Isaiah 45-46, Revelation 6
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. – Isaiah 46:11 ESV
Over and over again, God reminded Isaiah and the people of Israel, “I am the Lord, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:6 ESV). He boldly claimed, “I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host” (Isaiah 45:12 ESV). God was unrelenting and unapologetic in His claim to be the only true God. “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength” (Isaiah 45:24 ESV). Idols made with human hands were not only ridiculous substitutes for the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe; they revealed the ignorance and stupidity of the ones who had made them. Idols were powerless to move. They couldn't hear and they were incapable of speech. And when their makers went into captivity, the idols went right along with them. But men still worship gods of their own making. They continue to come up with substitutes for the almighty, all-powerful God who made them, and who alone can save them. They fail to recognize that it is futile to reject God. It is ridiculous to question God or to attempt to replace Him with something or someone else. God's sovereignty is not based on man's acknowledgement of it. Our refusal to confess Him as the one true God does not alter the fact that He is and that all that He speaks is truth and all that He does is right.
What does this passage reveal about God?
That God puts up with mankind is amazing. That He has not wiped out the entire human race is a testimony to His patience and a reminder of His sovereign plan. The ongoing rejection of God by men is no surprise to Him. His entire plan of redemption is based on man's inability to worship Him in their own strength. No one is capable of worshiping God completely or faithfully. All men eventually fail in their worship of God. Even those who acknowledge Him as God are unable to treat Him with the dignity, honor, reverence and respect He deserves. Even the people of Israel could not remain faithful, in spite of all that He had done for them. And yet God said, “All Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity” (Isaiah 45:17 ESV). Yes, Israel would suffer punishment for their sins. They would experience the devastating reality of defeat at the hands of their enemies and the demoralizing impact of exile in a foreign land, but God was not done with them. Their loving God would eventually redeem and restore them. And He would use a pagan king to do so. Their sovereign, all-powerful God would do the impossible and cause Cyrus, the king of Persia to return the people of God to the land of promise. In His message to Isaiah, God refers to Cyrus as his anointed. He lets the people of Israel know that even this pagan, godless king was under His control, and would be used by Him to bring about His divine plan of redemption for His people.
What does this passage reveal about man?
Doubting God is a national pastime for most Americans. Even those who claim to believe in Him spend a great deal of time questioning His power and living their lives as if He didn't really exist. Those who unapologetically refuse to acknowledge the reality of God spend their lives coming up with ways to replace Him with gods of their own making. Science, materialism and money, pleasure, religion, entertainment, politics, military power, philanthropy, and a host of other “false gods” end up being the focus of man's attention and the recipients of his worship. It is in these things that men place their hope and from which they seek help. But they will never live up to the expectations we place in them. They will always fall short because they are poor substitutes for the one true God. One of the greatest truths that men must come to grips with is that there is NO OTHER GOD. There is no substitute for God. “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me” (Isaiah 46:9 ESV). Man's inability to comprehend God does not negate His existence. Man's unwillingness to acknowledge God does not alter His reality. Man's propensity to create substitutes for God will always prove futile and fruitless. “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Isaiah 46:10 ESV).
How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?
There are no other gods. There can be no substitute or replacement for God. He alone is God and His divine will is inevitable and unstoppable. He will accomplish what He has planned. He will do all that He has said He will do. I may not always understand it or even like it. I may fail to comprehend what He is doing or attempt to counteract it with my own plan, but His will will be done. His plan will be accomplished. In the book of Revelation, we are given a look into the future, when God will bring His divine plan of redemption to a close. He will bring to an end what He began in Genesis, the book of beginnings. The Lamb who is worthy will be given the scroll and will begin to methodically break the six seals that hold it shut. With each broken seal, God's judgment will be released on mankind. This future event is the beginning of the end. It is known as the time of the great tribulation. And while there is much debate as to its exact nature, the one non-negotiable fact is that God will be the one who brings it about. He will bring a final judgment on the earth. “For the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:17 ESV). There will be wars, famines, disease, and death on an unprecedented scale. God's judgment will come in waves. And while we might want to question the fairness of it all or attempt to rationalize away the reality of it ever happening, we must understand that God's will is inevitable and always right. How well we should remember the words of God to Isaiah: “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’” (Isaiah 45:9 NLT). We must learn to trust God. We must trust Him and rest in the fact that He knows exactly what He is doing – at all times. “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22 ESV).
Father, I find it so easy to doubt You. Because I can't see what You see or understand what You are doing behind the scenes, outside of my perception, I tend to question Your sovereignty and come up with my own plans. But You alone are God. Your will is righteous, holy and always right. Your plan is perfect and You are working it out in perfection. Help me to learn to trust You more. Amen