Isaiah Will You Carry Your Gods or Will God Carry You? Isaiah 46

Transcription

1 Isaiah Will You Carry Your Gods or Will God Carry You? Isaiah 46 A nthropologists and sociologists often hold the view that men create gods because they are fearful of the world around them. The gods they create provide them with a sense there is some control and safety in this world. Gods create a sense of order in chaos. I was watching a special on Pompeii the other night. One of the points made was during Vesuvius eruption some of the people who died in the explosion did so because they went back to their homes to get their valuables, their gold, before they were willing to escape. They were going to carry their gods away from the conflagrations. But instead of their gods protecting them, they led them to their deaths. There are no gods who can protect men from the consequences of living in a fallen and dangerous world. This has become especially obvious during the recent events in Southeast Asia. When nature displays its fury, all the wisdom, skill, and wealth of mankind is useless. Nothing could have saved the tens of thousands of lives lost in that part of the world. And while this country and its citizens have done a great deal to help with our wealth, it cannot revive the dead. It cannot restore destroyed lives or heal afflicted families. All it can do is help the living clean up the rubble of the destruction. The most important thing we can do is let people know there is no security or safety in this world. Each person who enters this world has a one-way ticket out: death, whether by disaster, disease, or simply old age. The only security or safety is in God s hands because He can carry us through this life. And He can guarantee our final destination. This is really all we have to offer. So all have to decide. Will you carry your gods or will God carry you? I Introduction II The Humiliation of the Gods Verses 1-2 III The Faithfulness of God Verses 3-4 IV The Glory of God Verses 5-7 V The Eternal God Verses 8-13 VI Conclusion Vine introduces the next three chapters by noting: At this chapter there is a change in the subject. There are now three prophecies relating to Babylon. Yet there is a connection with what has preceded. For the prophet has been foretelling what was to be expected by Israel through the raising up and the administration of Cyrus. He is now going to show what Cyrus will carry out regarding Babylon. This potentate would be the instrument of the judgment of the

2 Lord upon the gods of Babylon. At the same time the three prophecies contain matters relating to what is yet future in connection with Israel, and admonitions continue to God s people. The first prophecy occupies this chapter; the second is in chapter 47, the third in chapter 48. The first deals with the gods, the second with Babylon itself, the third with deliverance from Babylon. 1 Dr. McGee stated: This chapter contains one of the finest satires against idolatry that is found in the Word of God. It opens with the announcement of defeat against the idols of Babylon in particular. This seems strange since Babylon had not yet come to the front as a world power and was not the enemy of Israel. Nevertheless, Babylon was the source of all idolatry, and it is fitting that after announcing the defeat of the idols of Babylon the prophet proceeds to denounce all idolatry with an injunction to Israel not to forsake the true God. 2 There are a number of principles which can be found here. (Again, keep in mind these passages were written at least a hundred fifty years prior to the events themselves.) The one that is most practical in a chaotic world is, though men carry their own gods, but God carries His children. Would you rather carry or be carried? Apparently the men of Babylon would rather do the carrying. Verses 1-2: Here we move from a general denigration of the idols of men to focusing on two specific gods, gods of Babylon. Buksbazen gives a bit of background on these two. Bel, the equivalent of the Hebrew baal (lord) was the generic name for any god. When used as a proper name, it refers to Marduk, the supreme deity of Babylon. In Babylonian mythology he appears as the creator. The Greeks called him Zeus or Jupiter. The magnificent and enormous temple of Bel stood on the banks of the Euphrates and is described by Herodotus: The temple is a square building, two furlongs each way with bronze gates, which was still in existence in my time. It has a solid central tower one furlong square, with a second erected on top of it, then a third, and so on up to eight On the summit stands a great temple In the temple there is a second shrine lower down in which there is a great sitting figure of Bel, all of gold on a golden throne, supported on a base of gold, with a golden table standing beside it. I was told by the Chaldeans that to make all this, more than twenty-two tons of gold were used. Outside the temple is a golden altar The golden altar is reserved for sucklings only. Nebo comes from the same root as the Hebrew word as the Hebrew word for prophet, nabi. In Babylonian mythology Nebo was the son of the supreme god Marduk and is presented as the spokesman of the gods, just like Mercury, mentioned in Acts 14:12. Nebo was also the supreme god of Nineveh and was supposed to be the god of learning and wisdom. At the approach of the victorious Perisans, the worshippers of these gods sought to save them by loading them onn beasts of burden (camels and elephants) and on cattle (horses, asses and oxen). 3 The day was coming when these two were to be humiliated. Depending on how these verses are translated, there are two possible ways for this to occur. The NIV s wording sounds similar to the every knee shall bow and means that in a symbolic way the gods of Babylon are brought down by the God of Israel. 1 Vine, W. E., Isaiah, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1971, p McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 3, Isaiah, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1982, p Buksbazen, Victor, The Prophet Isaiah, In Two Volumes, The Spearhead Press, Collingswood, NJ, 1971, p ) 332 (

