Hope Now Bible Church: Fresno, California

Please Don't Tell Me The Truth! Isaiah 30:8-18

The truth hurts.  So the saying goes.  We don't always want to hear the truth.  I've heard of people who never go to the doctor because they are afraid he will tell them that they have cancer or some incurable disease.  Many times people are afraid of the truth -- the truth can have a sting to it.

Spiritually speaking we are the same way.  We don't want to be confronted with our sin.  No one does.  That's the way the nation of Israel was in Isaiah 30.  They didn't want to hear the truth.  They didn't want to place their trust in God. 

Background

Isaiah was a prophet of God to the nation of Israel.  Since the nation was divided into two Kingdoms, his message was primarily for the Kingdom of Judah to the south.  Earlier, the Kingdom of Israel to the north had been taken captive by the Assyrians.  Judah, in their attempt to avoid capture themselves, decided to head down to Egypt and pay money for their protection.  God had strictly forbidden them from ever going back to Egypt again.  He had promised to help them if they would only listen to him.  As we'll find out in our study, that wasn't going to happen; listening was not something they wanted to do.

I Told You So (Isaiah 30:8)

In verse eight Isaiah writes down the words of the Lord so that when the predictions come true people would know it.  When God makes a promise or a prediction, he always keeps it.  Joshua, the great leader who came after Moses in the Old Testament, said, "All [of your promises} have come to pass...not one of them has failed." (Joshua 23:14).   King Solomon said this about God, "Not one word has failed of all his good promise..." (1 Kings 8:56).

Therefore in verse 8 God is telling the people of Israel, I'm going to write down what will happen to you so that when you look back on it someday, you will say, "He was right!  Why didn't I listen?"

La, La, La, La, La, I'm Not Listening! (Isaiah 30: 9-11)

The reason God had to write down his prediction to Israel was because they were so rebellious.  They were liars and didn't want to hear the truth. 

Remember from last week's study, they were heading down to Egypt for help, but God had told them, "Don't do it.  Trust in me and I will help you."  They wouldn't take instruction.  They thought they had it all figured out on their own.  They were so intent on doing their own thing that they didn't want to listen to anyone who would bring them the true message from God:  Not even their prophets.

In fact, they wanted just the opposite:  They wanted someone who would speak "smooth things" to them.  This word smooth in the Hebrew language carries the idea of a woman who wants to hear flattering words. 

They went so far to say in verse 11, "Don't even mention God to us again!" 

Two Predictions of Their Fate (Isaiah 30: 12-14)

Now God gives two word pictures of what will happen to them because of their disobedience. 

First, God says they will be like a high wall.  It looks strong and impenetrable, but it's not.  If you look at the wall from the side it is beginning to bulge out and is ready to collapse.

Second, God compares them to a piece of pottery that is smashed into so many pieces that not even one useful piece can be found.  It is smashed so finely that it is almost like dust on the ground.

I Told You The Solution To Your Problem (Isaiah 30: 15)

In this verse God reminds them again how they could have avoided all of this turmoil.  "Just return to me" He said.  But, he also reminds them that they were unwilling.

Our Horses Are Faster Than Yours (Isaiah 30: 16-17)

"No!"  That is their first reaction in verse 16.  "We're not going to listen to you, we have fast horses, we'll be able to go down to Egypt for help and the Assyrians will never take us captive."  But God said, "Sorry guys, the faster you run, the more you are going to be chased.  Once you are caught, all that will remain of you will be a little flagstaff reminder on the top of a hill telling others, "We should have listened to God!"

One Final Try From God (Isaiah 30:18)

God gives them one final chance.  God is so gracious and merciful and just, that he tells them, Even though you are rebellious, if you just wait for me, I will bless you.  Unfortunately, they didn't listen and later, they were taken away captives, not by the Assyrians, but by the Babylonians.

Truth For Today

As always, we learn valuable lessons for our own lives from Scripture since "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16).

