In my personal Bible study time, I am doing Kelly Minter’s study, “No Other God’s: Confronting Your Modern Day Idols”. As I studied this morning, I was reminded of an issue of The Point that I wrote in 2006 which seems to have taken on a whole new meaning for those of us in America. I believe with all my heart that we are experiencing the very humbling that the prophet Isaiah speaks of in Isaiah chapter 2. We would be wise to heed the prophet’s words.
In my personal Bible study time recently I came across a passage in Isaiah that caused the hair to stand up on the back of my neck. Although the original recipients of Isaiah’s prophecy were the children of Israel, this passage was so very clearly a word to the people of our day and our land that I could not ignore it. These are troubling words, condemning words, yet they are words that America needs to hear and heed.
Isaiah 2: 1-2a, 6-9
“This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days…You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans. Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled—do not forgive them.”
It appeared as if God had abandoned His chosen people because they had gone so terribly astray. Doesn’t it seem that God has no place in America today?
We have pushed Him out of so many of the places where He was in days gone by that it seems He has abandoned America. The very mention of the name of Jesus in many places in America will garner one the label of “crazy” or “religious nut”. Hollywood refuses to give appropriate recognition to films such as “The Passion of the Christ” or “The Chronicles of Narnia”, yet grants awards to films that portray godless behavior and lifestyles. All sorts of religions are embraced and encouraged in America, yet those who are followers of Jesus Christ are considered “extremists” or “right-wing conservatives”. What has happened, my friend, is that America has abandoned God, just as the Israelites had!
Our land is full of riches. We are one of the wealthiest nations in the world. There is no end to our treasures and chariots, yet our land is full of idols and we bow down to the work of our hands, to what our fingers have made. America idolizes wealth, homes, cars, sports figures, celebrities, television, status, our bodies and so much more. We worship these things and this is detestable to God. He alone is worthy of our worship!
I have to guard against feeling too self-righteous in this area and so might you. We are all, at one time or another, guilty of idol worship and it is something that we must daily ask God to reveal to us. Anything that is more important to us than God is an idol! Let me repeat that—anything, anyone that is MORE IMPORTANT to you than GOD is an idol. Think about it, dear one. God despises idols in our lives because whatever we idolize takes the place of God in our life.
Isaiah says that mankind will be humbled and brought low because of their straying from God. Now is the time for us to get serious with God. Either we will choose to humble ourselves or He will humble us–and His humbling is severe and effective. I think we would all prefer to humble ourselves rather than have God do it for us. It is my prayer that today you and I would take some time to meditate on the words of Isaiah and examine our lives. Our Lord stands ready to draw close, if only we will humble ourselves and seek Him!
