Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land. Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. [Isaiah 32.1-3]
If ever there was a prophecy about Jesus and His followers, this is certainly it! Isaiah's writing, as it so often does, points to Jesus.
As important as it is that we understand Isaiah's revelation of Jesus, we must also understand Isaiah's revelation of idolatry. Isaiah 30-31 provides a detailed look at idolatry and the sin it festers. This idolatry starts off with Judah's dependence upon Egypt.
What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the LORD. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced. For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes, all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you.” [Isaiah 30.1-5]
Now, for those who are telling themselves that this article is just another product of the "idolatry fixation" of the author, Isaiah also describes them clearly:
They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’” [Isaiah 30.10-11]
Isaiah's warning against idolatry was met with naysayers who are identified in prophetic revelation just the same as Isaiah identified Jesus and idolatry:
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! [Isaiah 30.15-16]
I have had people tell me, "You can't expect people to just give up debt, insurance, medicine and technology!" when I point them out as today's idols by the Biblical definition of trusting them instead of (or in addition to) God. I've even had a very close and dear family member confidently and 'smartly' tell me, "I am just not willing to take that risk... (to give up debt, insurance, medicine and technology)" as if he was smarter than God and His Word.
No, people are more committed to the hustle and bustle of the world and its ways (even "good church people") than they are to the salvation rest of trusting only in the quiet and confident strength of God.
THINK!!! Why did Jesus quote Isaiah so much? Why did Jesus use the terms "eyes to see and ears to hear"? He did so to point back to Isaiah and his teachings!
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.10-15]
In light of Isaiah 30.10-11 quoted above, should we not also understand Jesus' reference to that passage also?
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]
The only reason people do not "see" this today is because they are willfully ignorant of God's Word. They "cherry-pick" God's Word for passages that make them comfortable because they are unwilling to take the time to read and understand the rest of the Bible. Greed, materialism, and lust for life have, in their eyes, rendered Jesus' call to singular trust in Him alone unreasonable and therefore meaningless:
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 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]
What's worse is that modern "Christianity" has twisted "grace" to make their stubborn idolatry all okay. Oh, it sounds good... much the same as Satan's words sounded good... "Has God really said...?" and "You won't die..." But as Satan's lie was revealed then, so it is revealed in all the rest of the Bible! Trusting in anything instead of, or in addition to, God ALONE is IDOLATRY and manifests in all manner of uncontrollable sin. It did in Isaiah's time, and it still does today. Man cannot "trust Jesus" and hold on to his idols - the world's ways. Man cannot "trust Jesus" and hold on to his life, the most important thing "in the world."
This author struggles with "reason" just like everyone else. But the Truth is the truth: God's Word is no lie, and it will prove faithful for eternity - whether we believe it (enjoying heaven) or not (suffering in hell).
Father in heaven, as Your Word reveals Jesus, it reveals our idolatry and the sin it fosters. May we KNOW Your Word and trust You ALONE - specifically trusting Jesus ALONE - that we might indeed be Yours. May we, in all fullness and thoroughness, give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.
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