S) "19 No one [m]recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, 'I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!'"
Isaiah 44:19 (NASB)
O) This verse is a recap of the folly of idolatry. Isaiah had two paragraphs before this, breaking down the process, if you will, of making an idol. He compares put the mundane task of building a fire and cooking bread, right in front of the supposedly important task of carving an idol. Because he wrote these in succession, he was easily able to draw these two tasks together, by the idea that they are actually performed using the same piece of timber. Doing so, highlights the absurdity of making an actual, physical idol. And yet, as this verse says, no one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding. I left the footnote on the word recall, because it is more literally translated, "returns to his heart," and that signifies the greater issue.
A) Often, as I read through Old Testament narrative, I am dumbfounded. So much of the folly makes me shake my head in utter confusion. But, when I read a verse like this, and a phrase like "No one returns to his heart," it starts to shed light on the underlying reason, and it sheds light on the fact that idolatry still exists. Recently, two coworkers discovered they had successive birthdates. I overheard them start talking about their astrological signs. They were, apparently, on the cusp of some defining line between two different signs. At first, I thought nothing of it - I hear people half-heartedly refer to things like the zodiac all of the time. But then, the woman made a reference to believing she must actually be a "leo" because of her affinity for cats. Then I realized, I hear comments like this all of the time. People will assert they don't actually believe in astrology, but then tell you why it's kind of accurate. People will tell you they don't believe fortune cookies mean anything, but then they'll keep the small script of paper pinned up at work for weeks on end, because they like what it says. People will say all kinds of atheism, but then they will still live as believers. I am reminded of Romans 1:20, and I am reminded of my quip, "When people tell me they don't believe in God, I tell them I don't believe in atheism." and I reassert my stance. The problem, as we learn from the footnote to this verse, is not that people don't believe in deity, it is that they don't want to think it through. People will tell you they believe in karma, fate, "the will of the universe," and all sorts of other vague concepts, because they want to believe in something, but they don't want to reflect on it too long. People don't want to deal with the complicated process of discovering Truth. And, in full confession, I have done this. While my belief in the LORD has never waned, my practices certainly have. I don't actually even have to go back very far to see it. The biggest culprit is money. Finances can get tight, and it's easy to believe the lie, that the same substance I use to warm my house and obtain my food, will somehow solve other problems in my life. What's the antidote? Reflection. I need to carefully return to my heart, and seek knowledge, and obtain understanding - about myself, about my circumstance, about my solution. All of this seeking starts within myself, and then I must direct it to God. I must acknowledge my folly, confess my sin, and seek the LORD.
P) Father, forgive me for my unfaithfulness. Forgive me for looking elsewhere for security, peace, provision, and even satisfaction. I confess that my heart has been idolatrous. Please renew in me a faithful, contrite heart. Renew my desire to seek You first and only. Help me to recognize my own folly, and help me return to my heart, to come to my senses. Thank You for being forever faithful. Thank You for grace in the face of my guilt, and love in the face of my rebellion. You are my Father God, and I will be Your prodigal son. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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