“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. And the idols he shall utterly abolish.” (Isaiah 2:17,18)
Men often come to a place where they realize they need to part from their vices. What is harder for them to let go of is their supposed “virtues.” We’re not averse to losing our shame; but we cling to our glory. Whatever we glory in is our idol.
Our idol is the work of our hands. We fashion it of the silver and gold we have bought. It is what we are most proud of. Especially when we deem it be an original creation, (something that “we came up with,”) are we most loathe to let it fall out of our grip.
But only what God has wrought has any eternal glory. “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever …” (Eccl. 3:14) What does God advocate we do? He tells the proud man to “cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats …” (Isa. 2:20)
He tells His messenger to cry out:
“All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)
In the day when the Lord is alone exalted, all idols will be utterly abolished. The wise man will no longer glory in his wisdom; the mighty man will no longer glory in his might; and the rich man will no longer glory in his riches. Every man’s claim to fame will be cancelled. Man will finally “cease from man.” (Isa. 2:22)
The day of the Lord is that period of time when God’s judgment will be specifically directed against man’s pride. When the day of the Lord has reached its conclusion and Christ has ruled this earth for a thousand years, putting down every attempt of man to usurp God’s place, everlasting righteousness will be ushered in because God will be “all in all.” Oh happy day, when lifted up men and devils are finally put down, and an all-wise and alone glorious God is earth’s sole ruler. Pride will then cease to exist. True glory will then fill the land!