Isaiah 41:21-29 – More On Idols
Why would God have us to look at the topic of idols again? It must be that God’s people continue to need this topic addressed. We continue to have temptation to go off to idols of one sort or another. An idol is anything that is as important or more important to you than the living and true God as He reveals Himself in the Scripture. We tend to think of idols as these things made out of wood, stone, gold, or silver. But anything that gets in the way of, or even stands alongside of God in our hearts is an idol. Anything that is seen to have our greatest allegiance is an idol. It can be something so very simple. It can be our hobby. It can be our work. It can be respectability. It can be our family or friends.
We see a very good description in verses 21-24 of what the idols then and idols now are able to do. Or maybe we could put it more appropriately, what they cannot do. God challenges them to show that they have any knowledge or ability to do anything, but they can’t. Why is that? They are dead. There’s nothing to them. And those who choose them are those who are under a curse, and God hates them.
In contrast to these dead, useless idols, in verses 25-29 we have Jehovah, the God of the covenant, the living and true God. We see what He can and does do. He is the one who brings in this conqueror. This could be looking somewhat to Cyrus the great conqueror from Persia. But more likely in view, is a greater king than Cyrus, whose sway is over a far greater area.
In contrast to the idols who can say nothing, Jehovah is the one who declares all things. Verse 27 is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the one who has brought to fulfillment all the promises of God (Luke 4:16). In verse 28 God is speaking of the lands of the nations of the Gentiles who have no light in them. That is the way it is wherever Christ is perhaps ignored or even actively rebelled against. Without the king, the prophet, the priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no one to help for anyone. Darkness cannot be penetrated. Life is hopeless and vain without the living God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.
Questions
- Why does God talk about idols so much?
- What is an idol?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would be watchful against having idols in our life.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.