Skip to content Babylon's Idols vs. God's Enduring Support: Isaiah 46-47 Jan 2 · 17 min ...more
Babylon's Idols vs. God's Enduring Support: Isaiah 46-47
January 2, 2025 · 17 min
Discover the contrast between the burdensome idols of Babylon and the nurturing God who promises to carry us from birth to old age.
Series Stand on the Word - Video On Demand January 2, 2025 · 17 min · Stand on the Word - Video On Demand
Discover the contrast between the burdensome idols of Babylon and the nurturing God who promises to carry us from birth to old age. ...more Show the full description Show less Discover the contrast between the burdensome idols of Babylon and the nurturing God who promises to carry us from birth to old age.
Series Stand on the Word - Video On Demand Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
94K followers
Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
94K followers
The Folly of Idolatry and God's Sovereignty 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning today. Isaiah chapters 46 and 47 verse 10 of chapter 47 reads as follows. You felt secure in your wickedness. You said no 10:22 sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray. And you said in your heart, I am, and there is no 1 besides me. Now in these 2 chapters, we read Isaiah's prophecy from the Lord warning Judah0:34 once again about idolatry. Now the focus is for them to keep themselves from both engaging in the idolatry, the Babylonians as they would be carried away captive into Babylon, and also to keep them from0:46 fearing the idols of the Babylonians because those idols would not be able to deliver Babylon from Cyrus who was sent by God to deliver the Jewish people. And then the Lord0:57 declares the reasons or the cause for Babylon's destruction. Verse 1, chapter 46, bell bows down, Nebo stoops. Their idols were on the beast and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, a1:09 burden to the weary beast. They stoop. They bow down together. They could not deliver the burden, but they themselves have gone into captivity. Now this is this is almost comical because1:21 what he's saying here is the Babylonians, as they were conquered, their idols, far from carrying them to safety, were actually carried away into captivity. And in fact, they were so heavy that it was1:33 causing the animals to stoop and to stumble. Now these heavy idols that were carried into captivity are are contrasted1:45 to the creator God who carried his people instead of them having to carry him. Look look at verse 3. Listen to me, oh house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel who have been upheld1:57 by me from birth, who have been carried from the womb. Even to your old age, I am he, and even to gray hairs, I will carry you. I'll carry you all through life. I2:08 have made and I will bear, even I will carry and will deliver you. What a contrast. Now I I wanna stop for just a moment because idolatry is so prevalent in scripture that I think we need to spend just a moment2:21 talking about the importance and the relevance of idolatry. Because sometimes we just kinda okay. It's there. They they they they bow down to these stone, or wooden figures and okay. So what?2:33 Well, now first off, just keep in mind that Babylon is a it's a type. We've talked about this before. It represents the world system that runs counter to God. And and we see2:44 Babylon is in scripture from Genesis to Revelation. And at the center of Babylon, we see these idols. Now, Bel, some scholars say is a shortened version2:56 of Baal. Baal, was the chief god of Babylon. In fact, Baal so the tower of Babylon was built for him. Now Baal was3:08 identified with the planet Jupiter. And with the planet Venus, the god Ashtaroth was identified, and the 2, were worshiped in, extensively in the east. But there was a second3:20 god in Babylon that was referenced here as Nebo. Now, Nebo is identified with the planet Mercury as the scribe of heaven. Now there there's a lot of debate among scholars3:31 as to when did idolatry appear in the timeline of human history. And and, again, there's a lot of debate. I'm not gonna go into that. But I will say this, that the early church fathers connected it to the3:44 the the generation of man that came after the fall, which makes sense. Tertullian, and others connected it to demonic activity. Okay? It wasn't just man just kind3:55 of innocently turning away, but there was demonic activity behind it designed to turn man from God. You know, Satan always has a a counterfeit. You know,4:07 Babylon, the Tower of Babel is an example that God wanted them to be dispersed, but yet we saw in fact, he told them to go, you know, separate themselves, but then we see, man's counterfeit4:19 or Satan's counterfeit was this centralized government that took place around at at the Tower of Babel, which led to the destruction of the Tower of Babel. But this is what Tertullian wrote. He said, all4:31 elements, everything belonging to the world, everything that the heaven, the sea, and the earth contain for idolatrous purposes, so they, that is the demons, would be hallowed instead of God. So they would4:43 use all of these things of creation to try to turn man's focus to worshiping them as opposed to worshiping God. Now,4:56 Augustine wrote of the pagan gods that their body is the idol that is