What is the meaning of Isaiah 2:22? Put no more trust in man Isaiah begins with a blunt command: “Put no more trust in man.” The Lord had just warned Judah that human pride would be leveled (Isaiah 2:11–17). In light of that coming humbling: • Psalm 118:8–9 reminds us, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man…princes.” • Jeremiah 17:5 echoes the danger: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength.” • Proverbs 3:5 shifts the focus: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.” The verse therefore calls believers to exchange self-reliance and hero-worship for wholehearted confidence in the Lord alone. Human leaders, however gifted, cannot provide the security, wisdom, or salvation God offers. Who has only the breath in his nostrils The reason not to rely on people is their frailty. Humanity’s life-support system boils down to borrowed breath: • Genesis 2:7 shows God as the source: He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” • Job 34:14–15 points out how fragile that gift is: if God withdrew His breath, “all flesh would perish together.” • Psalm 146:3–4 warns, “Do not put your trust in princes…when his breath departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.” People may appear strong, but every inhalation proves their absolute dependence on God’s moment-by-moment sustenance. Of what account is he? Since mankind is so transient, Scripture asks, “Of what account is he?” The implied answer: next to nothing, apart from God. • Isaiah 40:15, 17 says nations are “a drop in a bucket…less than nothing and empty.” • Psalm 8:4 wonders, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” God values people, yet we must remember our smallness. • James 4:14 underscores life’s brevity: “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” The verse humbles arrogance, dismantles celebrity culture, and re-centers worth on the Creator rather than the creature. summary Isaiah 2:22 urges God’s people to stop leaning on fallible humans and start leaning fully on the Lord. Because every person’s life depends on a single, fragile breath, human strength offers no lasting security. By exposing humanity’s fleeting nature, the verse redirects confidence toward the eternal, all-sufficient God—the only One worthy of absolute trust. |
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