Feeding on Ashes
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In 2005 a man by the name of Edmond Knowles broke the record for the largest ever single cash-in of pennies. He deposited a stash of 1,308,459 pennies worth over $13,000. His collection weighed in at more than 4.5 tons. It took Mr. Knowles 38 years to build up such a storehouse of pennies. After his deposit, Mr. Knowles stated, “No, I don’t ever want to see another penny… perhaps I’ll collect a dew dimes.”
Today, I want to talk about the issue of idolatry. Idolatry, as you probably know, does not have to take the form of worshiping a statue or idol. Idolatry can happen when we delight our hearts in anything more than God. When we choose to love something else to a greater degree than we love God, it becomes an idol. And it can be something as innocent as the penny. If that thing consumes us, if it becomes our life, it has the danger of also becoming our idol.
Jesus said it this way...
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
In Isaiah 44 God is dealing with the sin of idolatry.
God is speaking to the believing remnant of Israel. He is speaking to believers that He had to judge because of their sin. God allowed Israel to be conquered. He allowed His people to be imprisoned and judged.
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers?
Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned?
For they would not walk in his ways,
Neither were they obedient unto his law.
25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle:
And it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not;
And it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled;
They are all of them snared in holes,
And they are hid in prison houses:
They are for a prey, and none delivereth;
For a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
Again in later part of Is 43
English Standard Version Chapter 43
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
Yet God, despite Israel’s sin, in an amazing display of grace, calls His people to repentance.
God commands the people of Israel to repent of their sin, and return to worshiping Him alone.
I think, if we are honest with ourselves, we too have idols of our hearts. We too need to marvel at the profound grace of God, and we need to repent and return to delighting in God first of all in our hearts. God must be our chief love, God must be the object of our affection and our worship.
How do we overcome the sin of idolatry? How do we make God the chief love and sole object of our worship?
God gives three commands that if followed will restore the Lord to the rightful place He deserves in our hearts.
If we are to make God the chief love and sole object of our worship, then...
I. You must remember that God is the only One in this universe that can satisfy your needy soul
I. You must remember that God is the only One in this universe that can satisfy your needy soul
Key to this first section of Isaiah 44 is God’s emphasis that Israel hears what He is saying to them. It is not new information. So the idea is not learn something new, but remember what you already know.
v. 1- Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant;
v. 2- Thus saith the LORD that made thee,
v. 6- Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel,
v. 21- Remember these (things), O Jacob
God wants them to hear with the intent of remembering…internalize this truth…live your lives in light of this truth once again.
What truth does God want them to remember?
A. There is no one else like God
A. There is no one else like God
He alone is their creator. He formed them. And He alone is the source of their blessing.
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant;
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
Notice again the command to hear.
Jacob, MY SERVANT
And Israel, WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN
This is a theme that will be repeated throughout the passage.
2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee,
And formed thee from the womb, which will help thee;
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant;
And thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
Notice it is God alone that made them, He formed them from the womb. This is also a key theme to understanding the passage. In moment God will contrast this idea of being their creator their maker with those that create or make idols.
And notice God is the One who will HELP them. He alone is their source of help.
vv. 3-5 are an example of the Lord’s blessing or the Lord’s help.
3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty,
And floods upon the dry ground:
I will pour my spirit upon thy seed,
And my blessing upon thine offspring:
4 And they shall spring up as among the grass,
As willows by the water courses.
5 One shall say, I am the Lord’s;
And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob;
And another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord,
And surname himself by the name of Israel.
This blessing that God describes I believe is primarily future. This blessing will be fulfilled in the New Covenant during the Millennial Kingdom.
Pour water upon him that is thirsty (thirsty land)
floods upon the dry gourd.
(A reference to physical blessing. You need water to grow crops and be successful)
It is also an illustration for what God is going to do one day… when He pours out His Holy Spirit (like a flood) upon their seed (children), and His blessing upon their offspring.
They will multiply (physical blessing), they will grow like grass and like willows.
And they will be devoted to the Lord (all of them)
5 One shall say, I am the Lord’s; And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; And another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord,
This is a reference to prophesies like Joel 2:28-29 talking about the pouring out of His Spirit.
And Jeremiah 31
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel;
After those days, saith the Lord,
I will put my law in their inward parts,
And write it in their hearts;
And will be their God,
And they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying,
Know the Lord:
For they shall all know me,
From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord:
For I will forgive their iniquity,
And I will remember their sin no more.
This blessing will be fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom. The point is, I alone, I am the God that choose you, and formed you, and have decided to bless you (not based on your own merit by the way, but because of my grace). No one else can do these things. Only God can.
6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel,
And his redeemer the Lord of hosts;
I am the first, and I am the last;
And beside me there is no God.
7 And who, as I, shall call,
And shall declare it, and set it in order for me,
Since I appointed the ancient people?
