Isaiah 2:17, commentary and pictures

Isaiah 2:17 describes the great day of the Lord of hosts, the day of His vengeance and coming judgment when He arises to shake terribly the earth, when human pride will be brought down and He alone will be lifted up. That day comes upon everyone that is proud and lofty, from kings and nobles to rich and poor alike, and those unprepared to meet Him in peace are filled with consternation because human power and self-importance cannot stand. In fear of Him and the glory of His majesty, people will abandon their idols of silver and gold to the moles and bats until they are utterly abolished, and flee into holes of the rocks and caves of the earth to hide. The great day is at hand, even at the door, so the warning must be studied carefully before it is too late, and man whose breath is in his nostrils is to cease from and not be accounted of. The Lord God of heaven alone measures every character without mistake by willing obedience to the laws of His kingdom, so the flattery and praise of men are of little value, and Christ's religion lays low human pride by subduing selfishness and transforming the mind and affections.

The Coming Day of Judgment

The verse describes the day of God, the great day of the Lord of hosts, the day of His vengeance and coming judgment. It is the time when He arises to shake terribly the earth. That day comes upon everyone that is proud and lofty, upon all the high cedars and oaks and upon all mountains and hills. When the Lord comes, those unprepared to meet Him in peace are filled with consternation.

In that day all human loftiness is bowed down and all haughtiness is made low. Human pride and greatness are brought low, while the Lord alone is exalted. In fear of the Lord and the glory of His majesty, people abandon their idols of silver and gold. They cast them to the moles and to the bats so that idols are utterly abolished, and they go into the holes of the rocks and the caves of the earth to hide and seek refuge from His majesty.

The humbling will reach everyone from kings and nobles to rich and poor alike. God's withering plagues will fall, and human power and self-importance cannot stand but must bow before Him. What the verse outlines belongs to increasing warfare between the army carrying out Satan's planning and the army upholding God's will, preparing for the last great battle. It will certainly come to pass with increasing war and bloodshed and confusion of nations, with one seeking to outdo the other for possession.

The verse is set in the testing of the church's faith in the final conflict. It commands to cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for he is not to be accounted of.

Warning and Humble Obedience

The great day is at hand, even at the door, and therefore must be studied carefully and warned about before it is too late. In that day everything proud and lofty will be brought low, the loftiness of man will be bowed down and the haughtiness of men will be made low, and the Lord alone will be exalted when He arises to shake terribly the earth. It is a warning to those who had great light yet chose unbelief until they cannot tell light from darkness.

The Lord God of heaven alone measures every character and the value of every man without mistake by willing obedience to the laws of His kingdom. Therefore the flattery and praise of men are of little value and self-flattery is dangerous, for they will avail nothing in the perils coming upon the world while the last call of mercy is being made to a guilty world. Satan is the great flatterer and seducer, and now is the accepted time and day of salvation to seek present and eternal good by obedience to God. That obedience means walking with uncorrupted loyalty as His separate and holy people formed to show forth His praises, in the day of the Lord of hosts upon everyone proud and lofty and upon all high cedars, oaks, mountains and hills, when fear of the Lord and the glory of His majesty drive men into holes of rocks and caves of the earth to cast their idols of silver and gold to the moles and bats until idols are utterly abolished, and commands to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils for he is not to be accounted of.

Christ's religion lays low human pride by subduing selfishness and transforming the mind and affections, so that God alone is exalted. The same bringing down of human pride and loftiness reaches the pride of a family that has departed from Him, so that He alone is exalted. Misuse of means and refusal to return to God can lead to humbling and poverty.