Idols.

A rather looming and unpleasant subject, I agree, but one that I was faced with rather directly and a bit frighteningly as I was reading through Isaiah this evening. I was reading chapter 40 and up quite peacefully......until, that is, I realized it was talking about me! It was talking about God's glory(which is indescribable and everlasting), man's glory (which, of course, is not like God's glory and will eventually wither away into nothingness) and how man tends to put his hope in man's glory and not God's glory. I do that quite a bit.

Chapter 44:8 says, "You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other rock; I know not one."

So often, however, I behave as if there were another rock! In my longings and desires, I begin to put my hope in other things; I think, "If only I could go here...", or, "If only this dream would come true", and I have built up for myself a worthless idol, just like the people Isaiah talks about.

Of course, I won't quite admit to myself that I worship an idol. No, I'll pretend like everything is fine. I'll say, "God is in control. He knows what is best. Wherever he leads me, I will go."

And yet, deep down inside, I somehow believe the incredibly absurd notion that my way is actually the best way. After all, it is a very good thing!

I am just like the carpenter Isaiah tells the story of in 44:13-17. This carpenter has got some lovely trees growing in his backyard- some oak, pine, and glorious cypress. These trees are good things. He cuts some down and hauls them inside to light a big, beautiful fire to warm his house and bake his bread. These are good things! Great things!

But then, the carpenter makes a big boo-boo. With the wood he had left over, he decided to build his own personal god. A blind, deaf, wooden statue that didn't understand a thing. Yet, the carpentor prays to this lump of wood, saying, "Save me; you are my God".

Suddenly, this silly man has taken a good thing, a tree, and turned it into an idol- an idol that certainly cannot hear him, much less save him!

And yet, aren't we all silly people? Don't we all tend to forget the big picture and put our hope in worthless idols? Aren't we all idolaters?

One thing God hates is idolatry. He said,

"I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another, or my praise to idols." (Isaiah 42:8)

So, if we are so fallible and prone to worship false gods, are we without hope? Not at all! Listen here:

"I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you did not acknowledge me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other God.
I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledge me...
...Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it;
I, the Lord, have created it."
(Isaiah 45:4-5,8)

Later, in the whole of chapter 53, Isaiah paints a stunning description of this salvation; an unmistakable portrait of Christ, written hundreds of years before Chirst was even born! Verse 5 says:

"He was pierced for our trangressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by his wounds we are healed."

We are so caught up in the flesh and in earthly desires that we put our hope and trust in our little dreams, in the little wooden idols we have created, instead of Christ. These idols will not satisfy; they will only make us more thirsty! When we put our hope things - people, positions, plans for the future, dreams we have our heart set on - they become our idols, and, though they are deaf and dumb and could never save us, we cry out to them, "Save me!", and we rely on them for strength. We won't find strength there. We won't find salvation there. We will only find further thirst and weakness and hunger and death.

But God has offered us something so much more valuable: Christ. A few chapters later, in Isaiah 55, there is a beautiful and exciting description of this new life in Christ! It is an invitation to the thirsty, an invitation to us silly people who continually seek to find strength, hope and comfort in our little wooden idols. If we continually seek salvation in these little idols of ours that we build, we will always be thirsty- we cannot save ourselves. Let us come to Christ, the only rock, our only salvation. What an invitation!

"Come, all you are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come buy wine and milk, without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the riches of fare.

Give ear and come to me,
hear me, that your soul may live."
(Isaiah 55:1-3)


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"He gives strength to the weary,
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord,
will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint"
-Isaiah 40:29-31

So I was reading through a bit of Isaiah the other day, and while looking through chapter 54, I began sense something familiar about the words. As I continued reading, I realized with great excitement that one of my favorite songs was based on this scripture! The song "Pensive, doubting, fearful heart" had always been a great encourage to me (I got to know it through Red Mountain Music)....especially the very last verse....but never did I realize it was based almost directly from Isaiah. Reading through this Isaiah 54 makes the song even more powerful, as I remember the context and earth-shaking truth of the words.
Here are some of the verses from Isaiah, each followed by the the verse of the song that evidently corresponds. The author, John Newton, was cleary inspired by these beautiful words!

Isaiah 54:1 "Sing, O barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,"
says the LORD.

Pensive, doubting, fearful heart,
Hear what Christ the Savior says;
Every word should joy impart,
Change thy mourning into praise.

Yes, He speaks and speaks to thee,
May He help thee to believe;
Then thou presently will see
Thou has little cause to grieve.
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Isaiah 54:4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

5 For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.

Fear thou not, nor be ashamed;
All thy sorrows soon shall end,
I, who heaven and earth have framed,
Am thy Husband and thy Friend;

I the High and Holy One,
Israel's God, by all adored,
As thy Savior will be known,
Thy Redeemer and thy Lord.
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Isaiah 54:7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.

10 Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

For a moment I withdrew,
And thy heart was filled with pain;
But my mercies I'll renew;
Thou shall soon rejoice again;

Though I seem to hide my face,
Very soon my wrath shall cease;
'Tis but for a moment's space,
Ending in eternal peace.
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Isaiah 54:11 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise, [a]
your foundations with sapphires. [b]

12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.

13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.

14 In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you.

15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 "See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;

17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,"
declares the LORD.

Though afflicted, tempest tossed,
Comfortless awhile thou art,
Do not think thou can be lost,
Thou art graven on my heart;

All thy wastes I will repair;
Thou shalt be rebuilt anew;
And in thee it shall appear
What the God of love can do.