READING: ZCIsaiah 13-19
Scholars debate whether Isaiah 14 refers to the fall of Satan behind the fall of the king of Babylon, but the text definitely helps us look into the heart of the Babylonian king. What we see there is the almost unbelievable power of the human ego.
This human king would, he said, set up his throne above the stars of God, ascend to the highest clouds, and be like the Most High (Isa 14:13-14). He made himself deity in his own mind and apparently expected others to see him that way as well. He would learn otherwise when God brought him low, but the end of the story does not change its beginning.
Ego. It’s powerful.
And, whether we want to admit it, we all wrestle with it. Our words may not be as blatant as the king’s, and our aspirations may not be as lofty as his—but we nevertheless sometimes want recognition, power, and honor. To deny that fact is to do the opposite: prove ego’s presence in our own lives.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: How much do you wrestle with ego?
PRAYER: “God, help me to read my own heart with honesty, even when the truth hurts.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Isaiah 20-25