1.  God always keeps his promises:  This may be a difficult concept for us to grasp because we live in a world of lies and deceit.  We must always remember that God is not like us, that's why he is God.   Look at what it says in the book of Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.  Has he said, and will he not do it?  Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"

We have to start with the premise that God is total Truth.  Let's look at some passage from Scripture that remind us of that fact:

Psalm 119:160:  "The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever."  This verse gives us one of the greatest promises in Scripture, that is, all of God's words in Scripture, if we add them all up; all of them are true.

John 17:17:  "Your Word is truth."  Here Jesus is speaking to God in a prayer.  Jesus confirms for us what we read in the book of Psalms."

John 14:6:  "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."  Jesus makes a bold statement that he is truth, making himself equal with God.

John 14:17:  "The Spirit of truth."  Jesus called the Word truth in John 17:17, now he says the Holy Spirit is truth.

When you read God's word, you can be sure that all of his words are truth.  You can believe everything in God's word with the assurance that he always keeps his promises.

2.  Listen to the hard words, not the smooth.  We all want to hear nice things about ourselves and the Bible is clear that we should say encouraging things to each other and build each other up.  Likewise, smooth words, when they are true are good.  But when it comes to sin, we need to be confronted with the hard truth of God's word. 

Sometimes the truth does hurt and we feel wounded, but look at what the Bible says about our wounds:

Proverbs 27:6:  "Faithful are the wounds of a friend."  A true friend will sometimes wound another with a Godly rebuke.  If a brother or sister is caught up in sin a faithful rebuke is the best thing a friend can do.

Psalm 141:5: "Let a righteous man strike me -- it is kindness; let him rebuke me -- it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it."  When we are struck by the truth it is like soothing medicine for our wounded soul. 

Ephesians 4:15:  "Speak the truth in love."  We must always remember that when we speak the truth to others, it is to be done in love.  That means you may need to pray before you speak.  You should first examine yourself to make sure you don't have sin in your life, and then pray that God will allow you, through the Holy Spirit, to speak the truth in love. 

3.  Don't think that you're better than you are.  One of the most destructive things in a Christian's life is pride.  We act like we're so great and have it all together, when all the while we're really ready to break down.  Unfortunately, pride blinds us from the truth and we are not able to see the pending disaster in our lives.

Romans 12:3:  "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."  We get so wrapped up in ourselves at times that we think we're better than we really are. 

4.  Don't trust in the things of the world to solve your problems.  One of the biggest mistakes people make is to depend on someone else to solve their problems.  In the past 50 years people have developed the mentality that the government can solve their problems.  Rather than working, for example, some people think it's okay to collect money from the government.  The Bible has some harsh words for this type of thinking:  "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10.  For a Christian, it should be unconscionable to think they should get paid for not working.

Most of our problems are caused by sin.  Because we don't obey God we find ourselves getting overrun by sin.  We think we can keep running, but our sin keeps catching up until finally, we are so deep in sin we can see no way out.  God keeps telling us, "Trust me, listen to me, and obey me."

Maybe you're running from God's truth?  Perhaps it's time to stop, turn-around and allow God's blessings to overtake you instead?  God told Israel, "Just wait for me and I will bless you."  You have a choice.  To keep running from God, or to stand and wait for him.  When you do, he promises to bless you and that is a promise you can trust.

This Week:  Stop and listen for God.  Be assured that he always keeps his promises.  Get rid of any pride that is in your life.  Quit trying to solve your problems your own way and turn to God for his help.  Don't trust the world to make your life better.

Study Questions:

1.  Why do people want to hear "smooth" words rather than truthful words?

2.  Describe a time when it was difficult for you to trust God.

3.  Why do people trust the government or someone other than God to solve their problems?

Who Do You Really Trust?: Isaiah 30:1-7

Who do you really trust?  It seems like a simple question, but when you think about it deeply, who do you trust?  Who would you trust with your money?  Who would you trust with your kids?  Who would you trust to never betray you?  Who would you trust with your life? 

Trust is not easy to come by.  It takes time to develop.  Especially if trust has been betrayed, it may take months or years to be restored, if it ever can be. 

