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“To whom can you compare God?
What image can you find to resemble him? Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?” [Isaiah 40:18-19 NLT]
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Collaborative community
As I have mentioned before, it is an incredible honor to be a part of God’s collaborative, redeemed community. The interaction with the saints sharpens me every day.
Recently, I have been preaching through a study of the kings of Judah. Learning from them requires an appreciation of history – a humbling process that our generational hubris renders rather difficult. Wonderfully, a great many have blessed me with wonderfully wise notes during this study.
A couple of the excellent letters:
Wayne, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your study so far! Here’s a great quote from Dr. James Allman (OT Professor at DTS. This quote was a mantra that he beat into us repeatedly (followed by some of his commentary):
“What God has done in the past is a model and a promise of what He’ll do in the future. If God provided my needs this month, then I can count on Him next month. God will test you uniquely according to the need that you have and according to the purpose that God has for you. He will test you uniquely, but He will test you. And you need to know desperately, you desperately need to know what God has done in the past. It’s both a model and a promise of what He will do in the future, though He’s too creative to do the same thing the same way every time.”
Wayne, re: your point about God’s description of idols, Isaiah 40:9-20 (particularly in the NLT) really hammers the absurdity of it. Reading that I am astounded by my own continuing tendency to revert to my idols of food, wealth, self-sufficiency, etc. (yes, sadly, there are more.)
I pray these comments motivate you as well and help each of us respectfully take a seat at the feet of kings.
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