Israel was chosen to bear witness of the One, true, living God so that His glory would be revealed to other nations. They were commanded to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to not give their love and devotion to any one or any "thing" else. "Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God" (Leviticus 26:1). Their covenant relationship with the Lord demanded exclusive worship of the Lord, this is what distinguished them from all other peoples, to worship any other god or to follow the worship practices of any other nation was to deny their allegiance to, and faith in, the Living God.
When the Lord spoke from the mountain, giving Israel the Commandments and demanding their obedience, He showed no form, for He is Spirit and He is meant to be worshiped in spirit and in truth (reference John 4:24). "Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice" (Deuteronomy 4:12). To create any image to represent the Lord would be a complete misrepresentation of Him, for He does not fit any mold, His is infinite. "To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare Him too?" (Isaiah 40:18).
An idol is anything we substitute for God, those things we make sacrifices for and devote our time and energy to: relationships, education, the accumulation of wealth, position, material possessions, and personal recognition. "I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another, or My praise to idols" (Isaiah 42:8).
Israel's was "married" to the Lord; to give their attention and devotion to anyone or anything else was equal to adultery; they were cheating on the God they had committed to worship and obey. "But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to Me, O house of Israel" (Jeremiah 3:20). Israel had been given strict instructions to destroy the idols and false worship practices of the nations they conquered in the land of promise so they would not be tempted to stray from the Lord and invoke His anger and discipline (reference Deuteronomy 7:1-11). "Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the LORD your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water..." (Exodus 23:24-25a).
Israel blessings in the land would be the result of their obedience to God and His covenant, bearing testimony to the nations how good and powerful the God of Israel is. Unfortunately, from the moment they reached Mount Sinai their hearts were bent toward unfaithfulness (reference Exodus 32:1-8). Creating and chasing after worthless idols would make them a worthless nation, of no use to the Lord or to the people around them "They have followed other gods to serve them. Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers...'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape...You have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah...The LORD Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster on you..." (Jeremiah 11:10a, 11a, 13a, 17a). The Lord would discipline His wayward people to draw them back to Him (reference Jeremiah 1:16; 25:4-11), for the Lord, Who's name is Jealous, would not allow His unfaithful bride to stray, because He had a purpose in mind for this nation among nations. "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband..." (Jeremiah 3:14).
The Lord, in His tender mercy, has not abandon His people Israel, giving them opportunity after opportunity to return to Him and receive His blessings. "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey Him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which He confirmed to them by oath" (Deuteronomy 4:29-31). This truth is realized by all who commit to seeking the Lord with all their heart (reference Jeremiah 29:12-14). "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).
Today as we meditate on Isaiah 46, let us remain in prayer for Israel, as the Lord continues to work our His purposes for His chosen nation and the world. As a nation, they have suffered the consequences of their sin of idolatry for generations; the Scriptures, and history, have provided for us a portrait of the devastating effects of a nation who has turned its back on God. May we be mindful of our own careless choices as a nation over the past seventy years and begin to pray fervently for a revival of hearts of our own people to begin to seek the Lord, before we, too, suffer such devastating consequences. Our devotion to God includes being devoted to His people Israel, through which the welfare of all of God's people flows forth. "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!...For there the LORD bestows His blessing, even life evermore" (Psalm 133:1, 3b).
Heavenly Father, there is no other person, or thing, that deserves our worship more than you. Everything else is a cheap and worthless substitute that cannot satisfy or sustain us like you can. The idols of the world are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot cannot smell; they have hands, but they cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. Lord, how you detest idols and you detest those who follow after idols. Peel the plaster off the eyes of all your chosen people so that we would all see and understand that there is no other that is worthy of our worship than the Holy One of Israel from whom all blessings flow. May your people Israel be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land, so as to be caught in a snare; instead, let them be fully committed to you and so experience the blessings of their obedience. Help them to understand that the One who spoke from the mountain has come in human flesh; open their eyes so they can see and know the One Who is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth. Turn your face towards your people and give them the peace that only comes from you. May they submit to you and be at peace with you, receiving the great blessings that come from loving and obeying your law. Protect them in the coming days ahead, may they remember the promises of your Word, giving you all the praise as they move forward in faith, as their fathers have before, remembering that the Lord, the God of Israel, is fighting for them and accomplishing His purposes in the world. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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Prayer Scripture references: Exodus 34:12; Numbers 6:26; Joshua 6; 10:42; Job 22:21; Psalm 115:4-8; 119: 165; Isaiah 44:18; Ezekiel 34:25-26; John 1:14-18.
