Isaiah 40:20
“He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Even those with few resources will sacrifice what little they have to construct an idol, seeking permanence in wood.
Context
This verse extends the critique to those with fewer means. Babylonian religious practice included both wealthy temples with elaborate sculpture and household idols of modest craft. Isaiah's eye takes in both extremes.
What Does Isaiah 40:20 Mean?
Isaiah's satire deepens with compassion. A poor man cannot afford gold or silver, so he looks for a tree that will endure, that will not decay and betray his investment. He pays a skilled craftsman to carve it, to stabilize it so it will not topple. There is pathos in this picture: even the impoverished, especially the impoverished, pour their meager wealth into something that cannot help them. The fundamental irony remains untouched by poverty or wealth: they seek in a tree, in carved wood, what they cannot find in the living God who has not abandoned them.
In contrast, Jesus came with nothing, owned nothing, and taught his followers to seek first the kingdom of God, assuring them that all necessary things would be added. He offers himself not as a permanent carved monument but as a living presence in the Spirit. The God Isaiah speaks of cannot be purchased with oblations or secured with craftsmanship. He gives himself freely, to rich and poor alike.
Application
We may recognize the impulse to invest our security in things we can see and control. Whether we have much or little, we can feel the pressure to craft our own god, our own source of stability. Isaiah invites us to consider what we are pouring ourselves into and whether it can truly answer our deepest need. The God of Jesus Christ does not ask for our oblations; he asks for our trust.