Religion is a belief System

Isaiah 32:1-8

As I age, my faith has moved away from the foolishness of both the Republican and Democrat parties, and if I must ware a tag it would be that of a Constitutionalist. I do understand tags, for years I was tagged as a Southern Baptist, but today I put no faith in being a Baptist; as a follower of Christ, I place my faith in Him.  I hope you do not see me as religious, but as one who has entered into a relationship with the Son of God, for religion is what killed my Lord. Religion’s end game is trying to destroy what it deems are it’s opponents. 

Religion is a belief system, and it can be focused on anything, golf, football, family, friends, work, vacations, church, military, politics, self, and the list keeps going.  Many of these are good things, until they become our source of worship. 

What would our nation and the world look like if we had a ruler who reigned in righteousness?  Isaiah sees such a time as this: “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.  Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammers will hasten to speak distinctly. The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.  For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity,
to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the LORD, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink. As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right.  But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.”

Scholars are not sure this is talking about the Messiah, but from what I’ve read it’s a long way from any man we have seen in recent history in this world.  It had not happen in Isaiah’s time and he is pointing us to the future.  It will be a time where the poorest and the richest will be protected and treated with care.  The righteous rule will have this result people’s eyes and ears will be open with great discernment.  One only has to look at the United States government leaders to understand verses 4-5.  Isaiah tells us in verse five that, “A fool will no longer be called a noble, nor a scoundrel said to be important.”  And then he goes on to make clear the ways of a fool, and we know that the Bible teaches us that a fool rejects good and turns to evil, and the book of Proverbs states that the fool says in his heart there is no God.

Verses 6 and 7, state the following, does it remind you of our present government?  “For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water. 7 The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice