This verse warns believers against the temptation to forsake God for worldly security: a life of devotion to false gods leads to judgment.
“But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and who fill cups with mixed wine for Destiny” (v. 11). This verse depicts a tragic contrast: there are people among God’s covenant community who disregard Him and the sacred space He set apart—His holy mountain, understood to be Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of the LORD’s presence and the heart of worship in the Kingdom of Judah. By forgetting His holy mountain, they abandon their dependence on the LORD and instead devote themselves to foreign deities. They “set a table for Fortune and fill cups with mixed wine for Destiny,” engaging in pagan rituals not prescribed by God. Such pagan practices, like fortune-telling or sorcery, often relied on satanic sources for guidance, which is strictly forbidden among God’s people. In the days of the prophet Micah, the LORD similarly warned that sorceries and fortune-tellers would be cut off from Israel, wiping away all traces of pagan worship that led His people astray.
In the ancient Near East, worshipping idols for “Fortune” and “Destiny” reflected a desire to control life’s outcome by appeasing these false gods. By adopting these practices, the people forsook the living God who had delivered them from Egypt and established them in the Promised Land. Instead of trusting in His sovereignty, they relied on their own cunning or pagan rites to secure success. Such disobedience constituted spiritual adultery, as God’s covenant with Israel required His people to worship Him alone (Exodus 20:3). The phrase “who forget My holy mountain” echoes the grief of the LORD in other passages, where He laments that His chosen people have trusted in man-made idols rather than in Him.
Yet, Isaiah and other prophets repeatedly affirm that the LORD is compassionate toward those who turn back to Him in faith. Through the Messiah, God promises to restore pure worship and eliminate the reliance on foreign gods, idols, and pagan rituals. Just as Micah’s prophecy envisaged removing sorceries from Israel, Isaiah’s message shows that those who leave behind their devotion to false powers will find mercy and redemption.
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Isaiah 65:11 meaning
“But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and who fill cups with mixed wine for Destiny” (v. 11). This verse depicts a tragic contrast: there are people among God’s covenant community who disregard Him and the sacred space He set apart—His holy mountain, understood to be Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of the LORD’s presence and the heart of worship in the Kingdom of Judah. By forgetting His holy mountain, they abandon their dependence on the LORD and instead devote themselves to foreign deities. They “set a table for Fortune and fill cups with mixed wine for Destiny,” engaging in pagan rituals not prescribed by God. Such pagan practices, like fortune-telling or sorcery, often relied on satanic sources for guidance, which is strictly forbidden among God’s people. In the days of the prophet Micah, the LORD similarly warned that sorceries and fortune-tellers would be cut off from Israel, wiping away all traces of pagan worship that led His people astray.
In the ancient Near East, worshipping idols for “Fortune” and “Destiny” reflected a desire to control life’s outcome by appeasing these false gods. By adopting these practices, the people forsook the living God who had delivered them from Egypt and established them in the Promised Land. Instead of trusting in His sovereignty, they relied on their own cunning or pagan rites to secure success. Such disobedience constituted spiritual adultery, as God’s covenant with Israel required His people to worship Him alone (Exodus 20:3). The phrase “who forget My holy mountain” echoes the grief of the LORD in other passages, where He laments that His chosen people have trusted in man-made idols rather than in Him.
Yet, Isaiah and other prophets repeatedly affirm that the LORD is compassionate toward those who turn back to Him in faith. Through the Messiah, God promises to restore pure worship and eliminate the reliance on foreign gods, idols, and pagan rituals. Just as Micah’s prophecy envisaged removing sorceries from Israel, Isaiah’s message shows that those who leave behind their devotion to false powers will find mercy and redemption.