Isaiah 42-43

Isaiah is communicating to Israel the word's of God pretty consistently.  The message here is that those who put their faith in false, carved idols will be let down.  The application is clear, do not put your trust in carved idols and then you are good.  Right?  This seems confusing because many of us really do not come in contact with wooden carved objects that are designed to be worshiped or offered attention.  Since this is the case, what objects do we take that are man-made and find our joy in and trust that will satisfy us in our lives?  These man-made things can be used to draw our attention and affection that is due to the Lord and we can use them to satisfy us.  I am not saying it is wrong to enjoy things and even receive some joy in the things that you have been provided with.  I am saying that it is very easy to slip into a place where these things bring us joy and we will replace these with the satisfaction that is found in the Lord in the midst of good times and in the midst of struggle.  Israel did this and they were entering into judgement because of this.

Sorry for the tardiness in posting this blog.  The jet lag from the Marseilles trip has really affected my schedule.  In keeping with the consistent picture of Isaiah, we see the a similar theme popping up in chapters 42-43.


What is ultimately seen at the end of Isaiah 43 is that God is literally the only hope for rescue in life.  We can use things, people, and even ourselves to give us the strength to fight during struggle.  The simple and real fact of this is that it will fail.  It is only through the Lord that true satisfaction, joy, and strength can come when life is difficult or even when life is going well for us.  This truth is relevant to you because we, just like Israel, have and can put our trust into things that are not God.  So this passage is simply stating that he is the only one who is deserving of worship and can deliver us in the midst of life's experiences.