#idolmakers

More about idols... Isaiah has a lot about idols lol. But there must be a reason for all of this idol talk so it mustn't be discounted!!! ehhh???

Lol ok verses 9-11 seems to make a shift from the typical "idols are useless" to "idol makers are useless." Idols do not profit and "those who fashion idols are nothing." The phrase in verse 11 ("they shall be put to shame") is also seen in chapter 42 verse 17.

Verses 12-17 are pretty down to earth. It almost seems like Isaiah is taking a break from his whole spiritual prophecy rant and is talking to people face to face, explaining in laymen terms, the futility of idols. What sticks out is the second part of verse 12. The idol maker is one who "becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint." I compare this to chapter 40 verses 28-31. The maker of the idol and the Maker are complete opposites! I know I mentioned this before in a previous post, but not only does God not grow faint, but He is one who GIVES strength to the faint. As for the ironsmith, without water, he grows faint :,(. Another verse that stuck out was verse 17. It's ridiculous to think that the very material that is used to keep us warm and cook food is used to create an object of worship. What's even more ridiculous is that people cry out to these objects and ask them to deliver them from their hardships/oppression. (This is where God put something in my head LOL I <3 Him so cool!!!) From this verse, however, I see the similarity in today's age. Some of us (including myself) might get into the notion that an idol is anything that is placed before God. However, it is also anything that we place our hope in to deliver us from our individual struggles. When something other than Jesus Christ becomes the source of deliverance, that thing is an idol fosho. So I guess crying out to a wooden idol isn't as ridiculous as it seems since we are prone to do the same thing to green paper or a gpa(ok all forms of idol worship is ridiculous).

Verses 18-20 is talking about the blindness of the idol maker. Verse 18 says that God is the one who has shut their eyes and hearts and this is why they are not able to understand the foolishness and vanity of their actions. This reminds me of the passage in Romans 9:14-33. The Bible is pretty blatant in saying that God is the one to harden hearts and conceal his glory. And it seems unfair that there are some people in this world on whom God has placed upon the greatest of all stupors (I got this word from Romans 11:8 lol): not believing in Jesus Christ. However, the more I think about this, the less I think about the "injustice" of God's decision to enshroud the Gospel from certain people, and the more I think about His sovereign grace which has been lavished upon me and is the only thing that can possibly allow someone's eyes to be opened and heart to understand...

Verses 21-23 is just a bundle to joy. This prophecy of Israel's redemption must be music to the ears of the Israelites who are probably being oppressed by some Babylonians or something. Even Israel who has dropped down to the lowest of lows and has strayed so far away from God is not beyond the grasp of His redemption. Verses 21-22 seem to be assuring Israel of their redemption. There is no need to be ashamed in returning to Him for He has blotted out all their sin. It's a clean slate. And verse 23 is all of creation just going crazy in worship for this great thing that God will do. The unredeemable has been redeemed!

There's a lot of good stuff in verses 24-28 but the two verses that stuck out the most were 25 and 26a. God completely makes the liar, the diviner, and even the wise man eat their own word. AKA the crafty  in speech, the... diviner, and those who are wise in the eyes of men, who depend on their own minds, are incomparable to the One who has given these people their minds. And yet, for the people who are His own (HIS servant and HIS messenger), our God confirms and fulfills their word and counsel. Woe to those who are not His, but blessed are those that are. It doesn't matter how smart/strong/capable you are. If you are His servant or His messenger, God will surely to crazy things through you. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. This is what He does and this is my God.