God is Calling • 02.23.25 | Harvest Bible Chapel Des Moines

God is Calling • 02.23.25

Frasier Dew - February 24, 2025

Isaiah 46: God is Calling

How will you respond to the only true and living God?

Introduction

Introduce self

Dismiss 4th & 5th graders

Invite ushers forward with Bibles

As you get your Bible open, we will be turning to Isaiah 46 for our time in God’s Word today. That is page 721 in the Bibles being handed out.

Before we read, let me remind us that in order to understand any passage of scripture correctly, we need to situate it within the appropriate context.

Isaiah 46 is part of a larger section of Scripture where God speaks directly to His future exiled people, promising that He has not forgotten them. In fact, He is orchestrating their redemption. He is going to act, and no one—not the Babylonians, not their so-called gods, not even Israel’s stubborn hearts—can stop Him.

But before God delivers Israel, He confronts them. Pastor Nick spoke about this cycle just a few weeks ago: God’s people sin, then he faithfully disciplines them before providing mercy and grace.

Because you see exile is not just about geography. Exile is ultimately about the heart. And as we read through the book of Isaiah, we see that Israel’s heart had already wandered far away from God.

In Is 2:8, speaking of Israel, Isaiah says:

Isaiah 2:8 ESV

⁸ Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.

And God, accurate as always, diagnoses ever so perfectly the condition of their hearts:

Isaiah 29:13 ESV

¹³ And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Or again in chapter 44: Is 44:20

Isaiah 44:20 ESV

²⁰ He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

God’s people were not randomly carried off to exile one day. They replaced the glory of the immortal God with the idols they really desired. Therefore their exile was not an accident. It was the natural consequence of their sinfully deluded hearts— It was the natural consequence of their failure to trust the Lord, to remember the Lord, and to listen to the Lord.

I can’t help but wonder if any of you are yourselves in spiritual exile. How far from the Lord is your heart today? Perhaps you understand all too well the hopelessness of the Israelites.

Exiled, exposed, conquered, and here, in Isaiah 46, the recipients of God’s call.

Let’s turn to the text and see what He has to say:

Isaiah 46 ESV

¹ Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock; these things you carry are borne as burdens on weary beasts. ² They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. ³ “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; ⁴ even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. ⁵ “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? ⁶ Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! ⁷ They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. ⁸ “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, ⁹ remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, ¹⁰ declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ ¹¹ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. ¹² “Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: ¹³ I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.”

Now, as we seek to understand this passage, I have to tell you that I wrestled with this chapter for quite some time before identifying the outline. Does the chapter flow in a straight line – which would make verses 12-13 the climax? Does it have mini-sections throughout, each with their own climax? How did Isaiah intend for this to be read?

And as I continued to pray, meditate on, and translate this scripture passage, a few structural elements in the text began to shine:

Follow the Initial Imperatives
(An imperative is a command)

Listen (v. 3)
- Remember (v. 8a)
  - Repent (v. 8b)
- Remember (v. 9)
Listen (v. 12)

See the Intended Chiasm

In a chiasm, the verses are structured in a mirror pattern rather than a linear sequence. The passage first focuses on one theme, then moves to a second or third theme, then presents the main idea, and then comes back to revisit each supporting theme in reverse order. This is extremely common in ancient Hebrew poetry and helps focus the reader’s attention on the main idea being conveyed. So, instead of the passage flowing in a straight line and having the climax towards the end, the passage mirrors around a central pivot point and builds up to and away from the midpoint, like ascending and descending stair steps to highlight the main point or climax.

Prologue (vv. 1–2): The Burden and Fall of Babylon’s Idols
A (vv. 3–4) – God Has and Will Save
- B (vv. 5–7) – The Powerlessness of Idols
  - C (v. 8a) – The Call to Remember
    - D (v. 8b) – The Call to Repent
  - C’ (v. 9a) – The Call to Remember (Restated)
- B’ (vv. 9b–11) – The Power of God
A’ (vv. 12–13) – God Promises to Save

A helpful way to understand a chiasm like this is to think of a bow and arrow. Every part of the bow is important and necessary for various reasons. Providing structure, increasing strength, or refining the accuracy of the shot. Yet, no one can deny that the critical point is right in the middle, where the arrow points directly at the intended target.

So when we notice a chiastic structure, it is vitally important to look at the middle! Everything in the entire chapter is important, but the middle portion is the main point.