And the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
Notice the uniqueness of God’s titles-
LORD
King of Israel
Redeemer
LORD of hosts
I am the first, and I am the last
Besides me there is no god.
Who, as I, shall call (Who is like me?)
If there is one that is like me, God says, let him declare it.
And if you are going to make that claim. Declare also, the things that are coming and tell me what will happen. (No one knows the future… only God.)
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid:
Have not I told thee from that time,
And have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.
Is there a God beside me?
Yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Is there a God besides me?
Yea, there is no God (lit. Rock)
4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever:
For in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock
God asks the question, “Is there any one else like me?” And He answers that question. There is no other Rock (there is no other source of everlasting strength), I don’t know of any.
Illustration: When my kids were little little (infants), as much as my wife tried to avoid it, they would attach themselves to some kind of object- a stuffed animal, or a blanket. They would get so attached to that animal or that blanket that if we didn’t give it to them when we laid them down for a nap, they wouldn’t go to sleep. They couldn’t sleep unless that had that one specific item. Don’t even try giving them something else in its place! Forget it. It had to be that one specific thing. We even went out and bought a back up in case the primary got too dirty or we lost it. That blanket to that child was unique. One of a kind… and nothing else would do. Nothing could take its place.
Israel, if you would rid your hearts of idolatry, if you would make me your chief love and the sole object of your worship, then you must remember that there is no one else like me. I am unique, and by implication, nothing can take my place!
What other truth does God want them to remember?
B. Misplaced worship brings nothing but shame
B. Misplaced worship brings nothing but shame
9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity;
And their delectable things shall not profit;
And they are their own witnesses;
They see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
The ones who make idols are all of them vanity (they are nothing)
And their delectable things (the things that they delight in) shall not profit.
And they are their own witnesses (better their witnesses themselves speaking of the idols that they are making), these idols they do not see, they do not know anything. The ones who delight in them will be put to shame.
10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image
That is profitable for nothing?
Who are the ones forming these “gods”, or casting these idols? This is profitable for nothing!
11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed:
And the workmen, they are of men:
Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up;
Yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
Behold, all his fellows (idol makers and the ones who worship idols) all shall be put to shame. The workmen, they are men (only human). Gather all of them together, and with their collective strength (idols included), let them stand up (against God, the eternal Rock) and see what happens. They shall fear (dread, terrified), they shall be put to shame together.
Are you getting the theme here? For the ones who place their worship in idols, they delight themselves in idols- what is the result?
It will not profit, put to shame, profitable for nothing, put to shame, they will be terrified, put to shame together!
Why? Why is shame the inevitable result of misplaced worship?
Two illustrations:
Illustration #1
The smith
12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals,
And fashioneth it with hammers,
And worketh it with the strength of his arms:
Yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth:
He drinketh no water, and is faint.
Who forms the idols? The smith. What is the smith? He is a man, and at the end of the day he is hungry, his strength fails, he is thirsty, he is faint.
Who formed the smith? God did. Who made Israel? God did!
2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee,
And formed thee from the womb, which will help thee;
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant;
And thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
At the end of the day how does God compare to the smith?
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid:
Have not I told thee from that time,
And have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.
Is there a God beside me?
Yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Illustration #2
The carpenter:
13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line;
He fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass,
And maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man;
That it may remain in the house.
Merely the figure of a man, and the beauty of a man (beauty of holiness)
Dwells in a house (The heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee)
14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak,
Which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest:
He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
What is the source of the idol (trees), who made the trees? God did.
What is the source of God
v. 6- “I am the first and the last, besides me there is no god.”
In vv. 15-17 we have on display the irony and humor of God.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn:
For he will take thereof, and warm himself;
Yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread;
Yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it;
He maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
16 He burneth part thereof in the fire;
With part thereof he eateth flesh;
He roasteth roast, and is satisfied:
Yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha,
I am warm, I have seen the fire:
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image:
He falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it,
And saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
This is laughable! Most of the wood that this fellow cut down has been burned for warmth and for cooking his food. It is only with the residue, the leftovers that he forms his “god.” And somehow he expects it to deliver him? His god could not even same himself from being burned in the fire for warmth and for cooking source, what makes you think it can deliver you from anything?!?
18 They have not known nor understood:
For he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see;
And their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 And none considereth in his heart,
Neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
I have burned part of it in the fire;
Yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof;
I have roasted flesh, and eaten it:
And shall I make the residue thereof an abomination?
Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
v. 20 is one of the most striking verses that cuts to the heart of what happens to our souls when we participate in idolatry.
20 He feedeth on ashes:
A deceived heart hath turned him aside,
That he cannot deliver his soul, nor say,
Is there not a lie in my right hand?
He feeds on ashes.
