Isaiah 44:6-20

Passage: Isaiah 44:6-20
Besides Me There Is No God.
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
"I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any."

The Folly of Idolatry.
9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.
10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.
12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.
14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it.
15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it.
16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!"
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"
18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, "Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?"
20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

Journal: I find these verses quite telling. It is a narrative on the foolishness of worshiping idols. The rods of discipline to Israel and Judah were Assyria and Babylon, respectively. These nations were deep in idol worship, and God's chosen nation had repeatedly participated in the folly. There is great judgment awaiting the man that pursues idolatry. [v.11 -- "Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together."] Idolatry is at the center of the sinful heart, and is an affront to God's glory. Why?

First, it is an affront to the uniqueness of God. That is, He is set apart and worthy of glory. He is the creator and the rest are merely the created. Therefore, to place a man made object as a replacement for His glory is especially tiresome and rebellious. [v. 6-8 -- "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.'"]

Second, the hands of man can never fashion something to replace God, or even to aid in the worship of God. He is as He is, and the worship of Him needs no supplement. Therefore, any "aid" to the worship of Him is merely an act of deception and rebellion. [v. 10 -- "Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing?"] The answer to that question is that man does not see God clearly when man fashions worship that is an abomination to God.

Finally, any attempt to replace or supplement God is sinful. Remember, God has been continually alluding to His great redemption of His people. This redemption is at great cost to Him. It is especially sinful to take this mercy from above and to fashion our own idea of redemption. It is ludicrous, and yet has been ongoing throughout human history. [v. 19-20 --"No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, 'Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?' He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, 'Is there not a lie in my right hand?'"] The ludicrous behavior continues because God must "deliver" the "deluded heart," for man is helpless to see clearly without eyes through which God has focused His great glory.