So it is with this chiasm, verses 1-2 provide the context, setting, and background, verses 3-8a, and 9-13 provide the structural, strengthening, and refining arguments, and verse 8b points us directly at God’s intended target. So, with that in mind, we need to go back and look at verse 8b to ensure we don’t miss the main point of the whole passage.

Notice the Translation of Verse 8

Isaiah 46:8 “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors,” -ESV
Isaiah 46:8 “Remember these things and sigh. Repent, you who have been misled, return in the heart.” -Septuagint
Isaiah 46:8 “Remember this and stand firm. Repent, you transgressors, return in heart!” -My Translation from the Original Hebrew

Now I’m hoping that you would never let any preacher tell you their preferred translation for a text and then just accept it at face value. So, we must explore this claim:

So let’s go ahead and take that quick detour to make sure we have the correct translation:

First, remember that our confidence in the scriptures is based on God’s infallible, inerrant, original writings:
Perhaps the clearest explanation of this truth can be found in the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy:
- Article X. WE AFFIRM that inspiration, strictly speaking, applies only to the autographic text of Scripture, which in the providence of God can be ascertained from available manuscripts with great accuracy. We further affirm that copies and translations of Scripture are the Word of God to the extent that they faithfully represent the original.

So, with that said, as good Bereans, we find much fruit in evaluating the scriptures in their original languages whenever possible.

Necessarily, then, Let us analyze the original Hebrew for Isaiah 46:8, particularly the 2nd half of the verse.

הָשִׁיבוּ פֹּשְׁעִים עַל־לֵב
- hashivu posh’im al-lev.
One strategy that is always helpful for translating a text is to compare it to passages where the translation is more certain. So, allow me to provide another verse for us to compare with: 1 Kings 8:47, which the Hebrew renders as:
וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֶל־לִבָּם
- V’heshivu el-libam
Now, before we get lost in the weeds of this all, let me ask, do you see the similarity between these two verses?
Some of you are looking at me, thinking, “Uh, yeah, Frasier, the similarity is that they look like gibberish.” -But try to look past that initial shock and just compare the letters!
- This word here in the middle of the top line is the subject (transgressors), so we can safely ignore that for the purposes of our comparison.
- Then we have a few minor differences, such as the prefix at the beginning, which just means “and or if”
- and the suffix at the end, which just makes that word plural.
I know that this may still be a little confusing, but the point is that that they are almost identical in the original Hebrew!

Since we can see this strikingly clear similarity, one question has hopefully popped into your head by now: What does that verse in 1 Kings translate to? If they say nearly the same thing, then what is it?

Well I’m glad you asked! Listen to the entire passage actually, which is a portion of Solomon’s prayer when he was dedicating the temple:

1 Kings 8:46–49 ESV

⁴⁶ “If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, ⁴⁷ yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ ⁴⁸ if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, ⁴⁹ then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause…

Did you notice the constant theme of repentance and turning in heart? Also, notice that Solomon is praying about the exact situation of exile that Isaiah’s prophecy is speaking of. Isaiah’s audience sinned, God gave them up to be carried captive to the land of Babylon, then the response that Solomon prays for is that they would repent and God would hear their cry for deliverance
And the way this 1 Kings passage translates the verb is actually typical with the common translations of the verb שׁוב throughout the entire Old Testament. It is almost always associated with some type of turning, returning, repenting, or going back.
Clearly we can see then that Isaiah 46:8 should probably not be translated, “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors,” as the ESV takes it, but rather, we should adopt a translation closer to that of the Septuagint and proceed with, “Remember this and stand firm. Repent, you transgressors, return in heart!”

Now, if we combine our refined translation with the chiastic structure of the chapter itself, we can perfectly see the very tip of the arrowhead. Repent.

We’ll come back to this concept of repentance in just a little bit, but for now, remember that this center-point is the structurally intended climax of the chapter based on how Isaiah wrote it.

So with the context understood, the structural elements of the chapter recognized, and the translation properly refined, I’m hopeful that we can proceed with these three main divisions for this chapter:

Listen (Ears)
Remember (Head)
Repent (Heart)

1: Listen (vv. 3–4, 12–13)

Subpoints:

Listen to God’s Love for His People (vv. 3–4)

Isaiah 46:3–4 ESV

³ “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; ⁴ even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.

The first command God gives in this passage is simple: “Listen to me.”

