Before Our Very Eyes

Tired of Sacrifice
There's nothing like sitting near a cozy fire studying the Word. Well, I'm in the book of Isaiah. In many ways the book reminds of where we are in the US at this time. Isaiah is filled with prophetic-end-times-language that can take the breath away from anyone. Early on in chapter 2, we see mankind being so terrified of God that they try to hide in the rocks and caves with the moles and bats. God has become sick and tired of their sacrifices and the rampant evil of the leadership who are easily given to bribes, have evil judges in high places, don't care for the fatherless and widows, and are given over to unrestrained sexual promiscuity and drunkenness. He is even tired of the solemn "church" services, where people pray, but God no longer listens. (Is 1:15)

The Remedy
In the midst of God’s displeasure, he makes a way of escape; redemption is within reach in the midst of chaos. Peace with God is always so simple, yet so few choose to follow. In Isaiah 1:16 we read, “Wash yourself; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” Obviously man cannot wash himself or cease to do evil. We know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We know that there is no one who does good and no one who seeks after God—though they might think they are. Psalm 14:1, 3; 53:1; Rom 3:23 We read in Isaiah 53:3 They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. So what can one do? God says in Isaiah 1:18, “Come let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow...If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;” What does this mean? Willing to do what? Obedient to what?

Easily Missed
Often it is easy to miss the subtle messages in God’s Word. In Isaiah 1:3,4 God speaks, “but Israel does not know, my people do not understand...they have forsaken the Lord.” In 1:10, “Give ear to the teaching of our God...” In 5:13, “Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge.” “they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the Word...” Isaiah 5:24 As a result of this lack of knowledge every one will do that which is right in his own eyes. Furthermore, Isaiah describes what happens to a nation when they lack the knowledge of God: “The land will be filled with idols; (Is 2:8)” “I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them.”(Is 3:4) It doesn’t take much thought to realize that this is already happening here in the US.

Before our Very Eyes
Isaiah continues, “My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them.” Teachers are leaving their professions because they can no longer handle the attitudes and behavior of children. Children now have to go through a metal detector to ensure that they don’t possess weapons. I was talking to a Rochester police detective and he said that kids on the street no longer fear police but the police fear the kids. He went on to say that some of the kids can have a gun pointed right at them and they will still defy authority...there is no fear before their eyes. We have politicians rather than statesman; men are no longer seen as trustworthy or wise—women now possess their roles.

And that’s Not All
When we forget God, in a matter of speaking, “all hell breaks lose.” Isaiah says that people begin to rise early in the morning and run after strong drink, and tarry late into the night as wine inflames them!” They disregard and replace God with their music, wine, and parties. Isaiah 5:11-13 They call evil good and good evil, light is dark, and dark is light; their heroes are those who can drink the most wine, or those who can drink the most straight alcohol. Isaiah 5:20-22 This reminds me of our sports commercials. We have become numb to what is virtuous—we have replace good with evil. Our culture is amused at commercials that intoxicate and rob men of their values. We are amused at the half time concerts that reflect sexual orgies. We truly live in the days of Isaiah!

But in the midst of it all...
What i am about to share is the most exciting truth i have found in the Scripture in years! In fact it is something that has puzzled me for thirty years. I have searched and searched for the answer to this perplexing Scripture in Isaiah 6 that was also requoted by Jesus in all four gospels. It never made any sense until just the other night. It is in reference to God saying to Isaiah to say to the people, “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” This simply does not make sense! Why would God not want people to repent? To complicate matters, Jesus himself said that he came to preach in parables so that the people could not see, hear, nor understand, lest they turn and be healed. Matt 13:11-15 Why? Well, this is enough for one sitting...i look forward to sharing why Jesus spoke in parables to confuse and keep people from repenting.