Perhaps this chapter takes on new light and meaning to me as I’m in a season of studying Mormonism. The LDS people are awesome people, truly, but the faith that they serve has some serious issues. (I’m writing something on this that I will share with you in the weeks/months ahead as time permits.)
In essence, the LDS believe that God was once a man just like us who had parents, and who also had sex with Mary and birthed Jesus (this is NOT Christian beliefs by the way). He then supposedly became enlightened through righteousness and that in the same way all people can become gods themselves. They then can have their own planets and keep their numerous wives pregnant and planets populated through all the children from their perpetual child bearing wives. Again, more on that another day. I know this is a digression but I’m reading this in the mental context of that study.
Here’s the historical context of Is 45 in Israel’s time. The nations are serving many gods that are represented by idols made by human hands. It was so prolific to the point that even Israel adopted the worship of these gods. These gods promoted sacrificing (killing) their children to serve the gods as well as sexual immorality everywhere. It’s visually disturbing with large replicas of the male organ in Hazor, pornographic images to the god of “pan,” very large chesty female gods. If you go to Israel it is clear most of the gods were gods made by men to give free license to sexual promiscuity.
For Israel, they were given extensive time to repent but they did not do so. They too were killing their children and practicing wild sexual promiscuity to the worship of these gods. So God, the God of all Gods, allowed Babylon to sack Jerusalem and carry off the people in exile.
But God being gracious, was going to forgive them. He was going to send a man named Cyrus that would deliver them. This was astounding as this is a prophecy in the future and at the time of writing Isaiah, it was a good 100 years away before this man would appear on scene. But he did and it happened.
Then God in chapter 45 says over and over that He alone is God. There are no others. And all the nations will one day acknowledge this.
“I am Yahweh, and there is no other; there is no God but Me, so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is no one but Me” (Is 45:5-6).
“The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush and the Sabeans…will confess to you: God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God” (Is 45:14).
“For this is what the LORD says–God is the Creator of the heavens. He formed the earth and made it. He established it; He did not create it to be empty but formed it to be inhabited–“I am Yahweh, and there is no other” (Is 45:18).
“There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is no one except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other” (Is 45:21-22).
Over and over and over Yahweh is saying there is no other God but me. Those gods you form with human hands? They are not God. They did not create the heavens and the earth. They did not speak of the things to come and that they would pass. And one day, all the nations that say that the gods made by human hands have power will come and acknowlege that Yahweh alone has power.
“Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. It will be said to Me: ; Righteousness and strength is only in the LORD” (Is 45:23-25; cf Php 2:1-10).
In the Eastern world we see “gods made by human hands” still paraded through the streets. But in the Western world these things still exist but less subtle.
Just like I started out with, the example of Mormonism where they believe there are billions of gods (polytheism) and that eternity is about having lots of sex with their many wives to produce a lot of spirit children. And if women don’t like it or don’t accept it they are just being selfish (Brigham Young) and they will be damned (says Joseph Smith). Though through government US pressure Wilson Woodruff worked with the LDS church to stop polygamy for now, although followers are still expected to practice this in the afterlife.
There’s another major faith that starts with “I” and ends with that has very similar beliefs. For men it will be a place where a man can have endless virgins and will have the physical stamina and ability to sexually take them. This is their “heaven.” And on earth you can get married for an hour to fulfill those lusts and since you are married, it isn’t considered wrong, and since you are married for only a short time, you aren’t obligated to be responsible.
And then there’s the very real god of Western secularism. It’s all the same. It’s the notion you can have sexual relations with anyone and everyone and if you get pregnant you can sacrifice your baby on the altar of convenience and “get rid of it” (aka kill it). This too is bad.
Do you see the theme? Sexual liberty without restraint. We don’t want God putting guidelines on our sex life so we create a God/religion in our own image. This is the same as the ancient gods. Is it any wonder if God brings judgment?
But God desires mercy and not sacrifice. He desires forgiveness and not judgment. But make no mistake, if there is not repentance, true repentance, he will have to bring judgment.
Thankfully for Israel, after a season of exile in Babylon he is going to extend his mercy to them through Cyrus. But those who look to other gods to save them? Good luck. Only God can save.
“Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives of the nations. Those who carry their wood idols, and pray to a god who cannot save, have no knowledge” (Is 45:20).
But for Israel who has a God who is powerful and loving,
“All the descendants of Israel will be justified and find glory through the LORD” (Is 45:25).
