“The way Things Used to Be” 6/8/25 a.m. Isaiah 46
We all like to reminisce a little bit don’t we? You younger folks like to talk about what things were like back in High School, Junior High or Middle School or even Elementary.
The older you get the more you like to reminisce because there’s more to reminisce about. Some of you folks have a LOT to reminisce about. Anyway, us older folks like to look back at what life was like when all the kids were still at home. Or back when Skiatook was just a small town. Our church here was one of the few buildings this far West. There was no Wal-Mart. No Tractor Supply. The train still ran everyday right down the JOGGING PATH. Of course, there were train tracks back then. There was Wells Food Market where the Dollar General is on the East side of town. Hixson’s Grocery store and meat counter was just to the West of where Kendall’s Drug Store is today. And if you needed shoes you went to Carver’s Shoe Store across the street from Hixson’s. (I’ll be honest, I had to call up my local historians, Brother Robert and Sister Donna Craig to remember the name of Hixson’s) There was Greenwood’s Drugstore where Bodley Insurance is today and then you would go through a swinging door in the back of the drugstore and that was Greenwood’s Feed Store. Those were some good times.
You know what I think? I think it’s good to REMINISCE. I think it’s GOOD to think back to the past. And I think God wants us to LOOK BACK and REMEMBER.
And that’s what I want to talk to you about this morning. So let’s turn in our Bibles to Isaiah 46 and we’ll read all 13 Verses.
“Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:
13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.”
It’s interesting to me that the Book of Isaiah can be divided up into THREE SECTIONS. Chapters 1-39 were written BEFORE the Nation of Judah was INVADED by the Babylonians and most of the people were taken away to be SLAVES and CAPTIVES to the Babylonians. Chapters 40-55 were written during the time of CAPTIVITY. And Chapters 56-66 were written after the people were released from captivity and came back to the Nation of Judah. And so Chapter 46, the Chapter we’re looking at today, falls into the time of their captivity.
Now there are those who say that Isaiah was NOT entirely written by Isaiah. So I did some studying on this and I see no reason to doubt that Isaiah was the author of the entire book.
And so this passage that we read is telling the people to REMEMBER. Let’s go ahead and go to the Lord in Prayer.
Brother ____, would you lead us?
I. Looking at Verses 1-8, I can kind of imagine this in my mind. Isaiah begins to speak and he reminds these folks of WHY they are, where they’re at. They are in BONDAGE.
A. In Verses 1 and 2. I’m gonna paraphrase here.
“Look at Baal, the FALSE GOD. Look at NEBO, another FALSE GOD. Look at them, they’re BOWED DOWN. They’re LOADED UP in the MOVING WAGONS as the people are taken away to Babylon. All they are is DEAD WEIGHT for the animals to pull. A lot of good they did you. They didn’t give you any protection did they? They wound up being just a HEAVY LOAD of JUNK that was carried to BABYLON.”
B. Now look at Verses 3 and 4. God compares HIMSELF to these FALSE GODS.
“Listen Judah, THE FALSE GODS HAD to be CARRIED by the NATION of JUDAH and JUST THE OPPOSITE, GOD is the ONE WHO CARRIED the NATION of JUDAH!!!”
God carried them and BORE them around like a PREGNANT WOMAN carries her baby in her BELLY. And look how Verse 4 ends, “even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
What a contrast between FALSE FAKE GODS and a REAL GOD!!! Instead of GOD being a BURDEN, He is our EVERYTHING. He gave us LIFE and HE CARRIES US.
The Apostle Paul said it best in Acts 17:28, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”
Listen folks, I can’t carry myself much less some stupid idol. I can’t keep myself lined out. I don’t need some FALSE IDOL loading me down. I NEED A GOD who will CARRY ME and HELP ME in every part of my life and all throughout my life. All the way until I have HOAR HAIRS. Until I’m GRAY HEADED!!! I guess I’m already there ain’t I?
C. Then in Verses 5-7 of Isaiah 46. Isaiah speaks about how false idols are made. Gold and Silver are given to a Goldsmith who then he melts it down and casts an IDOL.
