What is Precious to God?

Isaiah 5:22-30

We looked at the five “Woe’s” listed in Isaiah chapter five and the question must be asked, what happens to a person, family, church, or nation who ignores these warnings?  The short answer is they fall under the judgment of God, but sometimes God does not bring the judgment in that person’s lifetime, it may come on the next generation.  We addressed this “Woe” earlier, but in that the Holy Spirit repeated it let’s make sure we do the same.  “Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!” (Isaiah 5:22-23)  King Solomon had this to say about such men; “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” (Proverbs 17:15)  If you are one of these people, please stop, repent, and get on your face before the Lord and seek His forgiveness.

We began the first of the “Woe’s” in verse eight on the wicked, and it is so important to understand it is God who has set the standard of righteous and wicked, not I, nor some prophet, they just allow God to speak through them.  So let us look at the bottom line in verse 24.  “Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 5:24, ESV)  The Bible states; “God is a jealous God” and in that He is Creator, He has the right to make the rules for His creation.  So what is He jealous about, other gods, and it matters not what form they take, self, family, job, sports, stuff, if it becomes the focus of your life, where all your thoughts and energy goes, it has replaced the Lord of hosts, and from God’s view you have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.  In Exodus 15, Moses and the people sang this song to the Lord, look it up, and in the seventh verse they sang; “In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.”

In verses 25-26, God announces judgment, and where it is coming from; “Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.  He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come!” (Isaiah 5:25-26, ESV)  In my Study Bible, footnote 5:26 in the HCSB page 1135, we get this insight, “God will call for foreign armies to descend on His people.  Though these armies are not mentioned by name, we know that later history shows that these nations were Assyria and Babylon.  Notice that God would signal them with a whistle, and they would immediately respond.  This illustrates God’s sovereign rule over the nations.” Footnote same page 5:29, Assyrian royal inscriptions often compare their kings to lions.”

Today I read these words, “God is zealous—eager about protecting what is precious to Him.”  Israel is precious to the Lord, and so is His church, and if you are a follower of Jesus you are His church.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice