Wi-Fi and Push Notifications

What do we build, polish, and prop up, hoping they’ll give us a sense of meaning or control?

Maybe it’s money. Or status. Or technology. Maybe it's our self-image, curated and protected at all costs. These things can seem powerful—until they’re not. Until the economy crashes, or the job disappears, or the phone goes dark. Like the scarecrows Jeremiah describes, they can’t walk on their own. They depend entirely on us to move, shape, or sustain them.

A DIY Approach to Meaning

Jeremiah isn’t just criticizing the objects themselves; he’s challenging the illusion that we can manufacture security. That if we work hard enough or invest in the right things, we can build something strong enough to carry us. But according to this chapter, it doesn’t work that way. “People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!” (Jeremiah 10:8, NLT).

That line is blunt, even harsh. But it also opens up a deeper question: why do people turn to things they know can’t help them? Maybe because they’re visible. Controllable. Touchable. It’s easier to put your faith in something you can shape than in something you can’t see.

Scarecrows vs. Storms

Later in the chapter, there’s a contrast. Jeremiah describes a different kind of power: “But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath” (Jeremiah 10:10, NLT).

From a literary standpoint, it’s an intentional juxtaposition: lifeless idols versus a living force. Whatever your belief system, the comparison is compelling. On one side, a thing you can make and manage. On the other, something wild, vast, and beyond your control.

It raises a tension that feels very present, even now. Do we want something we can shape? Or something that might shape us? Jeremiah’s imagery lingers—that scarecrow in a cucumber field, silent and stiff, dressed up like it has power. It’s a vivid reminder that not everything we place on a pedestal deserves to be there.