Ultimately, there is only one we can trust fully, and that is God.  How do we know?  God said that he would never leave us or forsake us.  The Bible says God's word is Truth -- therefore, when God says we can trust him, he means it. 

Unfortunately, we don't always believe that.  Our tendency is to look to someone else or to our own strength to solve our problems or to get us through another day.

The people of Jerusalem, to whom Isaiah was speaking, had the same problem.  They were fearful of being attacked by their enemy and rather than turning to God for help, they turned to their neighbor Egypt who had no real intention of helping them.

BACKGROUND

As you will recall from previous studies, the nation of Israel was split into two kingdoms.  The Kingdom of Israel was in the north and the Kingdom of Judah was in the south.  In 722 B.C. the Kingdom of Israel was taken over by the powerful Assyrians.  They were ruthless and had no mercy on Israel, taking them far away from their homeland.  Judah to the south had not been attacked by Assyria, but they were fearful of them.  Chapter 30 of Isaiah takes place after 722 B.C. when Judah was on high alert.

We can imagine what it would be like to fear an enemy like that.  It would be like The San Joaquin Valley watching Southern California, from L.A. to San Diego, being attacked by an outside force.  Some of us would have family members or friends living there and we would be fearful that we too might be attacked.

That is the setting where we find the Kingdom of Judah and specifically the city of Jerusalem in our passage.

Stubborn, Stubborn, Stubborn!  (Isaiah 30:1)

We can read verses of Israel's stubbornness over 70 times in the Bible.  How can that be?  Israel is God's chosen nation and God promised to bless them.  Look at what God said about Israel in the book of Genesis:

"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing."  (Gen 12:2)

Their blessing didn't last long.  In fact, God said this about them:

"You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you."  (Deut. 9:24)

One would think that if God chose a nation of people to bless that they would follow him completely:  Especially with the promises that he gave them:

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."  (Gen 12:3)

Nevertheless, the people of Judah chose to be stubborn and rebel against God.  We're told in verse 1 that they began to "Carry out a plan that was not [God's plan].  In other words, they thought they could solve their own problems and didn't need to consult God.  What a mistake.  God said, in verse 1, that by doing this they were just adding sin upon sin.  They weren't getting themselves out of trouble; they were just making their troubles worse.

Don't Go Back to Egypt (Isaiah 30:2)

Judah's problem was that they didn't like asking for directions.  They decided to set out on a course in which they had no idea where it would lead.  They thought they could turn to the protection of the Pharaoh in Egypt.  They had been there as slaves several hundred years before and God used Moses to lead them out of Egypt.  God told them that once they left Egypt, "They should never [go back] again."  (Deuteronomy 17:16)  Therefore, they were fully warned by God but they didn't listen, they didn't obey.  They put their trust in the "Shade" of Egypt, rather than the "Shadow of the Almighty God" (Psalm 91:1).

The Do-Nothing (Isaiah 30:3-7)

What Judah thought would be their protection turned out to be a mirage.  You know what a mirage is: It's an illusion, something without substance, like a beautiful lake observed in the dry desert, only to find out it is only heat waves rising from hot sand. 

That's what the supposed protection turned out to be, a lot of hot air, and God said Judah would be shamed and humiliated because they thought they could trust Egypt to help them.

In verse 6 Isaiah pictures a caravan heading to Egypt from Judah.  The caravan is filled with riches to take to Egypt as payment for their protection.  But it's all in vain because "Egypt's help is worthless and empty."  In fact, God calls Egypt "Rahab who sits still."  Some translations say, "Rahab the Do-nothing."  Rahab was a symbolic name applied to Egypt which meant prideful, insolent or arrogant.  Egypt will just sit still and not help Judah no matter how much money they present to them.  Judah thought they could trust Egypt, but they would be humiliated.  Egypt would just take their money and not help.

APPLICATION FOR TODAY

When we read passages like Isaiah 30, we wonder if we can gain any insight for our lives.  God says we can.  The New Testament book of 2nd Timothy says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."  In the New Testament, whenever the writer uses the word "Scripture", he is referring to the Old Testament Scripture since the New Testament Scriptures had not been completed.  Today, when we read the word "Scripture" it means the entire Bible.  So, the entire Bible, both the Old and New Testaments are profitable for us and so is Isaiah 30:1-7.

