The folly of idol makers

The sacred writers are generally large and eloquent upon the subject of idolatry; they treat it with great severity, and set forth the absurdity of it in the strongest light. But the passage of Isaiah 44 far exceeds anything that ever was written upon the subject, in force of argument, energy of expression, and elegance of composition.
Those who make an image, all of them are useless, and their precious things shall not profit; they are their own witnesses; they neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed. Who would form a idol or mold an image that profits him nothing? Surely all his companions would be ashamed; and the workmen, they are mere men. Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, they shall be ashamed together. The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. The craftsman stretches out his rule, he marks one out with chalk; he fashions it with a plane, he marks it out with the compass, and makes it like the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house. He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak; he secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it. Then it shall be for a man to burn, for he will take some of it and warm himself; yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; indeed he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. He burns half of it in the fire; with this half he eats meat; he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, "Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire." And the rest of it he makes into a god, his carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!" They do not know nor understand; for He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. And no one considers in his heart, nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire, yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it; and shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?" He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?
And such passages as these are added in such cases to give an account of the abnormal madness of sinners herein; because, as they willfully shut their own eyes, and harden their own hearts, so G-d judicially blinds and hardens them, and gives them up to believe lies, and then it is no wonder if they fall into such dotages.
If the foolishness of the alternative wasn't enough, G-d gives His people many more reasons to trust and love Him: I have formed you . . . you are My servant . . . you will not be forgotten by Me . . . I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions . . . I have redeemed you. Any one of these would be reason enough, but combined, they are overwhelming.
Sing, O heavens, for the L-RD has done it! This is the only logical reaction to seeing who G-d is. And if G-d's people won't do it, then creation itself will (Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break into singing, you mountains).