8“Don’t forget this, O guilty ones. 9And don’t forget the many times I clearly told you what was going to happen in the future. For I am God—I only—and there is no other like me 10who can tell you what is going to happen. All I say will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. 11I will call that swift bird of prey from the east—that man Cyrus from far away. And he will come and do my bidding. I have said I would do it and I will. 12Listen to me, you stubborn, evil men! 13For I am offering you my deliverance; not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save you, and I will restore Jerusalem and Israel, who is my glory.[1] (Isaiah 46:8–13)
The Strong Appeal of God to Idolaters (All False Worshippers)
A.
Remember The Powerlessness of Your Idols.
Idolaters must remember that they are sinners, transgressors, and rebels before God. Note that God Himself is still speaking. It is God who calls idolaters “rebels”—a most serious charge. During Isaiah’s day, most of the people in the world were worshipping idols, including most of the Israelites. Practically every Israelite professed to believe in the Lord. To their own minds they were worshipping the Lord, but what they were really worshipping was their own idea of who God is. They rejected God’s righteousness and His holy commandments, choosing instead to live immoral and wicked lives.
The
false worship practiced by their neighbors appealed to the Israelites. These
religions allowed people to live as they wanted, fulfilling their fleshly
desires for more and more…
·
possessions and wealth
·
pleasure and recreation
· power and honor
Most of the Jews followed a religion that mixed the worship of God with the worship of idols. They accepted only part of God’s revelation of Himself, rejecting His righteousness and His demand for them to live righteously. As a result, their religion became eclectic, a mixture of truth and error. Although they considered themselves to be followers of the Lord, they had become idolaters. Rejecting God’s full revelation of Himself, they became rebels.
Again, it was the Lord Himself making this harsh but accurate charge against those who professed to worship Him. Idolaters must remember this and prove themselves mature men and women by turning away from idolatry. They must not act like children, who are too young to know the truth. They must take responsibility for their behavior. They are transgressors who are rebelling against the only living and true God.
B.
Remember God’s Works Down Through
History: He Has Proven He Is God.
1) He has revealed the truth to man and foretold important future events even of the end time: His purpose & plan will come to pass. Idolaters must remember God’s works down through history, for His former works prove that He is the Lord, the only living and true God (vv. 9–11). Time and again, the Lord has demonstrated that He alone is God. He has demonstrated His existence and power throughout history, beginning with Creation. He demonstrated His power in the great flood of Noah’s day, in the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery, in the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, and in the choosing of Abraham to be the father of several great nations, but especially in the promised seed, which was fulfilled in Christ and in those who believe and follow Him. These are just a few of the marvelous works of God that idolators must remember, for God’s mighty works prove His existence and power.
2)
He will raise up a bird of prey—a world leader (Cyrus)—to fulfill His purpose: He will
execute judgment upon idolaters & free His people (a picture of Christ’s work).
From the beginning of human history, God has revealed the truth to man and
foretold important future events, even those that will take place at the end of
the world. Many of the events have already taken place, giving further evidence
that God alone is the Lord, the only living and true God. His purpose and plan
for His people, those who truly believe and follow Him, will come to pass. As
Isaiah stood there proclaiming this prophecy to his audience, God gave him
insight into the future. Isaiah predicted that the Lord would raise up a “bird
of prey”—a world leader—from the east to fulfill His purpose (v. 11).
This was a direct reference to King Cyrus of Persia (41:2–3, 25). God
would raise up Cyrus for two very specific purposes: to execute the Lord’s
judgment on idolaters and to free His people from the Babylonian captivity (13:17–14:2).
To give full assurance, God gave a double guarantee that these two events would
take place:
Ø
“I
have spoken.… I
will also bring it to pass.”
Ø
“I
have purposed it; I will also do it.”
C. Listen To the Lord. Idolaters Must Listen to The Lord (Vv. 12–13). Three Compelling Reasons Are Given Why They Must Listen:
1) Because you are stubborn, & unrighteous. Idolaters are stubborn, and they are far from righteousness. Although they profess to know the Lord, they are actually worshipping idols, the creation of their thoughts, and the figment of their imaginations. They are not living lives of righteousness by obeying the commandments of God. Instead of treating people justly, they are lying, stealing, cheating, and falsely accusing. Instead of living moral and pure lives, they are forsaking the natural use of sex and committing all kinds of illicit behavior, including fornication, adultery, and homosexuality. God warns idolators, and they must listen, for they have become stubborn, hard-hearted, and far from righteousness.
