Class Notes on Isa 29:13-16

Review: In the first part of chapter 29, God describes a coming attack and encirclement of Israel that will end quickly with complete destruction of the attackers. This is most likely the attack of Sennacherib. But Israel will still not listen. Even if you argue that Israel's blindness (29:9,11-12) is the result of God's actions (29:10), the judgment of Isa 6:9-10 is the result of Israel's actions defined in Isaiah 1-5. Principle: While our tendency is to blame God for our struggles, ultimately they have their root in our behavior

Isa 29:13-16 The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth // and honor me with their lips, // but their hearts are far from me. // Their worship of me // is made up only of rules taught by men.

14 Therefore once more I will astound these people // with wonder upon wonder; // the wisdom of the wise will perish, // the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

15 Woe to those who go to great depths // to hide their plans from the Lord, // who do their work in darkness and think, // "Who sees us? Who will know?"

16 You turn things upside down, // as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! // Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, // "He did not make me"? // Can the pot say of the potter, // "He knows nothing"? NIV

• How would you characterize God's first complaint against His people?
  • They were going through the motions (attendance (come near); lip service (honor with lips); no emotion (hearts far from me))
  • Their relationship with God and worship of God was not real
  • What are the characteristics of their worship?
    • Rules of men
    • Overly structured
• How do we break out of the cycle of going through the motions?
  • Salvation -- clearly an unsaved person cannot truly worship God
  • Repent -- open up our hearts to God
  • Sacrifice -- it should cost something to worship (does not affect our salvation, but identifies our commitment)
  • Application -- if we do not apply God's word to our life, then we are just going through the motions. A relationship with God should change who we are!
• How do you characterize God's second complaint?
  • They have a very small God (can hide their plans from Him) -- doubt omnipresence
  • They doubt his creation (and by implication, His power -- they doubt his omnipotence). And if he did not create me, he has no right over me
  • They doubt his knowledge -- his omniscience
• God calls it turning things upside down. Right becomes wrong and wrong becomes right

APPLICATION:

• How would God characterize my worship?
• How do we view God? When God is small, uninvolved, not caring about my details, and not knowing -- in our minds -- is our God not small. And then, is it really God we worship or some idol that we call God?