He tells how they are worshipped. They FALL DOWN in front of these idol.
And when they are all done with that, they heave them up on their shoulders and CARRY THEM AROUND.
And he goes on to say that they are ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS. They won’t ANSWER YOU and they certainly won’t do you ANY GOOD.
Now look at Verse 8.
“Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.”
Remember this and get yourselves some BACKBONE!!!
Here they are setting there in BABYLON. They are being PUNISHED for their IDOLATRY.
Listen, these folks don’t know WHEN or IF they will be going home. They have LOST EVERYTHING. And Isaiah tells them to REMEMBER WHY THEY ARE THERE.
Do you know what Isaiah was doing here? He was telling the people to REMEMBER WHO they had WORSHIPED back in JUDAH and he wanted them to REALIZE that serving these FALSE GODS, these IDOLS had caused them so much PAIN and HEARTACHE. So much SORROW. They needed to remember.
I said at the beginning of my message I think’s GOOD to REMINISCE. It’s GOOD to remember the past. It’s GOOD to remember WHY YOU ARE WHERE YOU’RE AT TODAY. Both GOOD and BAD.
If you’re living in the PIG PEN of SIN, you need to remember why. Listen, I’m not trying to be MEAN. I LOVE YOU and I CARE about you and that’s why I’m telling you this today. There was only ONE WAY that the Nation of Judah could get out of this mess. That was by REPENTING and serving the TRUE LIVING GOD. It was time to take these IDOLS that they had hauled all the way to Babylon and CRUSH THEM INTO POWDER. But … I can just imagine one of them saying this, probably the daddy. “But we spent a fortune on that beautiful idol. That’s a real piece of art. We can’t get rid of that one. It’s the BEST.” OR
This is mama talking here.
“Oh honey, that’s the kids favorite IDOL. It won’t hurt anything to keep that one. Ok, Ok Honey”
NO!!! Get rid of that thing no MATTER WHAT IT IS!!!
I’ve said this before but I need to say it again.
An IDOL is ANYTHING that gets between you and the TRUE and LIVING GOD.
An IDOL is ANYTHING that becomes MORE IMPORTANT in your LIFE than the REAL GOD.
Listen, you wouldn’t believe the EXCUSES I hear from people on why they want to hold on to some little IDOL.
They need to leave their past behind. They need to make a NEW START. They need to take a minute and look at the PAST and figure out how they got to where they’re at. But they want to HANG ON TO ONE LITTLE PART. ONE LITTLE IDOL. Listen, if you want get out of BONDAGE you need to give it up.
And one more thing. I don’t need to give you a list of things that you don’t need to have in your life. If you’ll LOOK BACK and REMEMBER and …. be honest with yourself, you already know what it is. God has already shown you and you’re just too hard headed to give it up. MAN, I DO SOUND MEAN DON’T I?
Verse 8. “Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.”
II. Now looking at Verses 9-13. Verse 9 tells us,
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,"
Once again, these people are told to “REMEMBER”. Remember there is NO OTHER GOD LIKE HIM.
And then Isaiah goes on to tell the Nation of Judah more ways that God is NOT LIKE these FALSE GODS that got them into so much TROUBLE.
A. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob DECLARES the END from the BEGINNING. The TIMES of the ANCIENT all the way through to what hadn’t even happened yet. So what does that mean to these people. Well Verse 11 explains it. He was going to call a RAVENOUS BIRD from the East. The MAN from a far country who would do GOD’S WILL.
And if you read the Book of Ezra it tells how that King Cyrus came in and defeated the Babylonians. He was from Persia, which is modern day Iran. He was not a follower of the True and Living God but eventually he did ALLOW the Nation of Judah to go home. These words here in Isaiah were written before this ever happened. God KNEW IT because He is the One who would put these things into motion. He is THE ONE who would make these things happen.
“yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”
Can I tell you all something? God HASN’T CHANGED.
Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not;”
But listen, we change don’t we? The World around us changes.
1. Some new FAD comes along. When I was a kid BELL BOTTOM JEANS were a BIG THING. I had some.
2. New Hair Styles come along all the time and sometimes they come back. You know, next year this time I might look out across this sanctuary and see a bunch of BEE HIVES sticking up 5 feet in the air?
