What Is The "If"?

Then the LORD will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock.  The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind.  In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill.  The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the LORD begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them. [Isaiah 30.23-26] 

This passage begins with the word "then" meaning these blessings from God will be the result if certain criteria are met by His people. So, it begs to be asked, "what brings these blessings?" What is the "if"?

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and  suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!” [Isaiah 30.19-22] 

It must first be understood that the context of this writing is God's displeasure with His people for seeking help from Egypt. There is no account of Israel seeking help from another nation that ever pleased the LORD, and this is no exception.

So, it says God will be gracious if you ask for help. Again, in context, this is differentiating between asking for God's help as opposed to asking for Egypt's help. The First Commandment clearly reveals God's will in this matter:

“You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.3]

And then, as Isaiah mentions "idols" in Isaiah 30.23-26 (which is what Egypt had become, by the way), it is not recommended that they merely be scooched over so there's room also for God... No! Idols are to be discarded like trash - like filthy useless rags. The Second Commandment segues right into this:

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. [Exodus 20.4-5]

The LORD had given adversity for food and  suffering for drink because His people had sought help elsewhere from other nations and idols. God's directive in this situation then and now is the same: throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”

God's people today are DECEIVED if they think God gave debt, insurance, medicine and technology to meet needs He said He Himself would meet (and, He DID say He would meet those needs)! It might be different if God was not a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods, but that is simply not the case. It might be different if the prevailing sin of God's people in the Bible wasn't their perpetual betrayal evidenced in idolatry, but, it is not! Idolatry was then, and is today, the most deceiving and therefore damning sin held by God's people. And, God's remedy to restored blessings is clearly stated by none other than Jesus Christ:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” [Matthew 11.28-30] 

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24, Mark 8.34, Luke 9.23]

Notice that Jesus relieves His followers from their burdens and replaces them with His burden. Jesus' demand for our faith does not add Him to our "buffet of solutions" (numerous, costly and burdensome man-made idols) but instead removes the buffet and replaces it with Him ALONE! We must rid ourselves entirely of our "own way" (the man-made way of idolatry) so that we might singularly take up our cross to follow Jesus.

For anyone attempting to convince themselves that Jesus wasn't talking about idols in Matthew 11.28-30 and in His "take up your cross and follow me" directives, let's just remove that blinder entirely, right here, right now, with Jesus' own words:

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.24-33]

Regardless how religiously we try to defend debt, insurance, medicine and technology, the very fact that we must pay dearly for them makes them a "master." And, Jesus was not unclear about multiple masters. The very alternative provisions of debt, insurance, medicine and technology are all broadly covered in Jesus telling us not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.

God's blessings are not for everyone. They are reserved ONLY for those who trust in Him. And, if that's not narrow enough, the only valid way to trust God is through the Way of His Son, Jesus.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]

Yes, God is quite exclusive. And yes, He is quite jealous. It is, in fact, His way or nothing when it comes to His blessings.

Am I suggesting here "salvation by works"? Not at all. But what are we doing relying on man-made solutions calling them gifts from God, but they are indeed the "works of man" - all the while thinking we are singularly trusting in God?

It has been accurately said, "God (Jesus) is LORD of all or He is not LORD at all."

Father, I keep thinking I will eventually come to a way I can justify debt, insurance, medicine and technology in my life... But that way is not seen today. May I and those who are paying attention be found trusting in Jesus Christ alone evidenced by our ridding ourselves of any and everything that promises alternative blessings. May our blessings be found only in You. So be it.