Isaiah 65:11

What does Isaiah 65:11 mean?

This verse describes people who have turned away from God and are instead investing their hope and resources in false gods, specifically Fortune and Destiny. In Isaiah's time, these were actual deities that people worshipped, preparing ritual meals and drinks as offerings in hopes of gaining favor or good luck. The image of "preparing a table" shows real devotion, real effort, real appetite for spiritual connection, just directed in the wrong place. What makes this passage poignant is the contrast: these same people have "forgotten" God's holy mountain, suggesting that turning away wasn't accidental or forced, but a choice. They've set their hearts on gaining security through luck and fate instead of through relationship with the God who's been faithful to them. For anyone today, the principle remains: we all worship something and prepare our lives around what we believe will save us. The question Isaiah poses is whether we're building our hopes on what's actually solid, or on substitutes that can never truly deliver.