created, but the soul is the demon. So the body is this wood, stone, whatever5:08 they made it out of, but the actual soul is demonic. And and this is what I said before, that the idols are just storefronts for demons. The idols are the physical manifestations5:21 of demonic influence designed to turn man away from the word of god. Right? Now it noticed that god made very clear that there were to be no images of him. He didn't5:32 want, you know, somebody just worshiping a image of him because in fact, Jesus made very clear. He said, you're to worship God in spirit and in truth because the power of God was not in the image of God,5:45 but in the word of God. And the idols, by contrast, can't speak. They delivered nothing. Alright. Let's go on to verse 4 verse 5. But I just think it's important because5:57 idolatry takes on many forms and fashions. And so when we see that, we need to be looking for the principles in the Old Testament of this idolatry and what it did, how it operated, but also understand what's behind it.6:09 It is demonic. It is designed to counter god. Verse 5, to whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me that we should be alike? They lavish gold out6:21 of the bag, and they weigh silver on the scales. They hire a goldsmith and make it a god. They prostrate themselves. Yes. They worship. They bear it on the shoulder. They carry it and set it in its place, and it6:33 stands. From its place, it shall not move. Though 1 cries out to it, yet it cannot answer nor save him out of his trouble. I mean, this is, again, almost comical. You you you you you take, you know,6:45 all this money and you have some you hire somebody to make you a god, then you gotta carry it home and you gotta set it up in the corner and make sure it doesn't fall over. And when you cry out to it for help, it doesn't6:56 do anything. It doesn't say anything because it's it's nothing. Verse 8. Remember this, and show yourselves men. Recall to mine, oh, you transgressors.7:08 Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient things, ancient time, things that are not yet done,7:20 saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes my counsel from a far country, indeed, I have spoken7:32 it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it. And don't miss this contrast here. The the dumb idols don't respond. They can't speak. But here's god.7:44 He actually predicts the future, and then he brings it to pass. He says, like, right here in this passage. This is coming centuries a century before all of this is going to7:56 transpire, and he's saying it, and then he's going to do it. Verse 12. Listen to me, you stubbornhearted, who are far from righteousness. I bring my righteousness8:08 near. It shall not be far off. My salvation shall not linger, and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory. Now in chapter 47, the announcement of this coming8:20 judgment of Babylon continues. Okay? Verse 1, come down and sit in the dust, oh virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, oh daughter of the Chaldeans, for you shall no more be8:32 called tender and delicate. Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil. Take off the skirt. Uncover the thigh. Pass through the rivers. Now prior to this, Babylon had been the world8:44 power, and they had never been conquered before. But now Babylon and its9:03 some scholars interpret this as a reference to the effeminate debauchery and prostitution of all of the classes at banquets and religious sites. They had become a very sexualized culture.9:16 That sound familiar. I'll be honest. You look at history, it does not treat prosperous societies very well, because as societies very well, because as a historian Arnold Toynbee and9:27 his history of the world, he he says that these prosperous societies, they lose their creative minority. This is the the the small group that keeps things moving. They have to think through. They they're faced with9:39 challenges and problems, and they create creatively, and they keep the the country going, the society going. But and they also provide an example for the majority that is needed to9:50 advance and defend society. But with no external threats or focus beyond pleasure, a society becomes soft or delicate, sliding into10:02 debauchery. And with that comes decay, moral decay, spiritual decay, and then there is vulnerability, and they either fall from within10:14 or without. Verse 3, your nakedness shall be uncovered. Yes, your shame will be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will not arbitrate with a man. As for our redeemer, the lord of hosts is his10:26 name, the holy 1 of Israel. So who is bringing this judgment upon Babylon? Well, actually, they were through their own sin, but it was by god's design, and Cyrus was going to be the instrument of10:38 this judgment. Verse 5, sit in silence and go into darkness, oh daughter of the Chaldeans, for you shall no longer be called the Lady of Kingdoms. Humiliation humiliation would replace10:49 their pride as the mistress of the world, the power, the great power. I was angry with my people. This is god speaking about Judah, about the Jewish people. I was angry with my people. I have profaned my11:01 inheritance and given them into your hand. You showed them no mercy on the elderly. You laid your yoke