BACKGROUND
God's uniqueness as the one true God is the main thrust of this section of Isaiah, God is contrasted with idols. His sovereignty is revealed because Isaiah prophesied 150 years before Cyrus allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
In 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and his forces broke through Jerusalem’s walls, burned down the temple, and carried captives into exile. Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. (Daniel 5:30), and the next year he issued a decree that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4). He became God’s shepherd (Isaiah 44:28) in that he served God’s purposes. The returning exiles built the temple, completing it in 515 B.C. In 444 B.C, Nehemiah directed the rebuilding of the walls (Nehemiah 1-2; Daniel 9:25). “Jeshurun” in 44:2 means “the upright one,” and is the poetic name for Israel (Deuteronomy 32:15; 33:5, 26).
God's uniqueness as the one true God is the main thrust of this section of Isaiah, God is contrasted with idols. His sovereignty is revealed because Isaiah prophesied 150 years before Cyrus allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
In 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and his forces broke through Jerusalem’s walls, burned down the temple, and carried captives into exile. Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. (Daniel 5:30), and the next year he issued a decree that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4). He became God’s shepherd (Isaiah 44:28) in that he served God’s purposes. The returning exiles built the temple, completing it in 515 B.C. In 444 B.C, Nehemiah directed the rebuilding of the walls (Nehemiah 1-2; Daniel 9:25). “Jeshurun” in 44:2 means “the upright one,” and is the poetic name for Israel (Deuteronomy 32:15; 33:5, 26).
Cyrus would also conquer other nations (Isaiah 45:1b), and he did by conquering Lydia and Babylon. All this was for the sake of God’s chosen people. God raised up an “anointed” one who did not even believe in Him to accomplish His purposes (Isaiah 45:1, 4)!
In this passage the fact that there is “no other” god like God is stated over and over again (44:6; 45:5-6, 14, 18, and 21-22). Again, this is a key phrase, and you may want to underline it in your Bible.
REFLECTION/APPLICATION
A sea of golden Buddhas shimmered in the light of a sultry Bangkok afternoon as I walked and prayed by all the stalls in the outdoor market. As I prayed, I thought about all the time and labor that went into the making of these idols. I also prayed toward a massive turning to Christ that would put the idol-makers out of business!
This memory from 1988 flashed into my mind as I was reading Isaiah 44. It was easy for me to spot idolatry when I lived in Thailand, but idolatry in Western countries is much more subtle, isn’t it?
What are our modern-day idols? (My friend, Mike, says we might have a clue about this if we see that one of the most popular television shows in America right now is called “American Idol,” but I digress. . .) We might not have idols of gold or wood or stone, but an idol can be anything that is given sacred value or power. If your answer to any of the questions below is someone or something other than God, you may need to have an honest conversation with God about that, turn from these idols, and toward the One true God:
Who created me?
Who do I ultimately trust?
To whom do I look for ultimate truth?
Whom do I look to for security and happiness?
Who is in charge of my future? (The Life Application Bible, p. 1243)
PRAYER
Lord, show us our idols so that we might cast them out to make room for only You. Amen.
1 comment:
Ignatius would call these "inordinate attachments" or "disordered loves." The Exercises were so helpful for examining these in my own life. My idol was the approval of man. Once I could name it, God has really dealt with it more and more. Like today, I was in a group of people, and I felt no need to please or prove. I could just BE. It was very relaxing.
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