V “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed
it unto them. For the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when
they knew God, they glorified him not
as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their
foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like
to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own
hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth
of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile
affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the
woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which
is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which
was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do
those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without
understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things
are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do
them” (Ro. 1:18–32).
V “But glory, honour, and peace, to every man
that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no
respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also
perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by
the law; (For not the hearers of the law are
just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the
Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law,
these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of
the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing
or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of
men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and
restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that
are more excellent, being instructed out of the law” (Ro. 2:10–18).
V “And then shall that Wicked [the antichrist]
be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and
shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in
them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth
but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Th. 2:8–12).
V “But exhort one another daily, while it is
called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (He. 3:13).
V “And [they] shall receive the reward of
unrighteousness, as they that count
it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they
are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they
feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin;
beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices;
cursed children” (2 Pe. 2:13–14).
V “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also
the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 Jn. 3:4).
V “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil
continually” (Ge. 6:5).
V “The wicked, through the pride of his
countenance, will not seek after God:
God is not in all his thoughts” (Ps. 10:4).
V “Every one of them is gone back: they are
altogether become filthy; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one” (Ps.
53:3).
V “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Is. 64:6).
2) Because God is bringing His righteousness near: It is right at hand. Idolaters must listen because God is bringing His righteousness near, right next to them, right at their hand. Because righteousness will be so close, the idolater will be without excuse if he continues to reject God. This was a clear prediction of God’s power to set the Jews free from their captivity in Babylon. But it was also a prediction that pointed forward to God’s gift of the Messiah, the Savior of the world. The Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, would embody the very righteousness of God Himself. Christ would demonstrate God’s righteousness before the entire world. And the world would be without excuse if they rejected Christ, the very image of God’s righteousness.
V “But now the righteousness of God without the
law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the
righteousness of God which is by
faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no
difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness:
that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Ro. 3:21–26).
V “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him” (2
Co. 5:21).
V “For we have not an high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin” (He. 4:15).
V “Wherefore he is able also to save them to
the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens” (He.
7:25–26).
V “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of
his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable
unto his death” (Ph. 3:8–10).
V “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as
silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pe. 1:18–19).
V “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in
his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he
threatened not; but committed himself
to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body
on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by
whose stripes ye were healed” (1
Pe. 2:22–24).
V “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest
wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness
above thy fellows” (Ps. 45:7).
V “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth” (Je. 23:5).
3) Because God is ready to save Zion & to give His glory to Israel (all genuine believers). The idolater must listen because God is ready to save Zion and give His glory to Israel. This is a clear prediction of God’s coming salvation. All who truly believed the Lord would be rescued, set free from the coming Babylonian captivity. When the event actually happened, not many truly believed the Lord or still placed their hope in the promised land. Most—the vast majority—stayed behind in Babylon. They had become comfortable, prosperous, and wrapped up in the world of unbelievers. And as this prophecy indicates, many had become devoted to the idolatrous worship of the world.
But God warned the idolaters: the Lord’s salvation was at hand. He was ready to bring the oppression and captivity of His people to an end. The great day of salvation and the glorification of His people was approaching. Thus, the idolaters stood forewarned: they will miss out on God’s wonderful salvation and the coming glory promised to true believers and worshippers of the Lord. This is a strong warning to all idolaters and unbelievers of every generation. God’s Holy Word declares that the climactic day of God’s salvation, the deliverance of His people from the bondages of this earth, is coming. Soon the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, will return to earth to close the pages of human history. In that day, a most wonderful event will take place: all righteous believers will be glorified.
V “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the
sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Mt. 13:43).
V “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
togetherd” (Ro. 8:16–17).
V “For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according
to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Ph. 3:20–21).
V “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him
in glory” (Col. 3:4).
V “The elders which are among you I exhort, who
am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a
partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (1 Pe. 5:1).
V “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great
multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people,
and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation
to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Re. 7:9–10).
V “And there shall be no night there; and they
need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light:
and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Re. 22:5).
V “Because he hath set his love upon me,
therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my
name” (Ps. 91:14).
V “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Da. 12:3).[2]
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
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