As the wood burned in the fire for heat or to cook food turns to nothing but ashes, so too anything that we worship other than God is as ashes for our hungry needy soul.
You see you have been created to worship. When God created us He hardwired into us the need, the desire, the necessity of worship. And so because we have been created to worship, we are ALWAYS worshiping something! Your souls crave something, they have a deep need, there is a longing in your very soul. Your souls have a need to be satisfied. And that need can only be satisfied if we accomplish the purpose that God created us for. We must worship. We must delight our hearts in something. We must love something. We must focus our attention, our time, our energy, our respect, our love on something or someone.
If that something or someone is anything other than God, you are effectively satisfying the longing of your soul with ashes. You feed your soul with ashes.
Those that choose idols over God,
they delight in it
they worship it
they fall down before it
they pray to it and say “Deliver me, for you are my god”
What do they get in return?
It does not profit them anything
Shame
They are terrified
Shame together
fuel for their fire
baking bread
they make an abomination, they fall down before a block of wood and they feed on ashes.
God says in v. 21 “Remember these things!”
There is no one else like God
Misplaced worship brings nothing but shame
So believer, are you guilt of idolatry?
Well Pastor Jon I don’t have any blocks of wood in my house that I fall down and worship.
Do you have any idols of your heart?
How can you tell?
What do you delight in?
What do you delight you heart in? What do you turn to to bring you satisfaction?
I love to bow hunt, but if that becomes the chief delight on my soul then it has turned into an idol of my heart. How can you tell? If I am out in the woods on a Sunday, then maybe it has become my first delight.
My kids struggled with the delight of video games. Took a summer off, because their entire calendar was revolving around game day. It consumed them, it became their chief delight.
What delights your soul?
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord;
And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
How do you normally interpret this verse? Finding the will of God.
What if this verse is saying that when God becomes the delight of our heart, our chief delight, then and only then will we get what our heart truly desires. Our souls need to be satisfied, their desires need to be met. The only thing that can profit our souls is to delight in God.
Anything else will be like feeding our souls on ashes.
ESV- 9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit.
How can you tell?
2. Where do you seek deliverance?
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image:
He falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it,
And saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
Deliverance- rescued, saved from harm or evil.
Friend what do you turn to to find relief? What does your heart turn to, where do you place your hope for a rest from the evils of this life?
Some turn to things like drinking, smoking, drugs. Some turn to the mind numbing effects of TV, social media, or video games.
It has been a long day, you are tired, you didn’t get a chance to have your devotions yet, you have a few minutes of time to yourself, what do you do? Whip out the phone and spend an hour scrolling though Facebook. If you are looking for deliverance, to be rescued from harm or evil, from any other source other than God you may have an idol of the heart. (I realize that sometimes we are just too tired, etc… What is your pattern?) Folks your soul is hungry, it is in need of something, and it is not to be fed with Facebook. That is like feeding on ashes. You soul longs for, needs to be feed with the grace of God, it needs to worship God.
If we are to make God the chief love and sole object of our worship, then… If we are to rid our hearts of idols and stop feeding our souls on ashes then...
You must remember that God is the only One in this universe that can satisfy your needy soul
Command #2
II. You must not fear because you serve a God of grace
II. You must not fear because you serve a God of grace
Twice God commands the nation of Israel to fear not.
2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee,
And formed thee from the womb, which will help thee;
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant;
And thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid:
Have not I told thee from that time,
And have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.
Is there a God beside me?
Yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Why should they not fear?
A. Their standing with God was not based on their own merit, rather it was based on God’s choice
A. Their standing with God was not based on their own merit, rather it was based on God’s choice
Remember God is speaking to the believing remnant of Israel who were in captivity. Because of their sin God was forced to judge them.
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers?
Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned?
For they would not walk in his ways,
Neither were they obedient unto his law.
22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled;
They are all of them snared in holes,
And they are hid in prison houses:
They are for a prey, and none delivereth;
For a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
So God’s message to them here is very significant. Don’t be afraid. Don’t fear. I will not abandon you. I will keep my promises to you. I will bless you. Not because of your own merit. But because of my own choice.
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant;
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee,
And formed thee from the womb, which will help thee;
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant;
And thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
This is the very definition of God’s grace. God giving them something they do not deserve. Do not fear I will bless you because I have chosen you, you are mine.
Sometimes we get this fear of repenting and getting right with God. Something like this goes through our heads. “I have messed up too many times, or I have made too big of a mistake.” God will never accept me.
Believer just like the nation of Israel, you too have been chosen by God.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
You were chosen before the foundation of the world, you are a chosen generation. God because of His awesome grace chose you. Why would you be afraid of Him? Why would you keep yourself from restoring fellowship with God? Even if you have failed, even if you have struggled with an idol of your heart, God says don’t be afraid, rather trust in my grace.
Why should they not fear?
