Isaiah 46 & 47 vs 1-11

Isaiah Chapter 46 Verses 1 - 2

·    This is certainly a calling out of the false gods worshipped by the people and by the nations against Israel and interestingly you can see the names of these gods in the leadership of Babylon in Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar!

·    And the indictment here is that as the nation of Israel gets carried away into captivity (which is yet to be in the near future), their false idols are of no help to them and in fact, the idols themselves are carried into captivity along with them…

Isaiah Chapter 46 Verses 3 – 4

·    Strong contrasting statements to the false gods that have to be carried by the people and yet God says here, “I am the one that carries and has carried and will continue to carry you!” It’s sort of like that old truth that in order to perpetuate a lie one must continue to lie… Trying to cover something up or carry forward a ruse, you have to continually work…, carry that lie. But with the truth, you just put it out there, fire and forget! No need to put in any work or strive in any way, this is what’s up, this what’s happening, this is what transpired, now let’s face it and grow forward. You have to carry a lie, but the truth carries you!

Isaiah Chapter 46 Verses 5 – 8

·    I like that. God essentially says, “All these falsities, things we worry about, carry forward, cover up, conceal and are concerned with, get real! What good has it done you? All you do is regress or at best hover in an unsure position!”

·    This is really the sort of thing that we ought to think through. Does the flesh actually do us any good? The Bible tells us clearly in John 6:63 that, “It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing!” And yet we call the idol-fashioning goldsmith all the time and try the flesh again. But God is like, “son, daughter, really think about this…”

·    That is one of the statements/reasons why I think in these last days, in the day of information and technology, that church is more important now than ever before. It is a time where devices go away (or they should), and our brains and thinking engage for even a short while on the truth of life. All things that pertain to life and godliness. Because seriously, very little thinking is done these days…

·    Your brain never gets a rest. We have couch time or we have a few minutes in the car, we are not praying or thinking, we are scrolling! There’s no rest for our minds and there certainly is very little meaningful contemplation. As beneficial and entertaining as our electronic leashes are, be aware and enlightened that they are also entirely detrimental to our ability to make Godly, reasonable, Spirit-led moments.

·    So, every now and again, put the device down. Pay attention to your family. Think about what God has done in your lives. I’ve never preached something in the past such as this that I am almost completely confident that no one will do what I just stated… And yet God pleads with this generation who (we) have made little gods powered by lithium-ion batteries that rob our families, suffer our spouses, and weaken our worship!

Isaiah Chapter 46 Verses 9 – 11

·    Speaking of the coming captivity of Babylon and also the forthcoming deliverer in Cyrus, the Persian…

Isaiah Chapter 46 Verses 12 – 13

·    I love this. Whether we agree or not, believe or not, know or not, care or not, what God has given in His Word, and His design and decreed order of things, will happen… God linking stubborn-heartedness with being far from righteousness calls to them and to us to loosen up our own stocks and hear Him!

Isaiah Chapter 47 Verses 1 – 7

·    It’s interesting that God would be concerned with while the people would suffer the consequence of not trusting in Him, He would want others that don’t even know Him to show mercy! How much more for us that DO know Him?

·    And why is it that a heart grows unmerciful? “You said, “I shall be a lady forever.”” Pride, taking things for granted, a spirit of entitlement and egotism, these things create an attitude that is the opposite of humble and void of mercy. And so, I see a therefore for myself…, my lack of mercy even on the consequence of stupidity caused sufferer is a lack of humility in my own heart of hearts… If there is humility, there will be mercy. No mercy, no humility…

·    And what is mercy? A desire and action to relieve discomfort or suffering even if and when it is warranted. A care for the person resulting in the release of a penalty.

Isaiah Chapter 47 Verse 8

·    And the depth of the bed rock of pride has been reached. This is the true belief (revealed) of a heart that lacks humility. God has said over and over, “I am and there is no other,” and yet the heart that lacks humility responds correcting God, “No, I am…, and there is no one else besides me!” This is why pride is that anti-holiness of creation…

Isaiah Chapter 47 Verses 9 – 11

·    This is how you know where to ascribe power and authority. Where can desolation come suddenly and destroy, disturb and dumbfound? Can that happen to God? Nope. Can that happen to me? Yep. So, if I choose to ascribe power and authority where it can be defeated, well, that’s just dumb. And that is pride… That is egotism, arrogance, that is a lack of humility. See it for what it is and maybe we won’t embrace it as much!

Isaiah Chapter 47 Verses 12 - 13

·    That’s interesting. Astrologers, stargazers…, the word “astrology” literally means ‘divining the heavens’ and virtually everywhere in the Bible looking to the skies for divine information is not pleasing to God. Deuteronomy 18:14 says, “For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.” What has God appointed for us? His Word! In fact, 1 Samuel 15:23 likens the sin of rebellion against God to the sin of divination which he actually calls arrogance! Jesus said that it was the wicked generation that sought signs such as can be interpreted as divine messages…

·    In Daniel, when King Nebuchadnezzar had his dream, he called for the interpreters in the kingdom of Babylon and according to Daniel 2 he summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers, the stargazers…, but did they get it right? They didn’t… Should we watch the skies and the stars and the natural order of things, concentrating on that to tell us who we are, where we are and when we are? Definitely not. We ought to seek the Lord in His Word primarily!

·    Look at it this way… If we study the stars and are enraptured with interpreting signs and wonders then we are always grasping for clues and when and is it now, when will it be, and we are always wondering and perhaps even partially right…, but, study the word and live Godly, worshipful, humble, hopeful and ready entirely whether the Lord returns now or next November, and you are NEVER “perhaps” partially right but constantly correct…!

·    And then God lumps in with these folks “monthly prognosticators.” This month its this thing, next month its that…, moving month to month from this sign, this wonder, this divination, this thing, this subject…, Jesus was never like that. He was consistent and His single focus was the Father and reaching the lost not for His own glory but for their saving and salvation! He was about them, not about His own interests, hobbies or imaginations…

Isaiah Chapter 47 Verses 14 – 15

·    Not a one, nothing else has any power to save other than God who has declared Himself to be Savior and then shown forth His power by raising Himself out of death! Ultimately, it’s a call for the people of God to shift their focus and hope and trust off of all of the things of the world, the things that will perish along with it one day, and back to Him. A good reminder and exhortation for each of us and for myself as well!