But this is more than just an invitation to hear words. This is a call to trust—to hear and believe what God is saying about Himself.

Because when we truly listen to God, we are confronted, in this passage, with a stunning reality:

If you belong to Him, then from the very beginning, He has carried you. And He always will.

But how does He describe that care?

Does He speak as a distant ruler, managing His people from afar?

Does He speak as a mere teacher, providing helpful life lessons?

No—He speaks as a Father. This passage is drenched in the language of personal, covenantal love—the kind of love a father has for his own child.

He says: “I have carried you.”

This is the image of a newborn in a father’s arms, being gently lifted, embraced, and held close.

It is not a burden to the father. It is his joy to carry his child.

And this isn’t just a poetic metaphor for Isaiah to employ—this is how God has always treated His people:

He carried Israel out of Egypt as on eagle’s wings. Exodus 19:4

Exodus 19:4 ESV

⁴ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

He carried them through the wilderness, as a father carries his son. Deuteronomy 1:31

Deuteronomy 1:31 ESV

³¹ and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’

He carried them when they were weak, rebellious, and wayward because He is a faithful Father.

That’s who He is. That’s what He does.

And you know, when I read this passage, I can’t help but think about my own son, Ezekiel.

From the moment he was born, I have held him in my arms.

I have carried him when he is happy
I have carried him when he’s sick
I have carried him when he was afraid
I have carried him when he is hurt

And in those moments, there is absolutely nothing burdensome about it. Holding him never truly weighs me down (No matter how heavy he physically feels!)

It is my joy and privilege to hold him, to carry him, and to comfort him.

But here’s the reality:

One day, I will no longer be able to carry him.

He will grow too big and too strong for me to hold him.

I will eventually grow weak, and he will outgrow me.

And there may even come a day, years from now when I will need him to carry me.

But listen—it is not the case with our Heavenly Father.

Isaiah 46:4 ESV

⁴ even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you.

He will never grow weak.

You will never outgrow Him.

He will never drop you or set you down.

From before your birth to your dying breath, He carries you.

Not just when you are strong and full of good works.
Not just when you are perfectly obedient and walking in righteousness.
Not just when you are praising Him with songs.

He carries you when you are weak, when you are doubting. He carries you when you are struggling with sin, feeling the weight of your own frailty.

And listen—if you are His, He says that He will carry you all the way home.

Isaiah 46:4 ESV

⁴ …I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.

That is His promise.

He will save you and hold you fast all the way to the end.

But here’s the crucial question:

Does this promise belong to you?

If so, and your faith is in Christ alone for salvation, then praise God!

You can rest in the security of your Father’s loving and uplifting hands.
You can cling to the truth that His love toward you does not change based on your performance, but it is based upon His unshakable covenant faithfulness.

But I don’t want you to assume. I don’t want you to walk away thinking this promise is yours if your life shows no evidence of belonging to Christ.

So let me ask you: What are you truly resting in?

Do you rest in Christ alone for salvation? Or are you secretly hoping in your own goodness, your own works, or your own effort?
When you face trials, do you depend on the loving-kindness of the Father, or do you look for comfort in idols?
When sin weighs heavy on your heart, do you repent and run to Christ—or do you ignore conviction and harden your heart?

Because the tragic reality is that not all who hear this call respond with faith.

Some want the benefits of God’s promises but not God Himself.
Some continue in their stubbornness, refusing to be carried, refusing to let go of their idols, refusing to bow before the only true and living God.

And so, God calls again—not this time in reassurance, but in warning.

Which leads us directly to the next call to listen, starting in verse 12:

2. Listen to God’s Promise to Save (vv. 12–13)

Isaiah 46:12–13 ESV

¹² “Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: ¹³ I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.”

Some people hear how loving of a Father God is – but still refuse to actually listen.

So God, in His immeasurable patience and concern for your soul, calls out again, ‘No, seriously, listen to me! You are in serious danger right now!’

To be far from righteousness is to be left in your sin.
To be far from righteousness is to be outside of God’s promises.
It is to be hopeless – without the guarantee that God will save you.

And yet, here is the beauty of this passage:

Even to these stubborn of heart, to those far from righteousness—God is still calling!

Have you ever held God at arm’s length in your lifetime?

Or maybe you would never even willingly let Him get that close, and instead, you openly deny that He even exists?

Here is God’s call for you in these verses:

He has not given up on you.

