7-15-2023 Cleaning up the Mess

Think.  In God's house, we the people are the kids!

Isaiah 29:1-24

Isaiah refers to Ariel which is Jerusalem (Strong’s H740) and he speaks against Jerusalem and the armies that come against it.  

Sorrow will come upon the city as their enemies fortify around it and besiege it.  He says that Jerusalem will lift up their prayers in vain like shallow, hollow echoes.  Their enemies will come upon them in great numbers, like a sandstorm.  And God shall visit Jerusalem as a thunderstorm, a great tempest, a devouring flame of fie. 

Speaking of the past, Father, over many years, has sent many nations to reprimand Israel.  But, in prophesying, Isaiah says that those nations who came against Israel shall suffer.  They’ll be like a hungry man who dreams that he is eating but actually takes in no nourishment so when he wakes up his soul shall still be empty. He shall dream of drinking water and when he wakes, because he actually has taken in no water, his soul shall be thirsty and he will still be faint.  In other words, victory over Israel will not satisfy their enemies.  Because they had no respect for the fact that Israel has been God’s chosen (Deut. 7:6-11), they will eventually face God’s wrath – not that they conquered Israel but because they hand only contempt for God’s people. 

But Israel will cry.  They will act as drunk though not with wine and they shall stagger but not because of strong drink.

God has dulled Israel’s senses.  He has given them a spirit of sleep so they don’t see so well.  He has closed the eyes of their prophets, rulers and seers whose words would be like trying to read from a closed book. (Gotta open the book to read it!  lol)  and it would be like asking someone to read a book though he cannot read.  For God says that though the people speak of me and honor me with their lips their hearts and respect for Me are far from me and they lean on their own understanding, not Mine.   

Israel has strayed from God for many ‘silly’ reasons and the result is a religion, not a faith. Therefore God says the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the wisdom of their intelligent men will be hid.  The people will think that they are safe and that the evil works they do are hidden and no one (or God) will never see or know. (God knows our heart - Prov. 21:2, Mark 2:8, Rev. 2:23, as well as what we do).

It’s like the potter’s clay.  Does it make it true when the vessel the potter has made denies that it was the potter who made it!  Or yet, if we imagine something in our minds, will what we imagined tell us we don’t know what we were doing?  Therefore we couldn’t have imagined it???

The people of Israel has leaned on their own understanding and then think God won’t notice it.  We haven’t done that – have we?

Then Isaiah compares Israel with Lebanon.  Not the country, but a mountain range in Palestine (H3844, H382 the heart).  He also refers to when later, Israel will change their heart, and once again become fruitful and its fruit-laden fields will be compared to a large forest.  In that day the blind eyes shall be opened to clearly see through the darkness.  The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord and the poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

All the terrible things will come to nothing and those who work iniquity will be cut off.  Israel will (eventually) see the light! (Israel’s ‘homecoming’?)

Therefore the Lord who redeemed Abraham, said that the house of Jacob shall not be ashamed and the color will return to their pale faces.  Isaiah prophecies Israel coming back into God’s grace.

But when Israel sees the works the Lord has done in their midst, they will sanctify, the Holy One of Jacob (Jesus) and shall once again fear (respect) the Lord.  Those who have erred will come to into understanding and those who have murmured will learn sound doctrine.  That is, after all is said and done, God’s people will return to Him and be satisfied and once again live in obedience in His Word! 

Has any of this sounded familiar to anyone?

Of course, no part of today’s church has strayed from God’ Word.  Right?  None of today’s church has decided God hasn’t known what He’s talking about, right?  Maybe, Jesus didn’t really say “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15)?  Oh, He was just talking about keeping only the ones we agree with, right?  Did Jesus really say that we should love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).  We’ve been told that if someone offends us to get revenge – quickly, right?  Or should we remember something about turning the other cheek (Matt. 5:38-45)?  Forgiving (Matt. 6:14-15)?  And, as God has reconciled us to Himself, making us a new creature in Jesus Christ, we should also reconcile relationships with those around us ((2 Corinth. 5:17-21).

Isaiah has reminded Israel that God has ‘abandoned’ them because they have rejected Him and set His wisdom and guidance aside so they could do their own thing.   Yet God still gives them hope and promise that things will turn around.  Turning from old ways an determining not to do them again is far better than ‘just’ saying “I’m sorry” (1 Sam. 15:22, Rom 12:1-2).

Again, what does the prophet say?  Eyes will be opened to see clearly and peace and joy will come back into the people’s heart.  Proper knowledge and understanding will crop back in and we can live in the true joy of the Lord.  Now, I’m talking about us, today, and not just Israel!

Look at the world today.  Look at the church today.  How much of what Isaiah says would apply to today’s thinking?  None?  Some?  Or we still waiting for eyes to be opened and, as with Paul, waiting for the scales to fall from our eyes (Acts 9:8-18)?  How obedient is the church to God’s Word and Will, much less the world.  The church is supposed to ‘know’ while the world has yet to learn!

Jesus says ask, in His name, and He will do it (John 14:14).  The Holy Ghost will lead us into all truth (John 16:13-15) and God will give us understanding (2 Tim. 2:7).  So who do we listen to?  Man or God? 

God’s appeal to church is to get back on the right track and live in His commandment to “Love” both God and our fellow man (Matt. 22:36-40).  And in so doing, we might even be amazed that even the world might turn around.

Amen