3. Some new way to Dress. Some new way to Communicate. Some new way to get from Point A to Point B. But God doesn’t change. He already knows the END from the BEGINNING.
ILLUS: Can I tell you something that concerns me? It’s AI. And people are talking about HOW WONDERFUL it is. How much work it’s going to save people. Listen, it’s hard to know what is REAL and what is FAKE. Someone sent me a video the other day of Baron Trump singing “You Raise Me Up” and how wonderful it was. Man it looked REAL. It wasn’t. It was FAKE.
And I think that’s the way that people will be DECEIVED in the LAST DAYS. “New Revelations from God” “Miracles being performed right before our very eyes”
It’s crazy but we’ve gotten to where you can tell the computer to write you a sermon on a certain topic and it will do it for you. Hit the PRINT BUTTON and you’re done. So let me ask you, “How do you like it?” NOT REALLY!!! I’m just kidding.
Listen, Jesus told us to be careful in the LAST DAYS.
Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
That’s why if someone is teaching something or saying something that is NOT in God’s Word you better RUN. GOD HAS NOT CHANGED!!! He is still THE ONE who declares the END from the BEGINNING.
He is still THE ONE who holds this WORLD in His hands.
He is still THE ONE whose COUNSEL will stand.
He is still THE ONE who PURPOSES to DO THINGS and then HE WILL DO THEM.
Once again, God is not like you and I. We make plans and then NEVER get around to doing them. Us guys have a “Honey Do” list that never gets finished. Too many times I never even get started on mine. No, GOD HAS A PLAN and it will be accomplished. And His plan is found throughout the Bible.
B. Now look at how this Chapter ends. Verses 12 and 13.
“Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:
13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.”
I started off today speaking about REMEMBERING THINGS from the past and how it’s good to REMEMBER.
It’s GOOD to remember God’s deliverance.
It’s good to remember His Providence. He always provides for our needs. I like to reminisce about the TIMES that I didn’t know what to do and God came through for me.
And it’s good to remember His salvation.
And in Verses 12 and 13, Isaiah speaks to those who are Stouthearted. You might say those who are STRONG WILLED and maybe even STUBBORN. Those who were still depending on their IDOLS. Those who refused to REPENT. God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS was NEAR. It was time to RECOMMIT to the TRUE and LIVING GOD.
I like to go through the Bible and find in God’s Word where He said He was gonna do something and He did it.
In Genesis 6-9, God promised a Worldwide Flood and deliverance to Noah and his family through the Ark. We know that happened. The Bible and Geology tell us it happened.
In Exodus, God promised Israel that they would be delivered from Egypt. After 10 plagues we know that Moses led them out of bondage. The Bible and History tell us it happened.
Throughout the Book of Judges the people of Israel would SIN and then go into bondage. They would cry out to God and He would send someone to deliver them. Time and time again.
What we have read today out of Isaiah 46, is just another example of that. God said He would bring deliverance and it happened. His RIGHTEOUSNESS and HIS SALVATION did NOT TARRY. Within a few years the Nation of Judah was home.
And God has promised YOU AND I DELIVERANCE. It’s NOT FAR OFF. In fact, I believe it’s pretty close.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
That’s a PROMISE of God. He really is coming back. God doesn’t LIE and what He says is going to happen, WILL HAPPEN. DON’T DOUBT IT.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
If you’re here this morning and you’re one of those who are STOUTHEARTED. In other words you’re Hard Headed. Maybe even Stubborn. Yeah, that’s me too. But don’t let that stop you from making the most important decision of your life.
Because if you put off SALVATION. Someday you’ll remember this day. You’ll remember the words I’ve said.
2 Corinthians 6:2 “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
Maybe you’re here and there’s something in your life you need to get rid of. An IDOL that between you and God.
Maybe there’s something that YOU KNOW is not pleasing to God. Bring it down here to the ALTER and LEAVE IT THERE.
Listen, why don’t you let today be the day, from here on out, that you REMEMBER GOD making a REAL CHANGE in your life.
Let’s Pray
