Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

‘Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security
and saying to yourself,
    “I am, and there is none besides me.
I will never be a widow
    or suffer the loss of children.”
⁹ Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment, on a single day:
    loss of children and widowhood.
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries
    and all your potent spells.
¹⁰ You have trusted in your wickedness
    and have said, “No one sees me.”
Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you
    when you say to yourself,
    “I am, and there is none besides me.”
¹¹ Disaster will come upon you,
    and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
    that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
    will suddenly come upon you.

¹² ‘Keep on, then, with your magic spells
    and with your many sorceries,
    which you have laboured at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
    perhaps you will cause terror.
¹³ All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!
    Let your astrologers come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
    let them save you from what is coming upon you.
¹⁴ Surely they are like stubble;
    the fire will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
    from the power of the flame.
These are not coals for warmth;
    this is not a fire to sit by.
¹⁵ That is all they are to you –
    these you have dealt with
    and laboured with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
    there is not one that can save you.

As you read through this passage, you will see that the Babylonians had a religion (astrology) that gave them a sense of power over their own destiny, but without making any moral demands on them. However, there was no salvation in it. See the awful last sentence in v. 15b.

Still today, many people seek warmth at the fireside of occultism (14b). It has a certain fascination; it offers supernatural powers and experiences; but basically it allows you to live your own life. (Some people even try to find ways to make it fit with Christianity! They are tragically mistaken). It needs to be clearly understood that ”this is not a fire to sit by.” It’s not a fire that will warm you up, but one that will eat you up, along with the proponents of such false religion (14a); it is a fire which devours.

It is so important to heed the warning. Elsewhere, the Bible expressly forbids all forms of occult practice. If you’re caught in it, decide to get out. Reach out to Jesus to save you. He can, and He will, but there is no rescue or hope in false religion.

‘Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security
and saying to yourself,
    “I am, and there is none besides me.
I will never be a widow
    or suffer the loss of children.”
⁹ Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment, on a single day:
    loss of children and widowhood.
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries
    and all your potent spells.
¹⁰ You have trusted in your wickedness
    and have said, “No one sees me.”
Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you
    when you say to yourself,
    “I am, and there is none besides me.”
¹¹ Disaster will come upon you,
    and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
    that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
    will suddenly come upon you.

It wasn’t just that the Babylonians thought they were great, they also thought they were God. Barry Webb points out that the twice uttered, ”I am, and there is none besides me” is a direct challenge to the Lord’s identical claim in 45:5. It was inevitable that they were riding for a fall.

Before Babylon rose to power, and long after she disappeared from view, there were many empires and rulers claiming to be divine. But we have to ask, ‘where are they now?’

Of course, in one sense, Babylon hasn’t gone. Barry Webb explains:

‘Like Jerusalem, with which it is contrasted, it is both a concrete historical reality and a symbol…Babylon represents humankind organised in defiance of God – the kingdom of mere mortals, in contrast to the kingdom of God. In this sense ‘Babylon’ is still with us, and still stands under judgment of God. The historical Babylon of the sixth century BC was merely one manifestation of it’ (Isaiah, p. 190).

It is helpful to read Revelation 17,18,19 in connection with Isaiah 46,47. ‘Babylon’ (i.e. this world’s system) is ultimately going to fall, and God will receive the glory, honour and praise due to His Name. May we guard our hearts now, so that we are not seduced by her.

”The defeat of God’s enemies does not come through human means such as military forces. Instead, this defeat has been achieved already by Christ, and we wait for its fullness to be made manifest. We must never put our ultimate hopes in politics, military strength, or human strategies. The defeat of the church’s enemies comes about only by the power of God” Ligioner Ministries.

‘Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security
and saying to yourself,
    “I am, and there is none besides me.
I will never be a widow
    or suffer the loss of children.”
⁹ Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment, on a single day:
    loss of children and widowhood.
They will come upon you in full measure…

“Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. The contented soul is the stagnant soul.” Aiden Wilson Tozer.

“We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behaviour.” John Stott.

We have already considered the complacency of Babylon, and we should note the spiritual danger of such an attitude.

In Revelation 3:17 Jesus says to a complacent church:

 You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 

‘No doubt the congregation of Laodicea teemed with self-satisfied churchgoers…The pride of Laodicea was infectious. Christians caught the plague. The spirit of complacency crept into the church and tainted it. Church members became smug and self-satisfied, and Jesus Christ needed to be blunt in exposing them.’ John Stott: ‘What Christ thinks of the church’, pp.117,118.

Complacency is self-deluding and leads to disaster if not checked.

PRAYER: Holy Spirit I ask you to search my heart. See if there should be any wicked way in me. Point it out; reveal it. Help me to turn away from it. Rid me of all complacency

‘Go down, sit in the dust,
    Virgin Daughter Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
    queen city of the Babylonians.
No more will you be called
    tender or delicate.
² Take millstones and grind flour;
    take off your veil.
Lift up your skirts, bare your legs,
    and wade through the streams.
³ Your nakedness will be exposed
    and your shame uncovered.
I will take vengeance;
    I will spare no one.’