B. Their understanding of God was not based on their own merit, rather it was based on God’s revelation
B. Their understanding of God was not based on their own merit, rather it was based on God’s revelation
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid:
Have not I told thee from that time,
And have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.
Is there a God beside me?
Yea, there is no God; I know not any.
What do they know about God? There is no other God besides Him. There is no other Rock. God is the only source of eternal strength.
How do they know this? Because they were smarter and better educated and just generally better people than the rest of the world? NO! Because God told them! He declared it to them. He made them His witnesses! God did it. Contrast that with the other nations that create and worship idols.
18 They have not known nor understood:
For he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see;
And their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 And none considereth in his heart,
Neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
I have burned part of it in the fire;
Yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof;
I have roasted flesh, and eaten it:
And shall I make the residue thereof an abomination?
Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
20 He feedeth on ashes:
A deceived heart hath turned him aside,
That he cannot deliver his soul, nor say,
Is there not a lie in my right hand?
This again is the very definition of the grace of God. God giving to the Israelites something they could not get for themselves and something they could never earn. They didn’t have to live in deception, they didn’t have to worship a block of wood, because God had opened their eyes, He had revealed themselves to them in a way that He did not do to the other nations (sadly, Israel worship idols anyway)
God is saying to these believers in judgement, fear not. I revealed myself to you in passed based on my grace, and now I am giving you further understanding of what you are doing right now by seeking after idols and again, you certainly don’t deserve it, but it is not based on what you deserve, but it is based on my grace.
Believer, the same thing can be said about you.
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Your standing with God and your understanding of God are not something you have earned, but they are yours because of the grace of God. And if you are to turn from the idols of your heart you must fear God, but run to His grace. He has chosen you, He has revealed to you His truth. He wants a close relationship with you. He wants to be the center of your worship and your delight. And the only thing that makes that possible is His grace. So rest in God’s grace and do not fear.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Command #3
III. You must return your heart to God and worship Him as He deserves!
III. You must return your heart to God and worship Him as He deserves!
In v. 22 God says this to Israel, “Return unto me”
Why? Why should we return to God?
A. Because you will never be forgotten by God
A. Because you will never be forgotten by God
Look at v. 21- one of the most beautiful statement of God’s grace
21 Remember these, O Jacob
And Israel; for thou art my servant:
I have formed thee; thou art my servant:
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
Remember these things, O Jacob and Israel, my servant, the one whom I have formed, you are my servant,
YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN BY ME!
Even though you have forgotten me, and allowed your heart to delight in idols, and have sought deliverance from an abomination, and have fed your soul with ashes, and have lost yourself in fear- Even though I have chosen you and revealed myself to you, and still you forgot me---YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BY ME! WOW!
What a God of grace we serve. Amazing grace how sweet the sound.
King James Version Chapter 13
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
King James Version Chapter 1
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Why should we return to God?
B. Because God is your redeemer
B. Because God is your redeemer
22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions,
And, as a cloud, thy sins:
Return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
This promise to Israel rests on the future atoning work of Christ at Calvary. Jesus must come and shed His blood for the sins of the world, be buried, and rise again. And on that basis God can blot out our sins, like a thick fog or cloud blocks the view. DR mountain trip-thick clouds.
God is saying to these Israelites. Because I will blot out your sins, return to me for I have redeemed you. This fulfillment is future. Christ needed to come and shed His blood on the cross, and the nation of Israel needed to turn back to God, this won’t happen until the millenium. But it is so certain in God’s mind that He speaks of it as in the past.
And for the certainty of this redemption God deserves to be glorified.
23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it:
Shout, ye lower parts of the earth:
Break forth into singing, ye mountains,
O forest, and every tree therein:
For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob,
And glorified himself in Israel.
Our God, our redeemer, deserves the adoration and worship of our hearts, He deserves to be glorified. He deserves for His grace to be sung in the heavens, and shouted from the mountains!
24 Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer,
And he that formed thee from the womb,
I am the Lord that maketh all things;
That stretcheth forth the heavens alone;
That spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
He is no helpless block of wood, He is not ashes for the soul. He is your redeemer, He is your maker, He is the maker of all things, He stretched out the heavens alone and spread out the earth by Himself.
God also is your redeemer believer!
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
You will not be forgotten by Him, and you have been redeemed through His blood- therefore return to Him.
Return your heart to God alone and worship Him as He deserves!
Where are you at right now in your relationship with God? Where is your heart? Do you have some idols that have taken over God’s rightful place in your life? Have you allowed your delight and you love and your worship to be stolen away by something other than God?
You can remove that idol. You can get right with God. You can make Him first in your heart again! How?
Remember, Do not fear, Return
You must remember that God is the only One in this universe that can satisfy your needy soul
You must not fear because you serve a God of grace
You must return your heart to God and worship Him as He deserves!