2023-11-17 - Isa4121-4217 - Behold Your God - Expectations
Expectations
The sun rose again this morning, as I expected.
Its rays peaked over the horizon, filtered through the low branches of trees, and penetrated the windows filling my living room with the light of a new day, just as it did yesterday. I may have been more intentional about noticing it this morning, but generally, I expect the sun to bring another day each morning.
We have many things we expect, I imagine. Some perhaps without thought, much like my expectation of the sun rising daily, others with hopes, fears, optimism and delight, or frightful of outcomes. We have expectations of others, again, potentially with optimism or pessimism. Maybe, expectations of us are also accompanied by the voice of "authority" in our head, "Yep, that is how you usually do things, why am I not surprised?" Or, perhaps that is only me who hears voice all too regularly.
In my study of Isaiah 41:21 - 42:17 this week, I noticed a few different expectations I thought I share with you.
Expectations of Idols
Toby Mac, in his song Lose My Soul, has a lyric that says:
America has no more stars, now we call them idols.
Idols are pervasive in our environment, in our culture, almost to the point of being invisible or normalized. It is relatively easy to trip and fall into the initial comforts of an idol. Or, accidentally fall into line with others to chase seemingly important goals and dreams.
Actually, the majority of the time, there is nothing wrong with setting goals, planning, or binge-watching the latest pop-culture drama. Annually, I take a couple of days to reflect on the previous year and set objectives, goals, and plan for the upcoming year. Not in an ephemeral, this-will-be-vapor-by-February kind of New Year's resolution, but in an intentional and thoughtful exploration of what I'd like to accomplish over the next year personally and professionally.
The problem, of course, comes when that becomes my everything. When my identity is driven by that. When my plans become my god, rather than aligning with God's plans. As Carson said in the sermon for this section of scripture last Sunday:
Anything we serve or trust in above God. When we serve creation instead of the Creator. That is our idol.
But, sometimes, it feels so comfortable and right, initially! Like nothing is wrong. I'm simply being intentional about where I want to go next year, right?
Then reality happens. The idols expect something of you and of me.
They expect sacrifices from us if we don't live up to their expectations; they get angry with us. They constantly, yet in an obscure way, assault us with the twin adversaries of burden and anxiety. They scream at me to remind me that I must fill my schedule to satisfy the idol of busyness.
Seriously, if this is something that you struggle with, I want to quickly challenge you. Turn off all notifications. Silence everything! Close all of your communication tools: email, chat, social media, and turn off your phone. Sit. In complete silence for 5 minutes. But, I have…uh huh, do it.
I started a mobility routine a couple of weeks ago. (Side note: wow, talk about things I wish I had paid attention to when I was younger. What’s that on the floor over there? Meh, I didn’t need that vertebrae, anyway.) This mobility routine requires stretches for a two-minute duration. TWO. Two full minutes. Of being still. Quietly, not being productive doing something. It was absolutely painful literally and figuratively. Then, after about five minutes and a few stretches, my mind cleared. I calmed down. I could feel my heart rate drop. My thoughts became focused and sharp.
It made me reflect on Romans 12:2 (ESV - emphasis mine)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
While idols and false gods have their own broken and perverted expectations, we are not subject to them, unless we subject ourselves to them. We are, however, inherently subject to God's expectations.
Expectations of God
God, obviously, has His own expectations. In fact, and with a bit of an ironic twist, he challenges the nations and their idols to see if they can answer His expectations.
God's Expectation of Idols
21 Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
22 Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come.
23 Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.
24 Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.
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God is essentially challenging the idols and gods, saying, tell me some things. Tell me about the past, present, and future like an omniscient being should be able to do. They obviously cannot do so. So, he calls them worthless and those who worship them an abomination.
God, I think is showing us in this too that our idols cannot provide us comfort for our future, they haven’t made promises to us, or if they have, they cannot prove they can deliver on their promises. Our thoughts of when I reach this, or when I obtain that, then I'll be happy, which never manifest.
Can you definitively say you’ll have your job in 5 or 10 years? That your bank account will be sufficient? That begs the question, sufficient for what? Can we ensure the economy will be solid in 20 years? What about this year?
God has made promises to us. He has also given definitive proof that He will keep them. God knows the end from the beginning. God declared, in verse 26, we can take comfort in the knowledge of what He has done.
25 I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.
26 Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, "He is right"? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard your words.
