50 lines
8.5 KiB
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50 lines
8.5 KiB
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<h2><a onclick="return mV('Isa',46,'1-');">Isa 46</a> - Dead Idols and the Living God</h2>
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<p>A. The idols of the nations are carried into captivity.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Isa',46,'1-2');">1-2</a>) The false gods are carried away on carriages.</p>
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<p class="c2">Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but have themselves gone into captivity.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Bel bows down, Nebo stoops</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Bel</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">Nebo</span></b> were names of two false gods the idol-worshipping nations served. It is as if now God gets personal, "naming names" when it comes to idols; and now these false gods are brought low.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The names of the pagan gods <b><span class="c3">Bel</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">Nebo</span></b> are familiar to us in the names <i>Belshazzar</i> and <i>Nebuchadnezzar</i>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. "In chapter 45 Isaiah declared that every knee will bow to the Lord, and here he pictures the gods of the great Babylon stooping low in humiliation." (Grogan)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Your idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded</span></b>: Isaiah pictures God's people going into captivity, in a forced relocation. Loaded on to their <b><span class="c3">beasts</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">carriages</span></b> are their idols - even their idols are carried away into captivity, and loaded on the moving trucks! The bottom line is <b><span class="c3">they could not deliver the burden, but have themselves gone into captivity</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Isa',46,'3-4');">3-4</a>) The <span class="c6">Lord</span>, the true God, will carry His people.</p>
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<p class="c2">Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb: Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb</span></b>: The false gods represented by dumb dead idols must be carried; but God carries His people. He carried them from before their birth, and He promises to continue to carry them (<b><span class="c3">even to gray hairs I will carry you!</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry</span></b>: This is the same Fatherly care Jesus spoke of in <a onclick="return mV('Luk',12,'6-7');">Luk 12:6-7</a>: <i>Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.</i> When we understand that has <b><span class="c3">made</span></b> us, and we are valuable to Him, then we can trust Him to <b><span class="c3">carry</span></b> us.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. It's a worthy question: do you have to carry your gods, or does your God carry you?</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Isa',46,'5-7');">5-7</a>) The <span class="c6">Lord</span> can save His people when the idols are helpless.</p>
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<p class="c2">To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; they prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it and set it in its place, and it stands; from its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer nor save him out of his trouble.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">They lavish gold out of the bag</span></b>: Much money and attention is given to the production and care of our idols. Yet, <b><span class="c3">though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer nor save him out of his trouble</span></b>. Isaiah again exposes the ironic folly of idolatry.</p>
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<p>B. A call to remember.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Isa',46,'8-10');">8-10</a>) Remember that the <span class="c6">Lord</span> knows the beginning and the end.</p>
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<p class="c2">Remember this, and show yourselves men; recall to mind, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure."</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Remember this, and show yourselves men</span></b>: We can gain the courage of <b><span class="c3">men</span></b> when we <b><span class="c3">remember</span></b> the things God tells us to remember. How much defeat we suffer in the Christian life through simply <i>forgetting!</i></p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Remember the former things of old . . . there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning</span></b>: God knows the <b><span class="c3">end</span></b> of every matter, of every course of circumstances, just as clearly as anyone else can see the <b><span class="c3">beginning</span></b> of it.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure."</span></b> God knows the end from the beginning because He is much more than a passive observer of events. His <b><span class="c3">counsel shall stand</span></b>. His works and plans never fail, because He <b><span class="c3">will do all</span></b> His <b><span class="c3">pleasure</span></b>. God isn't just <i>watching</i> the entire parade of history, He is <i>directing</i> the parade.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The essential point is that God's people must <i>remember</i> this about the <span class="c6">Lord</span> - that He knows the end from the beginning, and is in control over all things. When we <b><span class="c3">remember this</span></b>, we will <b><span class="c3">show yourselves men</span></b>. We can have tremendous courage in our God when we understand and remember who He is and what He does.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Isa',46,'11-13');">11-13</a>) Remember that the <span class="c6">Lord</span> will bring a deliverer to Zion.</p>
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<p class="c2">Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, for Israel My glory.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel</span></b>: This is another reference to Cyrus. God's people need to remember that God always has a deliverer for His people, even if He has to find one among pagan kings!</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">My salvation shall not linger</span></b>: God's people need to remember that God's timing is always precise and wise. When we are <b><span class="c3">stubborn-hearted</span></b> we need to <b><span class="c3">listen</span></b> to the <span class="c6">Lord</span> and remember He never delays and is never late. God's always has His deliverer, and always knows exactly when to bring His deliverance.</p>
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