Isaiah 41:1-29

God is a jealous God who will not share His glory with any man or any idol fashioned by the hands of man.  He calls men and nations into account and accomplishes His will in this world.  Sinful and rebellious nations may thrive for a time but there will be a just judgment ahead.  God’s chosen people may suffer the consequences of their sin and be enslaved by godless nations for a time but God will restore them in response to their repentance.  All men are responsible to God and all nations are under His sovereign control.  There may be times throughout history where this truth is not clearly evident; but a time is coming where there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind as to who is King of kings and Lord of lords.

GOD CONFRONTS THOSE WHO TRUST IN IDOLS: The nations of the world have exalted themselves.  Isaiah calls them the coastlands.  They have prospered and become arrogant in their own power.  These idolatrous nations wrongly believe themselves to be invisible.  God will call them to account and they will face His wrath and His judgment.  All of their idols will be powerless to defend them against the wrath of God.  The craftsmen who built those idols will begin to encourage one another and assure one another thinking themselves strong but they are sorely mistaken.  All who trust in idols will be destroyed before the mighty had of God.

GOD COMFORTS THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM: The nation of Israel has repeatedly come under the influence of idolatry and has been severely judged for this sin.  There may be times where it looks as if God has turned His back on the nation and abandoned them.  The consequences of sin are great but they serve a purpose in the plan of God to call His children to repentance.  God assures His chosen people that they do not need to fear because He will deliver them when they look to Him and repent of their idolatrous ways.  God will help them and He will not forsake them for the sake of His own name and glory.


GOD CONFOUNDS THOSE WHO KNOW NOTHING: It is ridiculous for men to fashion an idol with their own hands and then bow down to that same idol as if the idol had power over them.  In reality, all idolatry is just self-worship in a very poor disguise.  God issues a challenge to these idols.  He asks them to tell Him of the past creation of the earth and to tell of the future consummation of the earth.  An idol is incapable of even telling one thing of the present much less revealing the past or the future.  God alone is able to tell us of the foundations of the earth and He alone is able to reveal His future plans for the earth.  That is why He alone is worthy of our worship and why all idols who pretend to have power will be exposed and confounded because, in reality, they know nothing. 

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