I was reading in Isaiah 16 and 17 this morning, totally on a whim, and about the time I found myself thinking "Why am I reading this, it's a big list of places I don't know and how they're going to be destroyed and struck with famine and stuff." Not exactly the encouragement in the Word I was hoping for this morning to stir me out of my sleepy, whiny state of being.
Then I got to 17:7-8, which says:
"In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense." (ESV)
I've never built an altar or Asherim, but I definitely do look to the works of my own hands. I rely on my own accomplishments. When something seems unfair I think, "But I did this," and point to what my own fingers have made, as if that should justify me and make the unfairness go away.
But in that day, which I think refers to the day of judgment because this section talks about the Lord sending famine and destruction on unrighteous cities, "man will look to his Maker."
I wonder why it doesn't say man will look to "the true God" or "the Savior" or some other name for God. His Maker... It's so basic.
As I'm typing this and pondering it more, it occurred to me that these verses aren't about idol worship, even though it mentions altars and Asherim (some sort of object related to idol worship back in the day), God's concern doesn't seem to be what we're worshiping in this instance. It's who made what, and where we're assigning credit. We make much of ourselves for our successes, such as carving something out of wood like in this verse, but God made that wood, and even better, He made you and me, the folks so often caught saying "hey look what I did!"
I'm reminded today to forget what I did or can do. Look what God did.
A few verses later it talks about people who have forgotten "the God of your salvation... the Rock of your refuge." Lord, I don't want to forget You. Keep my heart remembering who You are. You are my Maker, my Salvation, my Rock of refuge. Thank You for Your mercy, Father, and for the wonderful treasures You hide in Your Word, even in the middle of chapters that seem confusing or irrelevant.