⁴ Our Redeemer – the Lord Almighty is his name –
    is the Holy One of Israel.

⁵ ‘Sit in silence, go into darkness,
    queen city of the Babylonians;
no more will you be called
    queen of kingdoms.
⁶ I was angry with my people
    and desecrated my inheritance;
I gave them into your hand,
    and you showed them no mercy.
Even on the aged
    you laid a very heavy yoke.
⁷ You said, “I am for ever –
    the eternal queen!”
But you did not consider these things
    or reflect on what might happen.

The world’s greatest powers and super-powers (Babylon was one such in the ancient world) have a limited shelf-life. No political leaders rule the world, even if they think they do. God is on the throne. Babylon thought of herself as a ”queen” but she was to become like a skivvy. This comes out clearly in ‘The Message’:

^1-3 “Get off your high horse and sit in the dirt,
    virgin daughter of Babylon.
No more throne for you—sit on the ground,
    daughter of the Chaldeans.
Nobody will be calling you ‘charming’
    and ‘alluring’ anymore. Get used to it.
Get a job, any old job:
    Clean gutters, scrub toilets.
Pawn your gowns and scarves,
    put on your working pants—the party’s over.
Your nude body will be on public display,
    exposed to vulgar taunts.
It’s vengeance time, and I’m taking vengeance.
    No one gets let off the hook.”

 Our Redeemer speaks,
    named God-of-the-Angel-Armies, The Holy of Israel:
“Shut up and get out of the way,
    daughter of Chaldeans.
You’ll no longer be called
    ‘First Lady of the Kingdoms.’
I was fed up with my people,
    thoroughly disgusted with my progeny.
I turned them over to you,
    but you had no compassion.
You put old men and women
    to cruel, hard labour.
You said, ‘I’m the First Lady.
    I’ll always be the pampered darling.’
You took nothing seriously, took nothing to heart,
    never gave tomorrow a thought.

Although God used the Babylonians to punish His own sinful people, they were harsh, callous and cruel in their treatment of them. ”The Holy One of Israel” saw what they did and held them accountable.

But in their sin they were deluded and complacent. They thought they were untouchable. However they were like the foolish man who built his house on sand (Mt.7:26,27) and the rich farmer who thought he had it made (Luke 12;20). As Barry Webb puts it, the sense of ‘impregnability’ was a ‘complete illusion’.

‘The portrait of Babylon in chapter 47 is a classic study in worldly power and arrogance…She has an utterly false sense of security, which leads her into self-indulgence and complete indifference to the needs of the weak and vulnerable in her midst…She considers herself so self-sufficient that all notions of accountability are excluded’ (Isaiah: p.189).

‘She is the complete symbol of worldly success. But the message of this chapter is that she stands under the judgment of God, and is about to suffer a complete change of fortune’ (Isaiah: p.190).

“Listen to me, you stubborn people
    who are so far from doing right.
¹³ For I am ready to set things right,
    not in the distant future, but right now!
I am ready to save Jerusalem
    and show my glory to Israel (NLT).

Isaiah 55:6 says,

”Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

There is a timing in the movements of God’s Spirit; there are moments of opportunity. Don’t miss them.

In 2 Cor.6:1,2 Paul writes:

As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says,

‘In the time of my favour I heard you,
    and in the day of salvation I helped you.’

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.”

Here, Paul is quoting from Isaiah 49:8.

In preaching on Isaiah 46, many years ago, David Pawson made the point that there is a time when God comes to us, and we should not miss the opportunity.

Tom Hale writes: ‘Now the time has come when men and women can receive salvation through faith in Christ. Let no one delay. Do not even wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow may be too late. A heart that is open and tender today may become closed and hard tomorrow. A man who is alive today may be dead tomorrow. Therefore, now is the day of salvation’ (p. 675).

“Remember this, keep it in mind,
    take it to heart, you rebels.
⁹ Remember the former things, those of long ago;
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰ I make known the end from the beginning,
    from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
    and I will do all that I please.’
¹¹ From the east I summon a bird of prey;
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfil my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned, that I will do.

If we are going to pray in faith, the second half of verse 11 must be deeply rooted in us. God says what He means and means what He says.

One proof of this (and here is another repeated theme in Isaiah) is fulfilled prophecy. The idols did not know the future and could not foretell it. But the one and only true God can and does. As we have already seen, long before he appeared on the stage of history, God made known the appearing of Cyrus. Here he is referred to here once again.

By the way, what emblem was on Cyrus’ shield? Yes, you’ve got it. I understand it was ”a bird of prey”.

