Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?
– Isaiah 2:22
What a verse to end this chapter in Isaiah, as God is telling his people to look to him, and trust in him, and fear him, and worship him, and not other gods. Then specifically here in Isaiah 2:22, not other people.
Isaiah 2:22 is a calling to lay aside the fear of man.
You just think about how this verse is calling us to view people today. Obviously, it doesn’t mean we don’t think about people, care for people, love people. We know that’s one of the greatest commandments God has given us, to love others, to love men and women as ourselves. But Isaiah 2:22 is telling us, God is saying, stop regarding man. In other words, stop fearing people and what they can do to you. Stop living for the approval of people. Stop putting your trust ultimately in people. Instead, fear God alone. Instead, live for the approval and applause and praise, and honor of God alone. Trust in God alone.
There’s just so many different applications of this verse in our lives to make sure to keep people in proper perspective. They’re just people, so don’t fear them. Don’t live for what they think about you, what they might say about you, or in fear of what they might do to you. Don’t ultimately put your trust in them. Instead, see God supremely as the one who is worthy of your fear, your trust, and live for what he thinks, and what he says, and what he sees alone.
Isaiah 2:22 calls us to live God-centered lives.
Oh God, we pray that you would deliver each of us from man-centered perspectives. God, we pray that you would help us to live with our eyes fixed on you, centered on you, and everything we do. We pray that you would help us to fear no one and nothing but you alone. Help us to live today for you alone, for what you think, what you see in light of what you say about us. God, help us to trust ultimately in you alone, to put all of our hope in you, to seek you as the source of our joy and our peace and our life, and not to put that kind of pressure on anyone else in whose nostrils is breath that you give them.
Oh God, we pray. Help us to live God centered lives today, and free us from man-centeredness, including, of course, self-centeredness. Instead, oh God, help us to live, to point people around us, men and women around us, children around us, to you as the one who is supreme and supremely worthy of their fear and trust and hope and worship.
Oh God, we pray that you’d help us to encourage other followers of Jesus with this reality today. Help us to point those who are not followers of Jesus to you today. God, we pray that your glory would spread to all peoples, all men, women, and children in the world.
Prayer for the Tianba Nosu People
We intercede today for the Tianba Nosu people of China, this remote people group that worships all kinds of different gods and spirits, among whom there may not be any followers of Jesus right now. God, we pray that the Tianba Nosu people would be reached with the good news of who you are as the only one who is worthy of all their trust forever as the God who is supreme over all the gods and spirits, and people that they might look to or trust in or worship. We pray that the name of Jesus would be made known among the Tianba Nosu people. Pray all of this in light of your Word in Isaiah 2:22. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