very heavily. And you said, I shall be a lady forever, so that you did not take these things to heart nor remember11:13 the latter end of them. You didn't consider what was gonna happen. So Babylon had been God's instrument of judgment upon his people, but and it was because of their idolatry and their11:24 sin, but they went too far. And God would hold them accountable for showing even listen here, that they didn't even show mercy to the elderly, and they didn't consider that they were going11:36 to have to pay a price. Verse 9, but these 2 things shall come to you in a moment, in 1 day, the loss of your children and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their11:48 fullness because of the multitude of your sorceries for the great abundance of your enchantments. For you have trusted in your wickedness. You have said no 1 sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you. And12:00 you have said in your heart, I am, and there is no 1 else besides me. I'm the greatest. No 1 can touch us. Therefore, evil shall come upon you. You shall not know from where it arises,12:12 and trouble shall fall upon you. You will not be able to put it off, and desolation shall come upon you suddenly, which you shall not know. So judgment was coming quickly, and that's usually how it comes. We've we've12:22 seen that before in history. Everything seemed to be going well. They were prosperous. Everybody's having a good time. They were distracted, but then, wham. And and and and I tell you, when you are walking12:34 outside of the ways of God and the word of God, that means you're outside the protection of God. And and everything you're if you're trusting in your economy, if you're trusting in your defense, all of these things can12:45 just be gone overnight. This was the most powerful nation, and and we'll see this again throughout history. Alright. Cyrus12:57 took this city in a single night in a single night. Now what further reasons are given here for the judgment? Not only were they cruel, they they they they went beyond what13:09 god wanted done in terms of judgment. They did not show mercy to his people, but here's more. Here's more. They're sorceries. They trusted in wickedness or,13:21 actually, cruelty to subjugated nations. They went way beyond, what was acceptable, thinking they were unaccountable. Who who's gonna touch us? You know,13:33 you have said in your heart, I am and there is no 1 else beside me. Who's gonna keep me accountable? They denied the fact that there was a god. And don't miss this. Their so called wisdom and knowledge led them astray13:43 from the truth, from the secure right path that even natural law points to. You see, Paul wrote about that in in Romans chapter 2 that it's inscribed upon the hearts of men. It's a13:55 natural law. And and they violated that. They ignored it. They suppressed it. Stand now with your enchantments and the multitude of your sorceries in which you have labored from14:07 your youth. Perhaps you will be able to profit. Perhaps you will prevail. You are weary in the multitude of your councils. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the14:18 monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from what shall come upon you. Alright? Go go to all those, you know, go to your brain trust, all those people you turn to. Behold,14:31 they shall be a stubble. The fire shall burn them. They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame. It shall not be as a cold to be warmed by nor a fire to sit before.14:43 Again, he's challenging their idols. See if your high priest of knowledge, your university professors, and your TV pundits can stand up and save you from the coming14:54 destruction. Bottom line, he's saying it's over because you trusted in the wrong things. Father, we thank you for your word. And, lord, I pray15:06 that we would learn from your word and from history. Lord, somehow, we see this repeatedly that that people think they can do the same thing but get a different outcome. Lord,15:18 I I pray that, lord, we would not be intoxicated with the blessings that have come from you to us, Lord, primarily because of, those who've15:30 come before us that have been faithful to lay a foundation, a a godly foundation, lord, upon which this nation was built. Built. But, lord, we've been distracted by the15:42 blessings of that. And I pray, father, that we would not be soft and delicate, but rather, lord, we would be, as Paul says, that we would be prepared for battle this with the full15:54 armor of god on knowing that we're engaged in this spiritual battle. And and lord, I pray that our eyes would be open as followers of Christ to see this, to be prepared for it,16:05 and defend, lord, the truth in this hour. Lord, have mercy upon our nation, and, lord, strengthen us for this hour. We thank you, lord, for your word. We thank you16:17 for, the holy spirit leading us on this journey. May our eyes be open to your truth, and may our hearts receive it. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for being with me this morning.16:29 Until next time, keep standing on the word.16:34 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you16:46 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:10 The Folly of Idolatry and God's Sovereignty
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.