Chasing the Wrong God

“Who was it you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and didn’t remember Me or take it to heart? Have I not kept silent for such a long time and you do not fear Me? I will expose your righteousness, and your works — they will not profit you. When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you! The wind will carry all of them off, a breath will take them away. But whoever takes refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain. He said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from My people’s way.” For the High and Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.” (Isaiah‬ ‭57‬:‭11‬-‭15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

Have you ever searched for some store, address or location and then followed the instructions only to realize it took you to the wrong place? I have my home and work addresses saved on my phone as a part of my profile. Whenever I use my map app to guide me home it always takes me to a location one mile east of my actual home. The address is correct but the “smart phone” app isn’t very smart because the result is not the correct location. I know, you’re probably wondering why I need an app to tell me how to get home? I don’t, but I use it to get traffic alerts and accident reports so I can reroute and get home safely and on time. 

While we may know the way to our homes, we often need help finding our way to God. This week’s focal passage is all about taking the wrong route and getting lost in our attempts to find Him. Like my GPS woes above, too many folks rely on faulty instructions in their search for God. They may rely on their own knowledge and experience, they may rely on a trusted friend or even cultural and social media influence. But none of those things are necessarily good sources for such an important relationship. If you’re searching for God then go to the source, ask Him for directions. I’m certain that if I know the way to my home then He knows the way to His home. 

While I didn’t quote the entire passage above, go here to read Isaiah 57:3-21. In verses 3-13, Isaiah is denouncing the people’s tendency to incorporate paganism and foreign cultural practices into their daily lives and worship. God is intent on making a people who seek and love Him above anything and everything this world has to offer. Yes, most especially loving Him more than we love even ourselves. That is the ultimate struggle.

First, He calls them out on their intimate relationship with these pagan religions. They are children of witches and offspring of an adulterous affair. Rebellious brats who stick out their tongues at Him, mocking Him and calling Him a liar. The verses that follow are laden with sexual references and innuendos. They’ve sacrificed their souls on the altar of hedonistic pleasure and sexual gratification. There is a stark contrast between the righteous men of verses 1-2 and these rebellious, mocking children.

In this instance, the children of these godless cults and pagan religions are mocking the God of the universe. This isn’t as far fetched as it may seem. In many ways, this mirrors what we see today. Those who pursue a righteous relationship with God through faith in Jesus are being mocked and laughed at for their faith. Our trust in the authority of God and His Word is being openly attacked and put to the test. The question is whether we will remain faithful and obedient to God or if we will give into the pressure our peers and our culture is putting upon us. Will we be righteous men and women, faithful to our God or will we give in, abandon Biblical teaching and deny the truth of the Gospel?

I mentioned above that these verses are full of sexual references and innuendos and that this should be a warning to our generation. Some of God’s people have abandoned truth and righteousness and are embracing pagan sexual practices and child sacrifice to foreign gods. We tend to think the challenges we face with modern Christianity are new. They aren’t, they’re the same lies the deceiver has been telling for thousands of years. He still tries to lure God’s people into disobedience with just a new coat of paint on an old lie: 1) you’ll only be happy when you give into your lusts and desires; 2) you’ll never be happy unless you sacrifice your children to me so you can live however you please. 

But somewhat hidden in these verses is a truth you can easily overlook. The phrase “your portion is among the smooth stones of the wadi; indeed they are your lot” is a subtle but intentional slap in the face to God’s people. Your portion and your lot are clear references to the fulfilled promises of God for His people while the smooth stone is a play on words. It is referencing the inability of an idol to provide what only God can give and the slippery nature of worshiping a rock you can gather from any ravine or creek bed. In other words, these false gods can’t give you what you really need or want and worshiping a rock is foolishness and will only cause you to slip and fall.

That’s a lesson they needed to hear, but it’s also one we need to hear. The sexual freedom and gender identity that our society believes will bring healing and hope for a confused generation is built on nothing but lies and deception. It is incapable of bringing the peace of mind they seek and will simply leave them broken and more confused. God did not put boundaries around our sexual expression to suppress us but to guide, direct and empower us. We will only find freedom in following His guidelines and we become slaves to our broken desires when we reject them. We are not defined by our gender identity or our lack thereof. We were created in God’s image and we will find our identify only in Him.

But there’s one other issue I feel the need to address, the allure of pornography. Listen, “You have set up your memorial behind the door and the doorpost. For away from Me, you stripped, went up, and made your bed wide, and you have made a bargain for yourself with them. You have loved their bed; you have gazed upon their genitals. You went to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your couriers far away and sent them down even to Sheol. You became weary on your many journeys, but you did not say, ‘I give up!’ You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak. Who was it you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and didn’t remember Me or take it to heart? Have I not kept silent for such a long time and you do not fear Me?”

In case you didn’t understand the graphic description, these Israelites had begun participating in pagan religious rites that included sexual perversion and actions as a part of the worship rituals. Instead of loving God above everything in their lives and gazing on His holiness, they “have loved their bed; and gazed on their genitals.” Is it possible to have fallen any further away from the LORD? Could their worship be any more offensive to Him? They sacrifice their children and perform lewd sexual acts in worship of pagan gods.

The anonymity of the Internet has fueled an epidemic of pornography addiction and it has infiltrated the church. While Barna research shows that over half of all Christian men view pornography on a regular basis, other research from Pure Desire Ministries (https://puredesire.org) indicates that the number may be closer to 64% of men but also includes 40% of Christian women. I realize that this is a difficult topic to discuss in private let alone bring up in a Sunday sermon, but the scripture is emphatic and the numbers don’t lie. Obviously, we have to be more vocal about the impact and more intentional about confronting addressing this issue. If this issue is impacting you or your family, get help. I’ve included a link to Pure Desire Ministries, above.

