ISAIAH 46
5 “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?
6 Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship!
7 They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there;
it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble.
8 “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me. – Isaiah 46:5-9
ISAIAH 46 LIFELESS IDOLS & THE LIVING GOD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Whenever someone decides to make an idol out of something
They are actually questioning the God who created everything
These people find comfort by having value in their own creation
They have forgotten their true identity which is to praise the living God
These idol-makers become consumed by their abilities and creativity
They have become lifeless as they isolate from God and make their identities
They compare themselves to a God who is divine and the source of life
Without knowing that they are cutting themselves off from life itself
God made all humans into his own image so they could relate to him
These idols are not made to bow down to God since they are dead
No created idols or gods can compare to the Almighty and Living God
It cannot assure anyone or do something about their cries for help.
In this account, the prophet Isaiah speaks out God’s rebuke over the Israelites who have forgotten their covenant with God. God raises a question that is not only for the Israelites to ponder on, but to all those who are believers like us as well: “Who do you compare me to?” Have you ever asked that question to yourself as someone who believes in God? If you are new in the faith, you probably don’t know how to answer that because you haven’t grown in the knowledge of God yet. Just like an infant, you still haven’t made baby steps to desire to know who God is. You are just focused on how you can get your needs met. But because of the aftermath of sin, all humans were thrown into this corrupt world where we lose our identity in Christ. The world system generates a seeking for one’s own identity apart from our Creator.
That’s exactly what the original sin was about: it was to twist our identities into a self-focused one instead of an identity made in the image of God. We carve our own identity instead of cultivating the image that God placed in each human being. Thus, we create things that are a product of our talents and gifts from God. Instead of praising God, we have God-envy which makes us want to prove that we can also be a god. The fall in the garden bent our identities from God-serving to self-serving.
REFLECTION
- Do you compare God to any other gods when you were a new believer? Share insights.
