Browse Bible Study Resources

Daily Devotions

Isaiah

Isaiah 
Day 
Day 311

"Present your case"

Text: Isaiah 41:21

A CHALLENGE TO THE IDOLATERS

The LORD gave a chance to the idolaters to prove that the idols they worshipped were true. He asked the idolaters to put forward their best reasons for idolatrous worship.

“‘Present your case,’ says the LORD.
‘Bring forth your strong reasons,’ says the King of Jacob.
‘Let them bring forth and show us what will happen;
Let them show the former things, what they were,
That we may consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come.'”
Isaiah 41:21-22

1. Defending idolatry.

a) The idolaters may “present their case” to the LORD.

b) They are allowed to present their reasons for the worship of idols.

i) What arguments would they be able to present?

ii) What reasoning would they be able to adduce?

iii) What theology would they be able to offer?

c) Idolatry was simply adopted and practised by Israel.

d) But there wasn’t anything sound about the practice of idolatry.

2. A challenge to the idolaters.

a) Can the idols foretell the future?

b) Can they refer to the past and to speak of “former things” that the idols had done?

c) What had been achieved that could be discussed and considered?

d) What was the latter end of all the so-called achievements?

e) Could the idols actually declare the things to come?

The LORD knew that the idolaters would not be able to answer any of these challenging questions.