Isa 44:17

Isa 44:17  And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.                                                             Isaiah 44 concerns with two topics. The first topic is about Jehovah being the one and only God in this universe: “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God…..Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any” (v.6, 8). The second topic deals with the folly of idolatry (v.9-20). Since Jehovah is the only God and there is no one else, it means the rest are idols. An idol is any god made by men. The foolishness of idolatry is seen by how that “god” is created. Isaiah says from the same tree, one cuts it down. With the wood, some he burns in a fire to keep himself warm. Some he uses to cook his meal. The remainder, he makes it into a god. He prays to it and says: "Deliver me, for you are my god!" (v.17). Same tree, same piece of wood, the bigger portion of the tree is used as firewood to keep warm and to cook his food. The residue is made into an object of worship and trust. How could the idol worshippers fail to see what is so obvious about the folly of idolatry? It provides some wonderful lessons for us: “And the residue thereof he maketh a god…. and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god” (v.17). 1. Giving God the leftover. The carpenter, after making all the woods that he needed for keeping warm and cooking, used the remainder to make a god. Are we also giving God the leftover? What happens if there is no leftover? 2. We are guilty of committing idolatry. God has the leftover means He is last priority in our lives. The things that come first become idols. An idol is anything that comes in between our devotion to God. Paul says: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Covetousness is idolatry. Our world is our idol when God is last. Christ warns: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). “Mammon” refers to wealth. We have to choose between Piety and Worldliness: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). 3. Expecting God to bless when He is last in our lives. The carpenter prayed to God to deliver him. But God was his last piece of assignment. Do you expect God to bless you when you are not faithful in your worship? Most profess God is first in their lives. But their actions tell otherwise. Our Lord says: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). The prophet Malachi rebuked an ungrateful people. God had delivered them from the Babylonian captivity and brought them home. Instead of being thankful and offered to God the best, they were bringing to God the leftovers of their flocks—the sick, blind, and lame. They were not giving Him the reverence He deserved. They even considered worship tiresome: “It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?” (Malachi 3:14). Today, some might think there are so many other things they could do if they don’t have to go to church every Sunday morning. They don’t even have leftovers for God! What about you? Do you give to God the leftovers?