Isaiah 2:17 “And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”
I love Colorado. On a recent vacation there, my family and I enjoyed visiting the city of Leadville. Since the town sits over 2 miles above sea level (10,000-plus feet), it is nearly impossible to impress anyone from Leadville! For instance, I love the Ranch property here in Middle Tennessee. Scales Mountain, which is located on the Ranch, is one of the highest spots in the county. But do you think it is worth trying to impress a neighbor in Leadville with a 600-foot elevation? There is no comparison!
On the other hand, while driving to Colorado, I passed through Kansas. I would describe it in one word: flat. In Kansas, you will see several grain elevators and farming equipment. Those grain elevators look enormous compared to the flat farmland below!
“Brother Wil,” you say, “this is a neat geography lesson, but what does this have to do with Isaiah 2:17?” Well, I’m glad you asked! How you view your surroundings depends on your perspective-it is a matter of comparison. A person in Leadville, Colorado, probably won’t be impressed because of their city’s lofty elevation; but a grain elevator in Kansas looks huge when compared to the flat ground it sits on.
Isaiah 2:2 says, referring to God’s future Millennial Kingdom, that “in the last days . . . [it] shall be exalted above the hills.” But according to verses 6-8, God’s people were full of self-pleasing, silver and gold, horses, chariots, and idols. They found “success” in many things, but they lost the most important thing-God. They exalted themselves, but the Lord promises in verses 11-12 that the “lofty,” “proud,” and those who are “lifted up” will be “brought low” because “the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”
What is exalted is contrasted with its surroundings. How high something appears is relative to what is around it. What this truth means for us today is that God cannot be exalted if you are.
I recently browsed a book written in the 1980s about entertainment in our churches. The author proposes that preaching has been replaced by entertaining, and he says that the preacher has led the way as the “star of the show.” This author did not get it all right, but he did make an interesting observation about our perspective and God’s. When you exalt yourself, you are ruining the distinction between God and yourself.
Sometimes, in exalting ourselves, we are guilty of lowering other people. We think that doing so helps lift us up. But the truth is, “that day” spoken of in Isaiah 2 is coming. Are you being exalted, or is God being exalted? You cannot and you should not share the stage with God. The right perspective we need today is the perspective John the Baptist had: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
Prayer Requests:
– Revival service tonight in Flagstaff, AZ