No Other God (Isaiah 44)

Isaiah 44:6-28; 6, 24

"This is what the Lord says—Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God" "This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself" (Isa 44:6, 24, NIV).

Who is the only God?

1. The first and the last (6-8; 46:10). There is no other like God.
2. The one offended by our idolatry (9-20). Idolatry is the worst sin.
3. The Redeemer of his people (21-23, 6, 24). God desires his people to remember him and return to him.
4. The Creator who delivers his people (24-28). God is faithful to his people.

How God Helps His People (Isaiah 41)

Isaiah 41:1-29; 14

"'Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,' declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel" (Isa 41:14, NIV).

The fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC tested Israel's faith more profoundly than any other single event in the entire OT. Isaiah knew that it would happen (Isa 39:5-7). He never regarded this as calling God's sovereignty into question. Babylon, like Assyria before her, had a part to play in the drama of history, but it was the Lord, not they, who wrote the script.

In Isaiah 41, God presents himself as the helper of his people. What can we learn about how God helps his people Israel?

You Have Forgotten God Your Savior (Isaiah 17-21)

Isaiah 17-21; Key Verses: Isa 17:7-8, 10-11

"In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. ⁸ They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made" (Isa 17:7-8, NIV).

"You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, ¹¹ though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain" (Isa 17:10-11).

Theme: Idolatry causes us to depend and rely on our idols for our human security, and thus we forget that only God can be our Savior (Isa 17:10-11; 31:1; Ps 20:7; 118:8-9). Repentance involves turning away from our idols and turning to God (Isa 17:7-8).

Idolatry, the Basic Sin

I is for Idolatry (Romans 1:18-25, 28-32; 2:1-5)

"...and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images... They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." (Rom 1:23a, 25).

"An idol can be ... anything that can substitute for God." Os Guiness and John Seel, No God but God, 32-33.

"Every idolater is a prisoner, held in humiliating bondage." John Stott, The Message of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

"Self-righteousness—this is the largest idol of the human heart—the idol which man loves most and God hates most." Robert Murray M'Cheyne.

"We can make an idol of anything, including your church." Scotty Smith, A Prayer Lamenting "My Church" Idolatry.

Idolatry (Dt 4:15-31)

Deuteronomy 4:16-31; Key Verse: Dt 4:24

"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

In Deuteronomy, the themes studied so far are Sin (Dt 1:1-46), Leadership (Dt 1:9-18), Faith (Dt 2:1-3:29) and Obedience (Dt 4:1-14). In Dt 4:15-31, Moses warns the Israelites about how grievous the sin of idolatry is.

1. What it does - How enticing it is (Dt 4:15-19).
2. What it results in - How devastating are its consequences (Dt 4:25-28).
3. What to do; what to remember - How to overcome it (Dt 4:20-24, 29-31).