Listen to what God says to us in Isaiah 46:1-13 (NLTSE),
Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight. Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together.
Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it! They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.
Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it.
Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right. For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel.
God in this passage is speaking about the future. He is speaking about His plan to liberate His people after they have been in captivity and exile under the rule of Babylon for 70 years. In the previous chapter, God foretold that a nation will arise after Babylon led by King Cyrus—Persia—and Cyrus would send God’s people back to Jerusalem and have them rebuild the Temple. In this chapter, he foretells that the Babylonians will themselves be carried off into captivity and will be hauling their gods with them.
God is amazed that His people are so taken by idols. These foreign gods that Israel was so enticed by had nothing going for them. They were blocks of wood, cut stone, or cast silver. They may have looked impressive, but they couldn’t move! They couldn’t answer prayers! I love how God puts it in verse 2 (NLTSE), Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together.
What was it about them that was so great? Time and time again throughout Israel’s history these idols were shown to be worthless. Time and time again God proved that He alone was the only God and Savior of His people, or of anyone else.
Yet despite all Israel’s unfaithfulness, despite all their sins and the way they were treating each other, God was committed to saving His people. He says in verses 3-4 (NLTSE), Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
Why? Why did He make such a commitment to people who didn’t seem to care? He tells us in verse 13, He does it that He might show His glory to Israel.
What God is saying is very simple, very plain, and very straightforward. God is ready to save.
He is ready to save because:
He is unique. Isa 46:5 (NLTSE) To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? There is no one else who is in the position to save. God has no equal. He has no competition. God is uniquely able to save.
He is sovereign. Isa 46:10 (NLTSE) Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. When God wants to do something, He does it. He doesn’t ask permission. He doesn’t take the idea to some heavenly council and explain His plan in hopes to influence them to approve His going ahead with them. He doesn’t look for help. He just does it. He does whatever He wishes. God has both the power and the authority to save.
He is gracious. Isa 46:12-13 (NLTSE) Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right. For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now!
In his book, What’s So Amazing about Grace, author Philip Yancey recounts a story about C.S. Lewis:
During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities.
Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form.
Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death.
The debate went on for some time until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room.
“What’s the rumpus about?” he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions.
Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”
Grace is the single attribute that distinguishes the Triune God of Christianity from all other gods. No other religion is based on grace. No other religion claims a God who is known by His grace. “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17, NIV).
What is grace anyway? Grace is God’s unearned favor. You might well define grace as getting what you don’t deserve. Back in the 90’s, the popular Christian band, Newsboys, released a song called Real Good Thing. The chorus goes like this:
When we don’t get what we deserve
That’s a real good thing.
When we get what we don’t deserve
That’s a real good thing.
The first line is talking about mercy—not getting what we deserve which is punishment for all our sins. The second line is talking about grace—getting what we don’t deserve which is salvation and all the blessings that come with it. Grace is undeserved. Grace is unearned. Grace is an expression of God’s goodness and love towards us. The focus of grace is granting undeserved kindness when from the point of view of justice none is deserved. Because God is gracious, He desires to save.
God is ready to save because He is uniquely in the position to save, He alone has the power and authority to save, and He alone has the desire to graciously act on our behalf. There can be only one, and He is the One.
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 