3 The second approach, which seems more literal, can be understood to refer to the teetering of the idols as they are moved and taken down from their places by their followers. The gods which were held in such high esteem couldn t protect themselves or their followers. And so the gods are carried by the people into exile. The people who live in Samaria fear for the calf-idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it, and so will its idolatrous priests, those who had rejoiced over its splendor, because it is taken from them into exile (Hosea 10:5). And so the gods could protect Babylon from Cyrus. The gods couldn t protect business men from the crash in 29. The gods couldn t protect the people from the earthquakes and tsunamis in South East Asia. There is no hope in all the gods of this world, but Verses 3-4: there is still security to be found in this life, even if not in this world. While it is a burden to carry the gods, it is a self-imposed burden. But God reminds Israel that she doesn t have to carry such a burden. Instead, He is the One who has carried them since their conception and would continue to carry them. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread (Psalm 37:25). And not only does God carry Israel and sustain her, but He also will be her rescuer. For the recipients of this prophecy the rescue was from Babylon, but finally she was be rescued from her own blindness and from her exile throughout the world. This is a rescue yet to come. Verses 5-7: The sad truth is men do not learn from history. The statement Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The Life of Reason (1905) vol. I, ch is certainly not accurate. Throughout history men have depended on their own idols and have rejected God. This has always proved to be an exercise in futility. But they/we don t learn. What have been some of your idols over the years? Do you still struggle with being a practical idolator? Here God asks a rhetorical question. Who can He be compared to? By this He means were else can safety and security be found? Since the question is rhetorical the answer is obvious, Nowhere! So why don t people live by this truth? Because, as we talked about last week, they want to earn their way into eternity. Well that s the reality when one is discussing the nonbeliever. But why did Israel constantly turn from God? Why do we live as practical idolators? Because we are not willing to depend on God for the strength to live based on what we know, rather than what we feel. Here the folly of those who made idols, and then prayed to them, is exposed. How does the profuseness of idolaters shame the niggardliness of many who call themselves God s servants, but are for a religion 4 Knowles, Elizabeth, The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, ) 333 (

4 which costs them nothing! The service of sin always costs a great deal. God puts it to them what senseless, helpless things idols are. 5 Verses 8-13: Where change occurs it happens when people move from feelings to truth. God presents His truth to Israel. These were truths she already knew. But she might as well have forgotten them because she didn t live by them. God reminds her because He wants her repentance and her restoration. One of the reasons we are called to study the word is because we too need to be reminded of truths we know but forget. As we reconsider these truths and live by them, it can make a radical difference in our lives. And that s the point Isaiah was trying to make to Israel. Remember is God s message to those he calls rebels. For Israel, and for us, the call to remember history is a call to remember HIStory. And when God says to remember He means to remember by living as a result of His acts, His protection, and His provision of security in the past. These same gifts are available now, if we choose to recognize them. It isn t just that God has been available and cared for Israel in the past, but here His omniscience is stressed. He has known all things from beginning to end, because He has always been there and will always be there. But more importantly, it is God s program which will always come to pass. Nothing nor no one will ever interfere with His will. And in this case, God s will is specifically tied to the coming of Cyrus and the opportunity for the Israelites to return to the Land and to rebuild the Temple. And the language express the promptness of God caring out His program once it begins. Cyrus will swoop down on his enemies. Israel would be restored. If Israel listened to Isaiah, if she believed, and if she walked accordingly, she would have been comforted by God s words here. The promise is in the midst of darkness and pain, there will be a day when restoration and healing would occur. The opportunity for this occurred with Cyrus. It will occur with the coming of Messiah for Israel. And it will occur when we have the opportunity to go home to be with the Lord. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4). Conclusion: I once hear a speaker, I know longer remember who, teach on Joshua Chapter 4. When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight. So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, ac- 5 Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry s Commentary (Condensed), Public Domain, Hypertexted and formatted by OakTree Software, Inc. ) 334 (

5 cording to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, What do these stones mean? tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever. (Joshua 4:1-7). This speaker pointed out the importance of our own stones, reminding us of what God had done for us. Much of what we find in this chapter and the previous ones were Isaiah s stones reminding the people of why they should trust and depend on God rather than their own understanding. Where they going to carry their own gods, or be carried by God? Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Ironside identifies some of the stones when he stated: He who led Israel in safety through the Red Sea and the Jordan, and who walked with the three devoted Hebrew youths in the fiery furnace, is still the unfailing resource of His troubled people in every hour of trial, no matter how severe the test. Faith can count on His sustaining grace and blessed companionship in each perplexity or apparent defeat or grave danger. Millions have tested and proved the faithfulness of His promise. 6 This speaker, who was somewhat of a literalist, decided that it would be an interesting reminder for himself and a testimony for others if he actually placed rocks around his home and property, each one standing for a blessing from the Lord. And so when people would comment on the rocks, he d point to one and say, This reminds me of when the Lord And, that one was when If you were placing rocks, what would they be memorials to? Maybe we all need to start building rock gardens. But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge (Psalm 94:22). Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee; Let the water and the blood, From thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labors of my hands Can fulfill thy law s demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow. All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and thou alone. While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyes shall close in death, When I rise to worlds unknown, And behold thee on thy throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee. Amen. 7 6 Ironside, H. A., Isaiah, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., Neptune, NJ, 1952, p Toplady, Augustus M., Rock of Ages, Public Domain. ) 335 (

6 Isaiah Will You Carry Your Gods or Will God Carry You? Isaiah 46 I Introduction II The Humiliation of the Gods Verses 1-2 III The Faithfulness of God Verses 3-4 IV The Glory of God Verses 5-7 V The Eternal God Verses 8-13 VI Conclusion I Introduction: II The Humiliation of the Gods: (Hosea 10:5) III The Faithfulness of God: (Psalm 37:25)

7 IV The Glory of God: V The Eternal God: (Revelation 21:4) VI Conclusion: (Joshua 4:1-7; Proverbs 3:5; Psalm 94:22) Personal Application: This week think about the rocks you can place in your home. Prayer for the Week: Lord, help us to remember all the blessings You have blessed us with. And LORD, may we remember them when we are in current trials. In Jesus name, amen.