He doesn’t say, “Fine, if you won’t listen, I am done with you.”

No—He says, ‘Listen to this:’

Isaiah 46:13 ESV

¹³ I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.”

It’s a wake-up call, an urgent call to not miss this offer of salvation.

As though God is saying, ‘Unplug your ears, and listen to what I am about to do through my servant Cyrus!”

For Isaiah’s original readers, this description of their salvation had to be such a mind-boggling and awe-inspiring promise. Though it was their own stubbornness and idolatry that led to their exile, God Himself promises to bring His righteousness near to them, and He promises to make a way of salvation flow from Zion for the glory of Israel.

And, of course, it all happened exactly as the Lord promised it would!

Cyrus captured Babylon, and then he immediately made a proclamation, sending the Israelites and providing for the reconstruction of Jerusalem and the temple. I encourage you to go sometime this week and read the fulfillment of these promises in 2 Chronicles 36:22 and throughout the whole book of Ezra because it’s truly amazing.

Now, while Cyrus was an unexpected deliverer, his greatest contribution to redemptive revelation is that he points us to a greater deliverer. Just as Cyrus set God’s people free from captivity in Babylon, Jesus sets His people free from captivity to sin. Where Cyrus rebuilt a physical temple, Jesus Himself is the true temple, and through His death and resurrection, we are built into a spiritual house for God. In this way, Cyrus serves as a type of Christ, a shadow of the greater redemption found in Jesus alone.

Naturally, then, it should be no surprise to us just how many of these words in verse 13 end up directly pointing to Christ: Righteousness, Salvation, the Glory of Israel – All titles applied to Jesus throughout the Bible!

Many passages highlight this reality, but let’s just take a look at a few of them:

Isaiah 11:5 “5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.”

shows that righteousness belongs to the branch from the stump of Jesse, or consider what Isaiah says of the suffering servant:

Isaiah 53:11 ESV

¹¹ Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Or consider what Paul says of Jesus in:

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Or even what Simeon said as he held Jesus in his arms as a baby:

Luke 2:30–32 ESV

³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation ³¹ that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Jesus is the full revelation of God’s righteousness, who brought His righteousness and salvation so near that we can actually grasp it and become partakers of it! He is Himself the salvation of His people and is the glory of Israel!

So we see that the righteousness, salvation, and glory that God promises to bring near in Isaiah 46 are not merely concepts but a person! Through the typological salvation performed by Cyrus, God is promising Israel that the Messiah is coming!

The question for today is, really, then, How do you respond to these two calls to listen? Will you listen to a Father’s love? Will you trust His promise to save?

And hopefully, you are wondering right now, “Okay, well then what do I do even if I am willing to listen? How am I supposed to respond?”

Let’s continue exploring Isaiah 46 to see if we can figure it out:

2: Remember (vv. 1–2, 5–7, 9–11)

Take a look at verses 8 & 9. They give us this next imperative: Remember

I think the natural question is, “Remember what?”

Each of these calls to remember point downhill on the chiasm. Let’s start with the first group:

Subpoints:

Remember the Burden of Idols (vv. 1–2)

Isaiah 46:1–2 ESV

Here, we have yet another prophecy in Isaiah, pointing forward to the capture and destruction of Babylon by Cyrus and His army. This time, specifically pointing out just how burdensome these false gods truly are.

The burden of these idols is enough to break down the strength of oxen even. Just picture how these beasts would have felt trying to carry the weight:

The yoke fastened securely around their neck and shoulders, they try with all of their strength to make progress, but the burden is exhausting to keep carrying- The load is too heavy! If they could speak, they’d shout, “Help me, I’m weak and weary!”

Here’s the point of this beast of burden imagery: Verse 7 shows us that it is not oxen that Isaiah is concerned with, but the people who carry these idols! Through the deceptive power of temporary pleasure and sinful temptation, you actually end up in the position of the weary beast!

Now, obviously, I don’t know of anyone who worships Bel and Nebo nowadays, but I am sure that there are plenty of Idols floating around your life. Pastor Nick mentioned quite a few of these modern-day idols in his sermon on chapter 44 just a couple weeks ago. Let me point out a few more and highlight how burdensome they are!

