Neville Goddard on Isaiah 44:12-17 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Isaiah 44 in context

Scripture Focus

12The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

13The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

14He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

15Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

16He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:

17And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.

Isaiah 44:12-17

Biblical Context

The passage describes a craftsman making images from wood and metal, then using part of the material for warmth and food, and finally worshipping the remaining image as a god, illustrating false worship and the futility of external idols.

Neville's Inner Vision

The account of the smith and the carpenter is a symbol of the states you harbor within. The image you fashion from coals and planes is not merely a wooden figure; it is a belief you have tacitly treated as life. You burn part of your creation as warmth and nourishment, using energy to feed and satisfy a hunger that you mistake for security. Yet as you fall down before the copy, you cry, Deliver me, for thou art my god. In that cry you confess that power resides in an image, not in the living I AM. Neville’s teaching would say: the idol is a projection of your inner assumption, a memory of a past state you continue to worship. The true God is the I AM, the witness of all you see, the awareness that does the sensing and the choosing. When you awaken to this, the idol is seen as a signpost, not a ruler, and you can set it down. The image’s function is to point to a past state you are ready to leave behind, not a final authority. The inner reality is constant; the outer image is transient. The moment you return to the I AM, the idol loses its grip and you stand in silent deliverance.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and assume the I AM as your present, unconditioned awareness. When an idol appears, revise it by saying, I am the source of all power, and feel that presence until doubt dissolves.