Lesson 330: “Monuments"
The definition of a monument is something set up to keep alive the memory of a person or event. The question here is whether or not the “building” where you worship is only to keep alive the “memory” of your Lord and Savior and His Death and Resurrection or a place to truly worship and teach about the LIVING GOD.
Isaiah 63:7 through 65:25 is a section in the book of Isaiah that records a pathetic prayer of the Jewish remnant and the Lord’s appropriate response. The prophet Isaiah was speaking to the exiles in Babylon who viewed their situation as hopeless. They were not able to sense how God could possibly help them in their distress. They did, however, remember God bringing His people out of Egypt and this encouraged them to pray for their deliverance out of Babylonian bondage. They asked God to be compassionate toward them and punish their enemies. They promised to tell of the Lord’s goodness in the past even though they had rebelled against Him.
The remnant would beg God to look down on them and remember their plight just as He remembered the distress of their forefathers in the wilderness. They too had rebelled but God brought their “remnant” into the Promised Land. God had used Moses like a shepherd to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. He led them through the sea and gave them rest and guidance. Yet, here in Isaiah, they were wondering if this same mighty God could help them. God’s reputation was well known but it had been a very long time since the people had been in a proper relationship with Him and His theocratic rule over them. The righteous remnant confessed to the nation’s sin of spiritual uncleanness, weakness and lack of prayer. The final part of the prayer was a confession of trust in the Lord. The remnant addressed God as their Father and their Potter.
The Lord’s answer was that their sin had caused their distress. Constantly reaching out to Israel, God had revealed Himself to those who did not even ask for that revelation. Only because of grace did He do so, even calling out to them. Here I am! Yet, they did not respond! He held out His Hands to help them but they continued to be stubborn, independent and evil. They provoked God by worshiping in pagan gardens, being involved in necromancy while sitting among the monuments and being religiously arrogant. They became as repulsive and irritating to God as smoke in a person’s nostrils.
The passages in Isaiah are describing the Millennial Kingdom and God is pictured figuratively as sitting on a throne with the earth as His footstool (Isa. 6:1, Acts 7:49). The time of Isaiah is in the past and the time of the Millennium is in the present but our God is on His throne today and the earth is His to use as a footstool if He chooses. Just like in Isaiah God is constantly reaching out to His people and revealing Himself to those who listen and see and those who refuse to listen and see. God’s reputation is well known but it has been a very long time since some have had a relationship with Him.
One might also note that a monument is a “pile of stones” that covers the grave of the dead. Pray that the building in which you worship the living God is not filled with the dead in Spirit. Jesus said: “Woe to you teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones”. In the same way on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matt. 23:27-28). I understand God to send this same warning in the book of Isaiah when He asked: “Should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living” (Isa. 8:19)? If you are concerned about what to do in your church, ask God for wisdom (James 1:5-6), do not just listen to the Word but do as it says (James 2:22), do not tolerate false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1-3) and do not pretend to be alive when you are really dead because God knows the difference between alive and dead (Rev. 3:1). Wake up (Rev. 3:2)! Kick Jezebel out (Rev. 2:20)! “Yes, I am coming soon” (Rev. 22:20)!