Isaiah 28 vs 14-20
Isaiah Chapter 28 Verses 14 – 15
· It’s an interesting thought, certainly confusing/ridiculous/frustrating for the child of God. That many, even Christians, live in such a way as to think that God’s judgment/chastisement, (whatever you want to call it), won’t come or doesn’t apply to them. The world needs to be evangelized. Explained to them what has happened and why they need a savior, and until they know the Lord, no doubt, the world has to live like they’ve made a deal with death. Otherwise, the idea of finality can be overwhelming. So, I get it. But Christians?
· I fancy myself a decent father. Not the best, certainly not the worst. But I love my kids, I’m very involved and I take care of them. Do you think I’m going to let them get away with a) activities that are not allowed in my house or b) activities that I know are going to cause them harm? Not a chance. But church-going, Jesus-loving, God-worshipping believers think God is going to wink at their sin?! I guess you think I’m a better father than Him. Crazy when we put it that way, right?!
· Numbers 32:23 says, “Take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” Everything that hurts you grieves the Lord and when the Lord is grieved, He takes action. Ok, you reject that because that’s Old Covenant speak? Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
· Then Isaiah talks about, “For we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.” It’s wild that you can do that but you can. So incredibly totally… Someone can make lies their refuge. Where they go to hide and matters never get dealt with, maturity never happens, and in the most-odd way, a person can even become oblivious to how out of touch with reality they really are…
· Have you ever met someone or known someone that is extremely self-centered but if you told them that it would shock them!? HA! Or someone that is not a very nice person but if you told them that, they’d just hurt you?! Proving the point! HA! I think we all do this to an extent and we all have “blind spots” as it were, but you can tell if someone is taking refuge in their blindness when you try and turn the lights on for them… How do you handle that when it happens to you? Rather telling…
Isaiah Chapter 28 Verse 16
· The Cornerstone is always a reference to Jesus Christ and the idea here is that if you are a follower of Jesus, in the presence of something that is true, hard truth, you don’t run from it. You don’t hurry your heart back to some sort of shelter from what is right and just…, but you move with intent rather than haste… Why? Because you are a follower and a seeker of Him who is Truth Himself… So, if there is something He wants to address, well, that’s part of who you are now…
· And this is precisely why Peter revisited this idea in 1 Peter 2:6-8 saying, “Behold, I lay in Zion a Chief Cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious, but to those who are disobedient, the Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.”
· A sure foundation and a place of maturity and intent and even calm of heart and spirit for those that are willing to submit to God in obedience of heart and yet also the very same thing, Truth Himself, can be where so many stumble time after time, always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth because in all their getting they never get wisdom. The fear of the Lord. Reverence towards Him and understanding that all He does and all His ways are for what is GOOD for you…
Isaiah Chapter 28 Verse 17
· In the heart and life of the true believer, justice (not emotion) is how you measure what you will and will not do, address, discuss with yourself, deal with. And righteousness is your level (not personal comfort or benefit). Hail, the judgment of God not your own, is promoted personally and calls out where you take refuge…, and the water of the Word is permitted to overflow anything you’re hiding away. It is impossible, if this is you, impossible not to mature, strengthen and grow up into the image of Christ if these circumstances are present in your heart (which will NEVER just happen…, this must be sought, it is humility).
Isaiah Chapter 28 Verses 18 – 20
· Using this word “annulment” is interesting. There are a thousand thoughts that go through my head with that type of relationship. At the top of that list is this idea of grace, longsuffering, patience and yet also a limit. God is patient with me. His grace overextends my sin, always. And yet, I need to act quickly. Because there is a time limit to where my heart will harden, my ears will close, and I will take refuge in some sort of false-reality, causing myself and others sometimes lifelong distress. An annulment isn’t possible after two years…, and that’s my point. Two years is a long time to walk in my sin…, a long time, but God is long suffering…, and yet there are limits even to His longsuffering. Read Romans Chapter 1….
· Now, I SO love this. This is so revealing, this chapter! You won’t have to try, set your mind on being real with God! If you are truly worshipping God, truly seeking Jesus and walking with the Lord (seeking humility), being anything or anyway else will just not fit. So uncomfortable. Like wearing clothes two sizes too small or sleeping in a four-foot bed… So too is the life of a righteous person in the presence of false reality…
· It’s on one hand a huge benefit of knowing the Lord and on the other hand a huge pain in the neck! HA! Before the Lord you didn’t know you’re a jerk. Then you give your life to God and start following Him and His Spirit (hail) and His Word start to show you that you’re a jerk! And you tell yourself, “Self, you’re not so bad, you’re not a jerk.” And then five seconds, minutes, later you’re over here telling yourself, “NO man, you’re a jerk!” HA!
· It’s like that age old question. If you were wrong, would you want to know? By the reaction and action and life patterns of so many, the answer is NO! But God doesn’t let you get away with it IF you are truly walking with Him!
Isaiah Chapter 28 Verses 21 – 22
· I mean and that’s the thing right there! We all fight this, this revelation of all the things about us that need work…, and when we run from these things, which at times we all do, and we take refuge for a time or season in false realities, lies…, we strengthen our own personal bondage. No one has ever been any better by mocking God… Agree with Him quickly the Bible says…
Isaiah Chapter 28 Verses 23 – 29
· You’re not going to yield a crop by planting seeds sealed in plastic bags. The point is, there is a Way that leads to life and that is what God wants to do in your heart, in your mind, in your life. What is He wanting to do in yours? He’s interesting though. Since He won’t force His way or Himself, we either seek it, or miss it…