How about the idol of Fear of Man? Are you always obsessing and worrying about what other people think of you? This is an oppressive, relentless weight that affects every decision of your day, doesn’t it? ‘Oh, I have to look just right. I have to say just the right thing… What if people notice that we don’t have as nice of a house, or car, or clothing as they do? I need to make it look like we’re keeping up with the Jones’ or else people might judge me!’
- It’s exhausting, isn’t it? At the end of the day, you probably also want to cry out, “I’m weak and weary!”
Or how about idols where you are addictively enslaved to something?
- This could be something like alcohol, porn, overeating, or over-shopping, etc. You thought that it would satisfy your craving, but all it has ultimately done is exhaust and dehumanize you.
- Inevitably, you end up feeling shame as you look at the order confirmation, or as you clean up the empty plate, or exit out of your adult website, or stare at the bottom of another bottle, or whatever it is for you… These idols never get you as high as you hoped. Instead, they actually drag you down. They always over-promise and under-deliver.

And verses 5-7 show us why they always under-deliver, as God says to:

2. Remember the Powerlessness of Idols (vv. 5-7)

Isaiah 46:5–7 ESV

⁵ “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? ⁶ Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! ⁷ They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble.

The reason your idols fail to satisfy? They are completely powerless!

Think of the traditional statue type of idol spoken of in the text; it is expensive to produce, it is again burdensome to carry and maintain, and at the end of the day, it can’t even answer or save you. God even mockingly calls them as useless as a scarecrow in Jeremiah 10:5

Jeremiah 10:5 ESV

⁵ Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”

Even if you were to cry out and beg these idols for deliverance, they are completely powerless to do anything, let alone take care of you.

See, it doesn’t matter how much investment or effort we put into maintaining our idols, they still cannot save or satisfy. Again, let’s think about what this looks like with some modern examples:

How about the idol of money? If you know your Bible well, then you already know 1 Timothy 6:10 “10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils…”
- But have you ever considered how powerless this idol really is?
- Sure, you can pursue a robust retirement plan and daydream about how secure your wealth has made your future, but can it add even one hour to your lifetime? Just like the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21, this idol of money is powerless to save when death comes.
  - Luke 12:16–21 “16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.””
- Or what about after death when you come to judgment before the Lord? Well, God’s word is very clear on this:
  - Zephaniah 1:18 “18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord…
  - Proverbs 11:4 “4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”
- I also want to clarify that I’m not saying money is inherently evil and that we should abandon the stewardship of our finances. The Bible actually has much advice and instruction on how to use, save, and steward money. Just beware that even good pursuits, such as saving money, can quickly become our idols if we begin to put our hope in the balance of our bank account rather than putting our hope in the immeasurable riches of God’s grace.

Or how about the powerless idol of nominal Christianity? By which I mean the act of calling yourself a Christian by name while your heart is still far from God, like the Israelites in Isaiah 29:13.
- Too many people would be quick to say, “Oh, for sure, I’m a Christian. My parents taught me about Jesus, and I said the prayer, so I’m good.” All the while living a proudly independent life that functionally operates with yourself as your own God.
  - You don’t pray because God isn’t worth talking to.
  - You don’t read His Word because you don’t feel like hearing from Him.
  - You never come to church because you don’t love His brothers and sisters.
  - And you don’t observe His commandments because you think you’re safe in your own definition of salvation.
- And I know that I am being perhaps a little too blunt here, but you must see this for the idol that it is! Many have been deceived by it! Beware of trusting in this kind of nominal Christianity; it is completely powerless to save you!

Contrast these powerless idols with the final call to remember in verses 9-11:

Isaiah 46:9–11 ESV

⁹ remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, ¹⁰ declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ ¹¹ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

God has called us to remember how burdensome our idols were, He has called us to remember how powerless they turned out to be, and now He calls us to:

3. Remember the Character and Power of God (vv. 9–11)

He says, ‘Remember who the true God is!’

Eternal
Unique and Holy
All-knowing
Fore-ordaining
All-powerful
Sovereign
Faithful to discipline
Faithful to save
Unchanging

Do you see how stark of a contrast this is to all those false idols?

It’s not even really a comparison! He doesn’t leave any wiggle room for Israel to say, “Well, I suppose Yahweh was alright, but I think I’ll give this other god a try.”

No, no, none of that. He is the incomparably great God who has declared His plan 150 years beforehand to save Israel through the work of Cyrus – and no one can keep Him from bringing it to pass.

