Isaiah 46:1-13: a reflection

1Bel bows down. Nebo stoops. Their idols are carried by animals, and on the livestock. The things that you carried around are heavy loads, a burden for the weary. 2They stoop and they bow down together. They could not deliver the burden, but they have gone into captivity. 3“Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, that have been carried from their birth, that have been carried from the womb. 4Even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear. Yes, I will carry, and will deliver. 5“To whom will you compare me, and consider my equal, and compare me, as if we were the same? 6Some pour out gold from the bag, and weigh silver in the balance. They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god. They fall down— yes, they worship. 7They bear it on their shoulder. They carry it, and set it in its place, and it stands there. It cannot move from its place. Yes, one may cry to it, yet it can not answer. It cannot save him out of his trouble. 8“Remember this, and show yourselves men. Bring it to mind again, you transgressors. 9Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me. 10I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11I call a ravenous bird from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. Yes, I have spoken. I will also bring it to pass. I have planned. I will also do it. 12Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness! 13I bring my righteousness near. It is not far off, and my salvation will not wait. I will grant salvation to Zion, my glory to Israel.

Isaiah draws a striking contrast between the idols, which have to be carried, a burden to the weary, and the true God, who carries his people, even to old age. The idols are a burden for the weary, Isaiah says; they could not deliver the burden, but have gone into captivity. But then God says: listen to me, house of Jacob, you who have been carried from birth. Even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry, and will deliver. The idols must be carried; they are a heavy load, unable even to save themselves. But the true God is not a burden we carry; he is the one who carries us, from birth to old age, bearing and delivering his people. This shows the contrast between idols we must carry and the God who carries us. Idols must be carried; God carries us. False gods are a burden; the true God bears us. God carries his people from birth to old age. Unlike idols, God bears us rather than needing to be borne.

Notice the sharp and beautiful contrast Isaiah draws. On one side are the idols: they must be carried, loaded onto animals, borne about on people's shoulders; they are a heavy burden, dead weight, and they cannot even save themselves, let alone anyone else. To have such gods is to carry a burden that gives nothing in return. But on the other side is the true God, and the contrast could not be greater. He is not a burden we carry; he is the one who carries us. From birth, he says, I have carried you; and even to old age and gray hairs, I will carry you still. I have made you, and I will bear you; I will carry and deliver. The true God does not need us to bear him; he bears us, throughout our lives, from beginning to end. This is a wonderful comfort. The false gods and idols we might trust, the substitutes for God, whatever they are, are ultimately burdens: they demand much, give little, and cannot finally help or save us; we end up carrying them. But the true God carries us. He has borne us from birth, and promises to bear us still, even to old age, even to our gray hairs, when we are weak and can no longer carry ourselves. We do not have to carry God; he carries us, all our lives, and will carry us to the end. God carries us all our lives, from birth to old age. Unlike idols that burden us, God bears us. When you are weak and cannot carry yourself, God carries you. Do not carry burdens that give nothing; rest in the God who bears you.

That is worth resting in, for unlike the idols that must be carried, the true God carries us, from birth to old age, bearing and delivering his people. We can trust in substitutes for God that are ultimately burdens, demanding much and giving little; but the true God is not a burden we carry, he is the one who carries us, from birth even to gray hairs. God bears us. When you are weak and cannot carry yourself, remember that God carries you, as he has from your birth and promises to the end. Rest in the truth that unlike the idols that must be carried, a burden to the weary and unable even to save themselves, the true God carries us, from birth even to old age and gray hairs, as Isaiah drew the striking contrast that the idols are a burden loaded onto animals and borne about, dead weight that cannot save even themselves, but the true God says, listen to me, you who have been carried from birth, even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you, for I have made, and I will bear, I will carry and will deliver; for the false gods and idols we might trust, the substitutes for God whatever they are, are ultimately burdens that demand much, give little, and cannot finally help or save us, so that we end up carrying them, but the true God carries us, having borne us from birth and promising to bear us still even to old age and gray hairs when we are weak and can no longer carry ourselves, so that we do not have to carry God but he carries us all our lives and will carry us to the end, and when we are weak and cannot carry ourselves we can rest in the God who bears us.

Lord, Isaiah draws a striking contrast between the idols, which have to be carried, a burden to the weary, and you, the true God, who carry your people, even to old age. The idols are a burden for the weary, Isaiah says; they could not deliver the burden, but have gone into captivity. But then you say: listen to me, house of Jacob, you who have been carried from birth. Even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry, and will deliver. The idols must be carried; they are a heavy load, unable even to save themselves. But you, the true God, are not a burden I carry; you are the one who carries me, from birth to old age, bearing and delivering your people. Show me the sharp and beautiful contrast Isaiah draws. On one side are the idols: they must be carried, borne about on people's shoulders; they are dead weight, and cannot even save themselves. To have such gods is to carry a burden that gives nothing in return. But on the other side are you, the true God, and the contrast could not be greater. You are not a burden I carry; you are the one who carries me. From birth, you say, I have carried you; and even to old age and gray hairs, I will carry you still. This is a wonderful comfort. The false gods and idols I might trust, the substitutes for you, are ultimately burdens: they demand much, give little, and cannot finally help me; I end up carrying them. But you carry me. You have borne me from birth, and promise to bear me still, even to old age, when I am weak and can no longer carry myself. Take that to my heart, for unlike the idols that must be carried, you carry me, all my life, from birth to old age. When I am weak and cannot carry myself, help me remember that you carry me, Lord, as you have from my birth and promise to the end; keep me from carrying burdens that give nothing, and let me rest in you, who bear me.