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Introduction
Continuing in our series on Beholding God to Behave Godly for God’s Glory it seems very appropriate to look at a passage of Scripture that I think will teach us one of the most essential Christian practices ever.
Which it’s very possible we are not currently doing.
Last week we looked at Beholding God to behave Godly for God’s Glory by beholding Christ in order to see our own sinfulness.
And if we can’t behold God in his courtroom then the point of our series is undermined and we won’t be able to
Behold God to behave Godly for God’s glory.
This morning we are going to behold God in order to see things that may not be inherently sinful as sinful because we made them to be sinful.
This is also an important issue because at some point someone is going to confront you with this issue and criticize your church for “not pointing this out to you”.
And of course what I’m talking about is idolatry.
The book of Isaiah, historically, and in conservative circles is understood to be written by an 8th century prophet, named Isaiah, in Jerusalem.
And so one of the most essential Christian practices is going to be clearing out idols.
Which typically no one has an issue with for chapter 1 - 39. Chapters 40 - 55 are assumed to be written by an anonymous author during the Babylonian exile.
And our message this morning is going to accomplish that purpose as we behold God in His courtroom to behave Godly for God’s Glory.
Idolatry is a concept that we have often brought up and will continue to bring up because we need to be reminded of what idolatry is.
And is meant to comfort the exiles that Babylon will fall.
And because the best idols in our lives are the idols that we are unaware of or unwilling to get rid of or both.
And then 56 - 66 is another anonymous author who is writing in Palestine in the post-exilic period.
Our context this morning is the courtroom of God who as Ray Ortlund Jr. states are being sued by God for their false advertising.
The arguments in favor of a “third Isaiah” are pretty funny.
They’re based on the assumption that 40 - 55 are written at the time of exile.
So let’s behold God in his courtroom to behave Godly for God’s Glory this morning.
So clearly this section must be post exile.
And higher critics argue that “third Isaiah” has no dominant or unifying purpose.
And I hope that when you come to a passage of Scripture like this that God appears awesome to you.
And in order to do that there are three main things that we need to focus on:
Which of course isn’t true.
But the content of and matches the same sins that the “pre-exilic period” were experiencing.
Plus, first Isaiah was written in Jerusalem i.e.
Palestine, first Isaiah matches the historical context of third Isaiah.
Second Isaiah is assumed to be written in exile in Babylon primarily because the content of chapters 40 - 55 are future to 8th century.
In which case I’m absolutely flabbergasted to find out that a prophetic book has a future context.
But the argument goes further to say that Jerusalem is pictured as conquered in the past tense and Babylon’s prediction of being conquered is in the future.
The first problem is there is no manuscript evidence for separating from .
Secondly, Hebrew does not have tense, it only has aspect.
An action is either regarded as complete or incomplete.
Jerusalem’s fall is “completed” in whereas Babylon is in the “incomplete” aspect in .
But the difference in aspects is just showing that the fall of Jerusalem comes before the fall of Babylon.
A well known historical reality.
Thus, we’re not reading “2nd Isaiah”, we’re reading, “Isaiah”.
The New Testament cites from all three “divisions” of Isaiah and calls them Isaiah.
It makes no sense to have two anonymous authors who wrote an exceptionally popular portion of Scripture that no one know
Behold the Arguments of God
One of the specific reasons why clearing out idols is so effective by beholding God in His courtroom is because there is a comparison between God and idols.
That’s really the content of the arguments that God puts forth.
He uses His own attributes to interrogate these gods with, effectively comparing Himself with the false gods to see if the false gods exist.
He takes His own attributes and asks the gods if they have those attributes as a way for them to prove that they exist and that they’re worthy of worship and adoration.
So God says:
(ESV)
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.
Now, God’s opening argument is a thoroughly effective argument, but it also reveals something very important to the context and very important for connecting this ancient context to us.
He says at the beginning of verse 22, “Let them bring them”.
This makes this courtroom a lot more incredible.
Because God is actually saying here two things:
The idols have to be carried into the courtroom
Let the idolators bring in their idols—and this connects the context to us, because this isn’t just about idols, it’s about us.
The idols have to be carried into the courtroom
So God is interested in arguing against idols for the sake of the idolater.
He’s going to show the idolater why idolatry is worthless in comparison to Him.
And in doing so that the idolater is not missing out by choosing God over the idol.
If you grasp that concept you will never have any problem giving any idol up.
And so far these gods are pathetic in that they have to be carried in order for them to move.
And carried by humans no doubt.
So the idol has to be carried into the courtroom which means that:
The life of the idol is supplied by the idolater, and not something that the idol has within itself.
Now God continues his interrogation and makes some very astounding arguments, he tells the gods or the idols:
Here are God’s arguments so far, these gods must be able to:
Tell us about history and the outcome of history.
Decree what will happen in the future.
Alec Motyer comments on this section:
This question moves on from the ability to discern the flow of events to the ability to control the flow of events so that a prediction reaches fulfilment
Tell us what has been, what will be, and how you make it all happen.
Those are some of the arguments that God makes.
As I mentioned earlier, God’s form of argumentation is using His own attributes as the test to see if these gods are actually gods.
It’s a test of divinity, it’s a test of deity.
How do you know if something is a god?
He says at the beginning of verse 22, “Let them bring them”.
This makes this courtroom a lot more incredible.
But the question has a greater significance to it.
It’s not just are these real gods or do these idols really exist as gods?
Because God is actually saying here two things:
But because this courtroom case is supposed to influence the idolater’s themselves.
God’s questioning of the gods is intended to demonstrate whether or not these gods are worthy of the idolater.
Let the idolators bring in their idols
Are these gods worthy of worship, affection, adoration, time, relationship, devotion?
Are these gods worth a person’s time?
Are they worthy?
The idols have to be carried into the courtroom
And notice the huge arguments against their worthiness so far, they dependent upon human’s to move and they can neither predict the future, explain the past, or bring the future into existence.
Again, God uses His own attributes to test the existence and the worthiness of these gods.
So that God is self-existing, knows the past and the future and has the power to bring it all about.
And because of that, God is worth our worship, our affection, our adoration, our time, our involvement in relationship with Him, and our devotion.
The sovereignty of God is proof of His existence and proof of His worthiness to be worshipped.
If anything has not sovereignly decreed all things that will take place and providentially brings it about, it is not worthy of consuming your time.
(ESV)
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.
Not only does God question the gods about their sovereign control over the whole of history, but he also tells them to do good or harm.
Probably a Hebrew idiom for “do something”, “do anything”.
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