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Daily Devotions

Isaiah

Isaiah 
Day 
Day 343

"The rest of it he makes into a god"

Text: Isaiah 44:17

THE MAKING OF AN IDOL FOR WORSHIP

Isaiah continues to describe how people make idols to worship. He sought to help Israel turn away from idolatry and to return to the LORD.

“Then it shall be for a man to burn,
For he will take some of it and warm himself;
Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread;
Indeed he makes a god and worships it;
He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.’
And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
‘Deliver me, for you are my god!'”
Isaiah 44:15-17

1. The use of Wood.

a) He uses wood to start a fire.

i) To warm himself.

ii) To bake bread.

b) He takes wood to make a carved image.

i) He worships the image that he has made.

ii) He calls it a god and prostrates himself before the idol he made.

2. The thoughts of the man.

a) He makes a fire.

b) He uses the fire.

i) To cook his meat.

ii) To warm himself.

c) He takes the remaining wood.

i) He makes a carved image.

ii) He calls the carved image “god”.

iii) He prays to the idol his hand has made.

iv) He prays for deliverance from the idol he has made for himself.

3. A common sight.

a) Isaiah noted two incidents of how people make idols for worship.

b) These were commonplace things that were seen in the land of Israel.

c) How could Israel have come to this spiritual state?

i) How does a piece of wood become a god?

ii) How does one prostrate himself before an image he has made?

iii) How does one hope that an image could bring about deliverance?