OT Fire Starters – Day 280: Isaiah 46-47
READ: Isaiah 46-47
THINK: What’s your source? What do you rely on for strength, security, self-esteem and satisfaction? Different people may have different sources depending on the issue or situation. But unless their ultimate source is God, everything else is just an idol-something that sits in a place that only God should occupy. In this passage, God continues to challenge people’s dependence on false “gods.” Not to discount the danger of the demonic powers these idols represented, the Lord points out the ridiculousness of relying on these images. Rather than bringing true strength, security and satisfaction, these things left people weak, weary, vulnerable and empty-just like the things people today prioritize above God. In contrast to phony, man-made “gods”-which have to be carried by those who create them-the Lord, our Creator, is able to carry and sustain those who rely on Him above all else.
RESPOND: What were “Bel” and “Nebo” (46:1), and what were they unable to do? (See 46:1 note.) In what ways do idols and “gods” that people create for themselves actually become a burden to those who follow, esteem and rely on these things? How does 46:4 contrast false gods with the true God in regard to how He cares and provides for people (46:1-4)? (See 46:4 note.) What does 46:10 indicate about God and His purposes? Whose doom and destruction does chapter 47 describe, what was this nation like, and why would judgment come on it? (See 47:1-15 note.) How did this nation treat God’s people (47:6)? In what way does Babylon represent what things will be like in the end times? (See 47:1-15 note.) On what kinds of things and people did the Babylonians rely (47:10-13)?
PRAY: Pray for people you know who don’t know Christ, that their eyes and minds would be open to the truth of God. Pray that the things they depend on for security and satisfaction will prove to be useless so that these individuals will turn to God for answers, help and hope. Give God thanks for His care and provision in your life.
ACT: Trust God for the opportunity to share your faith or talk about spiritual matters with someone who doesn’t know Jesus. Don’t hesitate to talk about how He’s been a helpful and caring friend to you. Finish the process you may have started yesterday, ridding your life of any “idols” that detract from your devotion to God.