1.  We are chosen by God.  We're not chosen as a nation like Israel, but we are chosen as individuals.  If you are reading this today and have a conviction in your heart that Jesus is God, then you have been chosen by God.  Here is what Jesus said:

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."  (John 15:16)

Being chosen by God comes with some responsibilities.  As God's chosen people we are to be holy, compassionate, kind, humble, meek and patient (Colossians 3:12).

The Israelites in our passage forgot that God had chosen them.  We're told not to do that.  In Colossians 1:21-23 we read that Jesus will present us holy and blameless before God if we "continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven..." 

2. like Israel, we try to carry out our own plans.  How easy it is to forget God.  We forget God and attempt to trust our own instincts instead.  Why do we do that?  We forget God because we are weak and frail people.  We can barely see as far as our hand in front of our faces.  We have no perception of God's perfect plan. 

The prophet Habakkuk felt the same way.  In his book he wrote,

"O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?  Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save?  Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?  Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.  So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth.  For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted." (Habakkuk 1:1-4)

But God says, no Habakkuk, that's not true.  You can't see the big picture and even if you did, you wouldn't believe it; "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.  For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." (Habakkuk 1:5)

Remember the verse in Isaiah 55 we looked at last week?  "God's ways are not our ways"?  We fail to trust God because we don't have the patience to wait and see what he will do.  God does not always act in our timing and if he told us what his timing was, we wouldn't believe it (See also Acts 13:41).

So, we trust ourselves rather than God.

3.  We sit under the wrong shade tree. The Israelites thought they could seek shelter in the shade of Egypt.  Rather than trusting God, they trusted an alliance with a foreign nation.  Who do you trust?  Your friends?  Your family?  Your job?  Who or what will get you out of the jam you are in?  Alcohol?  Drugs?  Sex?  Gambling? More things?  God says when you trust in these things you are just piling up "sin upon sin." 

When you become a believer in Jesus Christ, you are to "consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11-12).  When you let sin have control over your body it takes charge and becomes your master -- it makes you obey its passions and you sink deeper and deeper into the pit of despair.

Do you want to be free from despair?  Then put all of your trust in God.  Sit under the shade of his shadow.  Look at what King David said in the book of Psalms:

"How precious is your steadfast love, O God!  The Children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 36:7).

4.  We tend to trust the worthless, empty things of the world.  John Oswalt, in his commentary on Isaiah, said, "It is appropriate to place a certain degree of trust in other people.  We trust our spouse; we trust our employer; we trust our pastor.  But if those are the ultimate places where we seek shelter from the world, to the point that we exclude God from the picture, we are in for a terrible disappointment, for even the best of humans will fail us."

I remember as a young man getting a job as a youth pastor in a large church in Southern California.  Pastor John Raymond, was my boss.  As he spoke to me about the job he said, "Keep your eyes on the Lord.  The people and staff of this church will let you down, but the Lord will never let you down."  And it was true; people did let me down from time to time. I saw their weaknesses and sins.  Everyone has weaknesses and sins and if we focus on people we will be devastated.  Instead, we should keep our eyes focused on Christ, the One who is high and lifted up. 

Likewise, it is never good to put anyone on a pedestal.  Sometimes people in churches put pastors on a pedestal.  They think the pastor is perfect and can do no wrong.  That is asking too much of anyone.  While the Bible says the pastor should be respected (Hebrews 4:17), he is not to be revered (looked upon with awe).   There are certainly several qualifications that a pastor must have (See 2 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-10).  A pastor, while called by God, can never take the place of God.

God should always be the object of our trust.  God is the "Hope (or trust) of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas." (Psalm 65:5).

This week:  Identify who or what you trust.  Do you trust this person or thing over God?  If so, repent and ask God to give you the confidence to trust in him.  Make an effort this week to stop sinning.  Remember, a good definition of sin is this: Knowing what is right, but doing what is wrong. 

