July 13 - Isaiah 44:6-23

July 13 – Isaiah 44:6-23

“This is what the LORD says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come— yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

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. Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing?   He and his kind will be put to shame; craftsmen are nothing but men. Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and infamy.

The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint. The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of man, of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.  He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

It is man’s fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me; you are my god.” They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”   He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

“Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.

If you skimmed over this passage to get to my words, stop right there and go back.  This is an amazing passage!!!

We all know that there is no other God besides the Lord.  He is the first and last … the Rock.  There is no one that can compare.

Everything else that we worship is made by man.  In Isaiah’s day, craftsmen made idols that people worshipped.  We don’t see so many of these in America, they’re a little more prevalent in Asian countries with Hindus and Buddhists and other Eastern religions.  But again, they are made by men. 

As you read this passage, God emphasizes the limitations of the creators.  The blacksmith gets hungry and loses his strength, the carpenter shapes an idol from wood, but that same wood is used to burn for making dinner or keeping warm.  It is not something that should be worshiped, it ends up being nothing more than ash.

While we don’t create these types of idols in our lives, we still worship the things of our own hands – our homes that we work hard to pay for, our beautiful cars.  We wear ourselves out earning money to pay for the things that bring glory to our lifestyle.  We worship things that are quite unimportant. 

God knows that we do this.  He calls us back to Him constantly.

Remember that you are my servant, He says.  He has swept away our offenses and our sins.  He has redeemed us.

For these great gifts, we bring worship.

Sing for joy … shout aloud … burst into song!  He is our redeemer!