‘The prophet Isaiah foretold that a conqueror named Cyrus would destroy seemingly impregnable Babylon and subdue Egypt along with most of the rest of the known world. This same man, said Isaiah, would decide to let the Jewish exiles in his territory go free without any payment of ransom (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1; and 45:13). Isaiah made this prophecy 150 years before Cyrus was born, 180 years before Cyrus performed any of these feats (and he did, eventually, perform them all), and 80 years before the Jews were taken into exile.’ Hugh Ross: ‘Reasons to believe’ website

“So to whom will you compare me, the Incomparable?
    Can you picture me without reducing me?
People with a lot of money
    hire craftsmen to make them gods.
The artisan delivers the god,
    and they kneel and worship it!
They carry it around in holy parades,
    then take it home and put it on a shelf.
And there it sits, day in and day out,
    a dependable god, always right where you put it.
Say anything you want to it, it never talks back.
    Of course, it never does anything either! (The Message).

I heard about a Keswick Bible teacher who, one year, kept saying to the gathered crowd, ‘You know this, but I’m reminding you of it anyway! I believe he was speaking on 2 Peter (see, e.g. 1:12-15/3:1).

Much of pastoral ministry involves the tireless repetition of certain basic truths. In our fallenness and frailty we quickly and easily forget, or turn away from what we know, and we are in need of constant reminders. Hopefully we may be able to find fresh and creative ways to carry out this aspect of ministry, but it has to be done!

You may have noticed that there’s quite a lot of repetition in Isaiah. Today, we are back with one of his big themes: the absurdity of idolatry. It should be patently obvious that a man-made god, sitting on a shelf, isn’t likely to do anything – other than collect dust!!

 …Jesus is both True God and Real Life. Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles. (1 John 5:21: The Message).

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:21 NIV).

PRAYER: Lord, I recognise the truth that the human heart is an ‘idol-making factory.’ Help me to have no other gods before you.

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low;
    their idols are borne by beasts of burden.
The images that are carried about are burdensome,
    a burden for the weary.
² They stoop and bow down together;
    unable to rescue the burden,
    they themselves go off into captivity.

³ ‘Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,
    all the remnant of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,
    and have carried since you were born.
⁴ Even to your old age and grey hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

In verse 20 of the previous chapter we read:

‘Gather together and come;
    assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,
    who pray to gods that cannot save.

The theme of carrying is now repeated; it is picked up and enlarged on. The question is: do we want gods who we have to carry, or the God who carries us? Do we want a religion that is a burden to us, or the Saviour who relieves us of our burdens? This is the choice between false and true religion. In fact it has been said that here, in a nutshell we have the difference between false and authentic faith: the false is built on works, but the genuine is based on grace (Eph.2:8,9).

I think there is a special word of encouragement here to elderly believers. As we get older, we are likely to feel our physical, mental, emotional (and spiritual) vulnerability and fragility increasingly. What a beautiful picture, then, of the Lord carrying us to the end of our days. Let’s take this to heart:

“Listen to me, family of Jacob,
    everyone that’s left of the family of Israel.
I’ve been carrying you on my back
    from the day you were born,
And I’ll keep on carrying you when you’re old.
    I’ll be there, bearing you when you’re old and grey.
I’ve done it and will keep on doing it,
    carrying you on my back, saving you (3,4: The Message).

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms (Is.33:27).

(NB also Ex.19:4; Dt.1:31;32:11; Is.63:9 for further references to the Lord carrying His people. It always has reference to the Exodus. That is the point at which Israel as a nation was conceived and brought to birth).

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low;
    their idols are borne by beasts of burden.
The images that are carried about are burdensome,
    a burden for the weary.
² They stoop and bow down together;
    unable to rescue the burden,
    they themselves go off into captivity.

I found it helpful to look at today’s reading in a couple of other versions:

Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon,
    bow as they are lowered to the ground.
They are being hauled away on ox carts.
    The poor beasts stagger under the weight.
² Both the idols and their owners are bowed down.
    The gods cannot protect the people,
and the people cannot protect the gods.
    They go off into captivity together. (New Living Translation).

^1-2 The god Bel falls down, god Nebo slumps.
    The no-god hunks of wood are loaded on mules
And have to be hauled off,
    wearing out the poor mules—
Dead weight, burdens who can’t bear burdens,
    hauled off to captivity. (The Message).

‘The human heart by nature prefers images of God’s glory (especially the one in the mirror) above the glory of God himself (Rom.1:18-23).’ John Piper: ‘Reading the Bible Supernaturally’, p.248.

Once again, idolatry is being ridiculed and exposed. Do we want gods who have to be carried (who are burdensome), or the God who will carry us – the great burden-bearer?

Their gods could not save them, and they could not save their gods!

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Why would we prefer our idols to Jesus?

”What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Saviour, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there” (Joseph M. Scriven).