God Wants Us to Celebrate Him and What He’s Done for Us
As Isaiah moves forward in his sweeping prophecy, he devotes a section to the city of Tyre. Tyre is a city of prominence, a center of trade and commerce.
God doesn’t like their self-sufficiency and that they take pride in what they have become.
Isaiah warns them of their coming destruction. He emphatically ends his prophecy for them, saying that God has planned this because he wants to bring down the pride of their splendor.
In fact, he desires to humble all who are renowned (Isaiah 23:9). This describes the arrogance of the city of Tyre. They’re going down.
Pride Sets Us Up for Failure
In Proverbs Solomon writes that pride brings about destruction and haughtiness leads to a great fall (Proverbs 16:18). King Solomon is right.
We unwisely elevate ourselves when we take pride in our skills, status, or inherent characteristics without acknowledging God who is behind it.
We glory in ourselves and not our creator who made us. He created us to be who we are and granted us his favor. Misplacing our confidence in ourselves sets us up for a fall. Pride prepares us for failure.
Instead Boast in the Lord
To the church in Corinth, Paul reminds his friends that if they’re to boast in anything it should be in God (1 Corinthians 1:31). We should boast in God’s character, in his love, and in his power.
God is worthy of our boasting. In sharing this reminder, Paul paraphrases Jeremiah 9:24. So, Jeremiah said it first and Paul reminds us that we should boast only in God. That is, we are to glory in the Lord.
Our egocentric society celebrates self-accomplishment and elevates the individual. This is far from what God has in mind. God wants us to celebrate him and what he’s done for us. He wants us to elevate him and not ourselves.
[Read through the Bible this year. Today’s reading is Isaiah 21-24, and today’s post is on Isaiah 23:9.]
Read more about the book of Isaiah in For Unto Us: 40 Prophetic Insights About Jesus, Justice, and Gentiles from the Prophet Isaiah available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.