Isaiah 10:20-24
I’m not sure if you or I can understand what the tenth
chapter is telling us in the verses above, for it has been the worst of
times. But some of our brothers and
sisters in Christ, who lived in areas of the world where some evil person
decided they would invade and conquer the land, have experienced their plan to
kill and destroy any and all who opposed them.
In the USA we might have a time where we lose our jobs, and then we
begin to lose stuff, important stuff, like cars, houses, and maybe even friends
and maybe it ends up in divorce and the loss of a family member, but that’s not
close to what is happening in Isaiah chapter 10.
First, this guy Isaiah is proclaiming the LORD has said, and
if you’re not a fan of what God is saying through Isaiah then you may fall into
the present-day cultural Christianity who have a check list of things to do to
earn God’s acceptance, but it has no lifestyle implications. They join churches, they even give some of
their hard earned money to the church, they may be part of a men/ladies group,
and even do outreach to help those in need.
But they look, and smell like the world, and they do what the world
does, and they do not care for a preacher or teacher telling them thus says the
LORD. If you identify with the above,
you would not have liked Isaiah, for what he was proclaiming was going to happen,
because he was God’s mouthpiece.
As we look at verses 20-24, you and I may need to do some
self-examination, where or what am I trusting in? For the people of Judea it was foreign powers
not God, but those who are called the remnant have seen the light and they will
turn their trust to the Lord. If you are
a cultural Christian, your trust will be in self, in possessions, in status,
and maybe in the might of the military, but not in God. Do you remember God promised to Abraham and his
descendants would be as numerous as the sand of the sea, but now sin and
rebellion has taken its toll and only a remnant will return, and that is an act
of grace? Isaiah is reminding the people
of God the destruction they will see was decreed by the Lord God of Hosts. And in verse 24, we come to understand the
people will compare the Assyrian attack to the bondage in Egypt, and the
remembrance of God’s deliverance.
What a price unbelief charges, it cost the lives of many,
the loss of homes, land, possessions, and it brings about bondage. And is this not happening in your city, in
your nation, and in your church, and the root cause is unbelief? We have bought into the wrong side of John
10:10; for when one follows Jesus the road will be narrow, it will have
potholes and sharp turns, and some parts of the road will be washed out, but if
you follow the counsel of Psalm 119:105 and let Jesus be the lamp to your feet
and a light to your path, your going to do fine. The cultural Christian will never allow Jesus
to be their light, they have bought into Channel One the deceptive message of
the one Jesus calls the thief.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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