27 I was the first to say to Zion, "Behold, here they are!" and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
28 But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer.
29 Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.
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Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, is the one from the north. He is also mentioned in Isaiah 45:1 (ESV):
1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
Nobody could answer God’s questions or challenges. None of the false gods or idols could respond. God declares them false. Nothing. Empty.
It seems fairly apparent that God does not think highly of idols.
God's Expectation of Jesus
Isaiah 42 opens with an amazing description of Jesus in (1-4):
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
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The Father is with him and sends him for to achieve His plan, purpose, and glory. Jesus is coming to redeem His people.
We, or people in general, often have an unfortunate view of God as being a harsh and angry God with only retribution as His focus. This section argues the exact opposite of that. Jesus will come gently for God’s people. He will come in humility with love, patience, and grace to restore God’s people to Himself.
It makes me cringe how often I fail to show up like this for my sons to restore them in their times of need, rather than with harsh correction. Jesus doesn’t scold us with, “If I have to tell you one more time…” Although, my behavior would likely elicit a response like that from me if I was correcting myself. Thank God He is God and I am not.
Carson elaborated on this section in his sermon (my notes):
- Who is God’s Servant?
- Sometimes refers to God’s people, Israel or Jacob
- Through Abraham God was going to bless the nation through His covenant with them
- In the next chapter, Servant who is blind, deaf?
- They needed a representative to do for them what they could not do themselves- Isaiah is pointing to another servant of the Lord
- Jesus Christ is that Servant to do what Israel could not do herself
- He brought justice
- Restoring God’s good design for his image bearers
God seemingly had high expectations of Jesus, who delivers faithfully.
Verses (5-9) almost feel as if God is pleading with us to open our eyes when considering this section against 41:21-29.
5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 "I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."Isa-42Isa-42Isa-42Isa-42
God declares that He created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. I gave you breath and my spirit. I have called you and I will take you by the hand and keep you. I will release you from your prison! Glorify me, not idols who can do none of these things for you.
As 2022 was coming to a close, I began planning for 2023. For the first time, I picked a word theme for the year. The word I selected is shalom, which means:
^ image of a decorative sign I purchased from Amazon
God is imploring us to look back and see all He has done, all that He has proven, that He is for us. God gave us good gifts and shepherded His people through tough times, He has made promises to us and shown that He will keep them. Walk with God and you can experience shalom.
God is our good, good Father who loves us and gives us good gifts.
God's Expectations of People
God has expectations of us also. He also has expectations of sacrifices, but unlike the expectation of sacrifices from the idols, the sacrifices are His own. He sacrificed his own son, and will restore us to himself.
His expectation of us? In response to his sacrifice, worship, and praise him, give him glory.
In (10-13), in the first of Four Servant Songs (from: 42:1-9; 49:1-7; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12, I may do a deeper dive topical study on these later), we are invited to worship Him:
10 Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands.
13 The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.
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Praise God!
Sing to God with everything that you have. Shout it!
God will go to war on our behalf, in fact already has, and He will be victorious. He will secure the victory that really matters on our behalf and celebrate Him as we finish out the section (14-17):
14 For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools.
16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.
17 They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, "You are our gods."
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God has been patient, providing every chance for those who trust and worship idols to come back to Him. He has almost infinite grace, patience, and mercy. His desire is for all to repent and turn to Him. However, at some point, justice must prevail; or there is no justice.
God will destroy all the idols. He will remove all of the things that rob Him of His glory.
It is interesting to note the transition between 14-15 and 16:
- He will destroy the things, but lead the guide the people. He cares for the people. He “does not forsake them.”
Some will still refuse and that is a bad spot to be in, to continually refuse God and chase idols and make them their gods.
Expectations of My Own
Back to where we started. We all have our own expectations. We are looking for somebody or something to save us, restore us, and deliver us from our struggles, anxieties, and worries.
Thank God He took that burden upon Himself to deliver on my expectations. That He sent Jesus to do what we couldn't, to do what idols could not deliver on, to do what the world cannot.
- Live a perfect, obedient life to the Father without sin or blemish;
- Be crucified, as we should have been, in our place on our behalf, to die a sinner's death yet having not sinned;
- Defeat death, rise up from the grave where I would have been imprisoned for eternity;
- Ascend back to the Father's right hand, the same hand He says He will "keep us with" in 42:6;
- Redeem and restore us to our Heavenly Father by faith.
What are you worrying or anxious about today?
Behold Your God!