When Isaiah prophesied against the southern kingdom of Judah whose repeated rebellion against Yahweh had led to their Babylonian captivity, he did not back away from serious charges. Among his many harsh criticisms was his analysis of their spiritual loyalty. Enamored by the polytheism of their captors, the Jews had themselves fallen to the hideous betrayal of their faith in following after false Gods. In his classic tirade against their idolatry, Isaiah asks them pointedly, “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?” (Isaiah 40:18). He then proceeds to uncover the sheer folly of idol worship, noting that the poor among them must select a tree that will not rot and hire a craftsman who can fashion a wooden god that will not “totter” (Isaiah 40:20). The image of the tottering god being sacrificed to, worshipped, and the recipient of great honor is nearly laughable to our modern and pious minds. It would be that, if it did not so quickly remind us of our own folly.
We may not bow at the shrine of tottering, wooden idols, but do we not foolishly place our trust in the god of cultures economy whose instability makes the tottering of the wooden idol seem more like a tree in the petrified forest? Do we not place our hope in the shifting sands of emotional relationships that can change with one ill-spoken word or new interest? Do we not place extreme pressure upon and trust our own gifting abilities and lives which are so fragile that one second can alter our abilities forever?
Instead we are called to seek and lay hold of the kingdom we have been given that is unshakeable (Hebrews 12:25). That kingdom is unshakeable because on it there sits a King in whom there in no variableness or shadow of turning (James 1:17). Let us not fall into the same spiritual folly that enslaved the people of God centuries ago. Rather let us say, “I shall not be moved…I’ll say of the Lord, You are my shield, my strength, my fortress, deliverer, my shelter, strong-tower, and my very present help in time of need!”
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Thats the truth. Many times I find myself trying to take care of everything myself and placing trust in only myself to make sure that everything is safe in my life. But also many times I have felt God beating me over the head saying stop focusing on the world put me in the center put all of your trust in me, live the way I have instructed you, and everything else will balance. So I pray a lot for the discipline to do just that because I know if I can do that then even if the world came crashing down around me we would be okay and I wouldn't have to stress anymore.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed very much.
ReplyDeleteBob Evans :->