The power pornography, sexual addiction and sexual sin holds over people is strengthened by secrecy. Notice in our text, they had setup a memorial behind the door and doorpost. This is another veiled condemnation at disobedient Israelites. Not hidden to them, but hidden to us if we fail to understand. The “memorial” that each home was expected to have was one that reminded them of God’s love and God’s Word based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬-‭9‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

Instead of having a memorial to God’s word and His love for them on display above and surrounding the door, they had setup a memorial behind the door to their shameful sexual sins. Instead of being reminded of God’s word and His laws, they were remembering their lust, disgusting actions and sick, religious perversion. When you hide your actions or conceal your thoughts and desires then you know they are an affront to your Holy God. But this is more, so much more than just an affront to God. This is an abomination to His holiness, His glory and His name. These people are publicly claiming to be God’s people, while they are secretly worshiping pagan gods through sexual acts and prostitution in a pagan temple.

You aren’t just living a private life by publicly claiming to serve the LORD of glory while secretly worshiping a pagan god through sexual acts. You are denying His sovereignty, you are declaring His word to be a lie, you are rejecting His glory as an illusion, you are saying He is unworthy of your love, devotion and obedience. You can’t honestly claim to walk with God and live like this. You can’t claim to love God above anything else and live like this. 

Listen, I get it. We all make mistakes. We all make poor choices. Not one of us is perfect. But to make excuses for consistently living in rebellion towards God is not a one-time mistake, it isn’t a poor choice at a weak time in your life. It’s a lifestyle and that means you need to check your heart, you need to examine whether you truly have surrendered to the LORD of life. If you consistently live as if your will, your way, your wants and desires are the most important factors in your decisions then you are not pursuing righteousness, you aren’t walking with God. You’ve struck out on your own journey, your own path. What you’re doing in secret might be hidden from some, but it isn’t hidden from God. He knows the choices you’re making in secret, the lifestyle you’re living behind closed doors and anonymously on the Internet. It’s time to stop hiding from Him and fall in sincere, humble contrition before Him.

“If we say, ‘We have fellowship with Him,’ yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

Next, notice those who have struck out on their own journey, their own search for the meaning of life and personal happiness: “You went to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your couriers far away and send them down even to Sheol. You became weary on your many journeys, but you did not [or would not] say, ‘I give up!’ You found a [temporary] renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak. Who was it you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and didn’t remember Me or take it to heart? Have I not kept silent for such a long time and you do not fear Me?”

These words appear to be directed towards Judah’s leadership and is probably referencing their perceived need for Egypt’s help that we talked about way, way back in the first section of our study in Isaiah. They’re trying to buy their king’s military support with lavish gifts, oil and perfumes. They keep searching for a human solution for their weakened military stance and inability to withstand the growing threat. The dread and fear of that growing threat has led them to take steps that reveal their true feelings towards God. They’ve lied about their love for Him, they are not remembering His past provision through the memorial of His word upon their doorposts. Instead, they are giving themselves to these pagan gods through ritualistic sexual acts and lewd memorials, enlarging their beds and gazing in lust upon the naked bodies.

While these words may be directed towards Judah’s leaders, we must not miss its implications for our own lives. In many ways, we are guilty of depending on “pagan gods” to assuage our fears, to calm our doubts and to silence our cries. We sense a gathering storm that seems to be directed against our faith and beliefs. Yet, instead of turning towards our mighty God for strength and courage to face that growing threat, we look to men who make empty promises. We seek and make human alliances and cultural compromises to stem the growing tide of hostility towards our faith and our churches. Listen to His words: “Who was it you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and didn’t remember Me or take it to heart?”

Finally, God is going to expose their righteousness, and their works. There’s a heavy, heavy dose of sarcasm in those words. He will expose their righteousness and works for what they REALLY are, nothing that can ever benefit or profit them. In other words, their righteousness and works are empty and have absolutely no value in their relationship with God. When the people cry out, and they will, then He will step aside and simply let their collection of idols respond, which they can’t. Why? Because they have no substance, no power, no ability to save them. The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will take them away.

I’m writing these words from our youth summer camp, Falls Creek. I’ve had the privilege of sharing a Bible study each morning with our group. This morning I told them, “If God is incapable of providing for our every need, then he is unworthy of our love and devotion. But if He’s capable of providing for our every need and He’s willing to do so, then He’s worthy of our deepest love and our eternal devotion. Pursue Him with everything that’s in you!” 

Are you chasing after the wrong god? Our world offers up many options and choices for us to pick from. For many, it is the god of self-sufficiency or self-reliance. For others, it is the god sensual pleasure or financial success. For many, it is the god of recognition, applause and fame. For many in our culture, it is the god of self-defining-identity. But none of them are capable of giving their adherents what they truly seek, wholeness.

Let me ask you, “Who is this God you seek? Is He capable of meeting your every need? Is He able to defeat every enemy you face?” If He is, then why are you looking elsewhere for what you need, why are you looking to the world to fulfill your desires? He ends this passage with these words: “Whoever takes refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.” That’s Old Testament language for “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matt. 6:33)

The only person who is able to make you whole, is the one who made you – the God of creation, the maker of the universe, the great I AM. He has revealed Himself to us in Jesus and He offers us the bread of life, the living water, the light of the world. He offers us HIMSELF and He’s capable and willing to provide what you truly need. I hope you’ll trust Him, today.