Isaiah 2:17-22: a reflection

17The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the arrogance of men shall be brought low; and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 18The idols shall utterly pass away. 19Men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily. 20In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, 21to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily. 22Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?

As the prophet foretells a day when human pride will be humbled and the LORD alone exalted, he draws a plain conclusion for how we should live now: Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he? Human beings, however impressive, are frail, their breath in their nostrils, here today and gone tomorrow; to put our ultimate trust in them, in their power or promises or protection, is to lean on what cannot finally hold us. The day is coming when all human loftiness will be bowed down and the LORD alone exalted; so the wise course now is to stop trusting in frail humanity and to trust the God who alone endures. Man is frail, his breath in his nostrils; God alone is worthy of our ultimate trust.

Notice the conclusion the prophet draws: stop trusting in frail man; trust God. Human beings, however impressive their power or position, are frail, their breath in their nostrils, soon gone. To place our ultimate trust in them, as though they could finally secure us, is to lean on what cannot hold. The prophet does not say we may not rely on others at all, but that we must not put in frail humanity the ultimate trust that belongs to God alone. The day comes when all human loftiness is humbled and the LORD alone exalted; so it is folly to trust ultimately in what will be brought low, and wisdom to trust the God who alone endures. Our ultimate trust is safe only in God, not in frail man whose breath is in his nostrils. To trust in man for what only God can give is to lean on a broken reed.

That is worth taking to heart, for our ultimate trust belongs to God alone, not to frail humanity. We can put our ultimate trust in people, in their power, their promises, their protection, leaning on them as though they could finally secure us; but the prophet warns, stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils. Human beings are frail and soon gone; God alone endures and is worthy of our ultimate trust. Do not place in frail humanity the ultimate trust that belongs to God alone; trust the God who endures, not man whose breath is in his nostrils. Place your ultimate trust in God, who alone endures, rather than in frail humanity, as the prophet warned, stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for of what account is he; for human beings, however impressive, are frail and soon gone, and to lean on them for what only God can give is to trust a broken reed, while God alone is worthy of the ultimate trust that steadies us.

Lord, as the prophet foretells a day when human pride will be humbled and you alone exalted, he draws a plain conclusion for how we should live now: stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he? Human beings, however impressive, are frail, their breath in their nostrils, here today and gone tomorrow; to put our ultimate trust in them, in their power or promises or protection, is to lean on what cannot finally hold us. The day is coming when all human loftiness will be bowed down and you alone exalted; so the wise course now is to stop trusting in frail humanity and to trust you, who alone endures. Show me the conclusion the prophet draws: stop trusting in frail man; trust God. Human beings, however impressive their power or position, are frail, their breath in their nostrils, soon gone. To place my ultimate trust in them, as though they could finally secure me, is to lean on what cannot hold. The prophet does not say I may not rely on others at all, but that I must not put in frail humanity the ultimate trust that belongs to you alone. Our ultimate trust is safe only in you. Take that to my heart, for my ultimate trust belongs to you alone, not to frail humanity. I can put my ultimate trust in people, in their power, their promises, their protection, leaning on them as though they could finally secure me; but the prophet warns, stop trusting in man. Human beings are frail and soon gone; you alone endure. Keep me from placing in frail humanity the ultimate trust that belongs to you alone; help me trust you, Lord, who alone endures, rather than man whose breath is in his nostrils.