Similarly, He is the incomparably great God who has declared all throughout the Bible His plan to save all His people, the true Israel, through the work of Jesus – and no one can keep Him from bringing it to pass!

He is loving enough to care about your salvation, and strong enough to actually do something about it!

That’s true power.

And God calls us to remember it.

Are you following the flow of the entire passage so far? Can you hear it?

God calls out to you and says,

Listen to my love for you, my creation, my people, my child!
Listen to how I carried you in the past,
Listen to how I will carry and save you in the future!
Oh, you stubborn of heart, listen to my promises,
listen to my plan to save you and make you righteous!
Remember how burdensome these idols have been to you!
Remember how powerless these idols have turned out to be!
Remember who I am, how powerful I am, and what I can do!
Why on Earth have you turned your hearts away from me again?
Is 46:8b: “Repent, you transgressors, return in heart!”

3: Repent (v. 8)

“Repent!” That’s the call!

“Return in heart!”

How many more worthless and oppressive idols do you need to try out before you turn back to the Lord? How many times do you need to hear the love, and power, and promise of God to save you? How much clearer can God be about what He wants from you? He’s said it so many times!

Through the pen of Moses:

Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV

⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Through the pen of His prophets:

Joel 2:12–13 ESV

¹² “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; ¹³ and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Through the mouth of John the Baptist:

Matthew 3:2 ESV

² “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Through the mouth of Jesus, who is God Himself:

Mark 1:15 ESV

¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Luke 5:32 ESV

³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 24:46–47 ESV

⁴⁶ and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, ⁴⁷ and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Through the preaching of the Apostles:

Acts 2:38 ESV

³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19 ESV

¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

We could keep going and going, but it’s just all over the place! Repent, repent, repent in your heart! Turn away from doing things your own way, turn away from thinking you can save yourself, away from pursuing sinful passions, away from burdensome and powerless idols, and “Repent, you transgressors, return in heart!” –Isaiah 46:8b

Conclusion

But now, the question remains: How will you respond?

The book of Isaiah is not just history. The Bible is not just a bunch of old, irrelevant stories —it is the Word of God, and today, He is calling you.

Do not walk away unchanged.
Do not harden your heart.
Do not ignore the voice of the living God.

The burden of sin and idolatry is too heavy for you to carry—but not for Christ, not for the all-powerful God.

He is the righteousness God has brought near.
He is the salvation that will not delay.
He is the only hope for sinners just like you and me.

Many of us in this room can testify to this hope that Jesus provides!

I thank God that so many of you have heard God’s call and are faithfully seeking to cast your idols at Jesus’ feet when you find them in your life. Take time in your daily life to rejoice and give God the glory for the sanctifying work of His Spirit! This could be through singing His praises, keeping a thankfulness journal, or praying and thanking God for each and every victory.
You faithful brothers and sisters are such an encouragement to my soul. You are already participating and walking in the freedom and hope found only in Christ.

How about for those of you who are somewhere in between? Your faith is in Christ, but you haven’t done any idol hunting lately.

First, I think you should also start by praising God! For your faith to truly be in Christ, that means you have already repented of so much, and He has adopted you into His kingdom!
Then, a good place to start would be to develop a habit of examining your heart for any hidden idols. Make Psalm 139:23-24 your personal prayer:

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! ²⁴ And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

When the Lord reveals one to you, turn to the Bible and remember the beauty and hope of the Gospel! It is the good news of Jesus that saves you, and it is the triumph of this same Gospel that enables you to forsake that worthless idol and turn your heart to Jesus instead. He will carry you through this moment and purify you in the process!

1 John 1:9 ESV

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Also, remember that God has not called you to walk through this process alone! You are part of God’s family now, and you have so many brothers and sisters in Christ who would love to walk right beside you.
So, if God reveals idols in your life, don’t keep that to yourself. Please share it with your friends, your small group, the pastor team, or our biblical counselors. Let others pray with you, encourage you, provide accountability, and walk with you as you continue to listen, remember, and repent.
And then, of course, pray, and trust God in the difficult yet wondrous work of sanctification.

So, whether you are a believer who is struggling to let go of idols, you are a mature Christian feeling encouraged this morning by God’s faithfulness, or you are weary and still enslaved to your sin, the response He desires is the same: a heart that is entirely His, a life surrendered to His will, and a faith that rests in His finished work.

This is what God calls for. The question for you to consider then is: How will you respond to the only true and living God?

[Pray]