In the book of Isaiah the prophet (chapter 45) there is a prophetic word of the Lord to the nations of the earth. It begins in verse 20 with a call, an invitation, to the fugitives of the nations to gather and come - to draw near - and yet something hinders them from responding. The problem it seems is "they have no knowledge, who carry about their wooden idol and pray to a god who cannot save." An idol, as it turns out, is a belief in a god who cannot save but the worshiper doesn't know that his idol is impotent. He has no knowledge that his idol is powerless any more than he has knowledge of the true God who has power to save.
Thankfully that's not the end of the story for the idol worshiper. His ignorance is confronted with the declaration in verses 21-22, "there is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." Isn't this what the prophets had declared all along? But who would listen? Who would understand? Who would believe the truth? Who would turn from their idols to God? Hasn't this been the human condition since the beginning?
We have still not arrived at the end of the story. Despite man's ignorance of the true God; despite his unresponsiveness to God's call to salvation, God has made a promise in verse 23 to the nations, "that to me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance." In addition to their unconditional surrender it is stated in verse 24, "They will say of me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to him, and all who were angry at him will be put to shame."
Now we are at the end. God's promise, his decree, is that every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance to him. Even those who were (past tense) angry with him - the rebels, the defiant, and the idolaters are ashamed of the things they once believed. They are no longer rebellious and defiant idolaters but are now those who speak well of God saying, "Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength." Their idols proved to be false and powerless and unable to save but with Yahweh the opposite is true, so they discover. With Yahweh there is salvation; he alone has made it happen.
In the New Testament the apostle Paul recognized this passage in Isaiah as being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In Romans 14:9-11 Paul speaks of Christ as being Lord of both the dead and the living. And because he is Lord all will stand before the judgment seat of God and give an account of himself/herself to God. The end result of that conversation with God will be individual surrender (the bowing of the knee) and worship (the giving of praise to God). See also a similar teaching in Philippians 2:1-11 (esp. vs 9-11) where, "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on the earth and under [yes! Under!] the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Isaiah's vision of the future regards the nations of the world turning to God for salvation by bowing their knees and swearing their allegiance. To this end Isaiah wrote and taught and proclaimed and lived.
The apostle Paul envisioned a world where all would come before the judgment seat of God and ultimately bow the knee and give praise to God by confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. To this end Paul went to the nations proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of Christ. To this future he gave his life.
The question I pose to you the reader today is what is your vision of the future? Is it hopeful? Does it make God bigger or smaller? Does it magnify the glory of God or render him powerless and unimposing, like an idol? And secondly, how does your vision of the future inspire the way you live?
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