Material taken from commentaries written by J. Alec Motyer and John Oswalt along with a sermon preached by Erik Thoennes at Grace EV Free La Mirada on November 15, 2009.
Our church is currently going through the book of Isaiah (one of my favorite books of the Bible). As I mentioned before,I took a course in Isaiah while going through graduate school at Talbot. This week Erik Thoennes (one of the elders at our church) preached through chapter two of Isaiah.
Here are some observations of the chapter. It’s an indictment on human pride. Throughout the chapter, the author continues to point out the things that Israel relies upon or things for which they have left the Lord. In verse 6:
“For you have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east, and they are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike bargains with the children of foreigners” (NASB).
This is Israel’s reliance on the validity of human insight and human resources. In verse 8 Israel, “worships the work of their hands” (Idols) and therefore is relying on their ability to manipulate the divine. It continues throughout the chapter:
v. 12-18 The author is contrasting all the “high” things in creation:
v. 13 Trees, v. 14 mountains, v. 15 high tower and fortified walls, v. 16 ships of Tarshish (ships of Tarshish were the largest ships, capable of the greatest voyages and cargoes).
v. 18 “But the idols (things mentioned above) will completely vanish.” All of human artistic achievement, which brings self-worth, will be gone.
v. 22 “Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; for why should he be esteemed?” The “Breath” that is mentioned in this verse alludes to the breath given to man in the Genesis account of creation (Gen. 2:7, Is 42:5). It was the Lord, the maker of all things, who gave (and gives) the breath of life. How foolish it is to trust in the one who receives the breath rather than the source of the life Himself?
It would be so easy for me to stand back and think that Israel was idiotic for doing these things and finding personal value in their own achievements and accomplishments. Then I look at areas in my life that resemble idolatry. I have desires for personal achievement and they are lofty. Being ambitious is not evil. It only becomes evil when they take the place of honoring God in everything that we do. Ambition could also become evil if we believe that we could some how approach God in our own righteousness through personal achievement. And this is something that I struggle with at times. I want something I could point to and show that I’ve achieved something of value on my own. But “apart from Him, we can do nothing.” This Biblical truth is the hammer that crushes human pride. No matter how much we achieve personally, it will never bring the satisfaction of relying on the Lord’s grace, humbly approaching Him without absolutely nothing to offer, and accept that our value rests is not in things we achieve but in the goodness that God showers us with. I pray that I get this more everyday.
“Our attempt to make humanity holy actually ends up making us unclean. Our attempt to give ourselves significance renders us worthless.” (John Oswalt)
Great points, babe. I especially like the quote that you found to share with the Grace Group and that you put at the end of this blog. It's a great example of what Erick Thonnes talked about on Sunday- that so often, with God, it's the unexpected that ends up being true. We as humans think that it is up to us to make a name for ourselves and "do whatever we want to do" (like we're taught so often in society) and it is only when we really lose ourselves in Christ that we become who we were meant to be. Going through Isaiah has been motivating me to read through some of the other prophets in my devotional time in the morning. It has been eye opening to see just what kind of holiness God demands of his people and how often we fall so far short! Praise God for Christ who covers are sin and gives us the power to live as God desires. Keep writing the devotionals. I like them. :)
ReplyDelete"This truth is the hammer that crushes human pride!" I like that...well, I don't like living that particular statement, though the Lord seems to find ways to impress it on my heart again and again. I'm a slow learner.
ReplyDeleteA slow learner? You're talking to the master of slow learning. So much so that the Lord gave me a job where I spend all day with slow learners. It's God way of saying, "Take THAT!"
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I still struggle with wanting personal achievement so I could feel good about myself. It's something I have to let go of more and more as life goes on.