Study Questions:

1.  What does it mean to be chosen by God?

2.  Do you think God has a plan for your life, or does everything happen by chance?  Explain.

3.  Tell of a time when you put your trust in God.

Review: THE MYTH OF A CHRISTIAN NATION By Gregory A. Boyd

Dr. Boyd is correct. American Christians have blurred the concepts of the "Kingdom of the world" and the "Kingdom of God." It is also true that "foundationally" American Christians have carried the notion that our country is a Christian nation. Perhaps a better way to look at America is that it has been a "God-fearing" nation. Visit Europe, for example, and you will find nations devoid of God. Dr. Boyd would argue that that is precisely the point. He would say, American Christians have been lulled into thinking that our nation is Christ-like when it is far from it. While that may be partially true, I prefer to live in a country that preaches Christ (even under pretense, Phil.1:18), than in a country where Jesus Christ is dismissed completely. America is a Christian nation. It becomes evident when compared to Europe and other places in the world. The light shines in the darkness.

The author is correct, morally speaking, in that many American Christians have made it their mission to be our "moral guardians" rather than the disciple makers Christ commanded us to be. We worry too much about prayer before football games than we do our own prayer life. Dr. Boyd is right to remind us that we must first "take the log out of our own eye."

Where Dr. Boyd gets off track is in his interpretation of Jesus' words "For all who draw the sword will die by the sword." Here, Dr. Boyd claims that Jesus is saying we are never to draw the sword. This is simply incorrect. It is factual that Jesus' disciples carried swords. In Luke 22:49, as Jesus was about to be arrested, his disciples asked, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" Evidently Peter is the only one who didn't wait for Jesus' answer. We hear Jesus' response in Matthew 26:52. He tells Peter to "Put your sword back in its place...For all who draw the sword will die by the sword." In essence Jesus was telling his disciples, "Don't draw your swords, you're outnumbered: If you draw your swords, you will surely die tonight." Jesus went on to say, "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" Jesus was telling his disciples, "Guys, listen, don't draw your swords. This is not the way Scripture is to be fulfilled, let me handle this!" Jesus' statement about drawing the sword was meant for the disciples, at that moment.

Had Jesus been completely against the sword, he would have had his disciples get rid of their swords long before that night. One would have to ask, "Why did the disciples carry swords?" Perhaps they used them to clean fish? Yet, all of the disciples were not fishermen. Maybe they were using them to cut wheat? Could they have carried swords to fend off wild beasts? If so, we don't read of many wild beasts in the New Testament. No, it is obvious for even the casual reader that they carried swords for protection. Jesus was not a pacifist as Dr. Boyd wishes.

I got the feeling from reading the book that what is really behind Dr. Boyd's views is the ridiculous statement by the late Dr. Jerry Falwell -- "Blow [the terrorists] away in the name of the Lord." That statement is simply outlandish and should be considered an extremist view: Not the view of most evangelical Christians.

Dr. Boyd doesn't answer the question about Christians being involved in law enforcement. Are there to be no Christians on the police force? Is a policeman never to kill a murderer on the loose? What about Christians in the U.S. Coast Guard who get into a firefight with drug smugglers? Are Christians never to defend our country?

When Jesus spoke of loving our enemies, he was primarily speaking of those who persecute us because of his name. In fact, this is what most of the New Testament is talking about when we are told to love others. We are to love those who persecute us because of the name of Christ. We are to not strike back against those who hate us because of Jesus Christ. Jesus was not speaking about defending ourselves (or our country) in general. Perhaps that is why the disciples carried swords, to defend themselves against robbers or thieves? But, they were obviously not to use their swords when it came to defending Christ. We are never to use the sword in the name of Christ -- which is why Jerry Falwell was wrong. We are to use the sword against terrorists in order that we might be safe and protected, not in the name of the Lord.

The examples Boyd gives of Gandhi and King don't hold water with his argument about going to war. These were individuals, not governments. Certainly, individuals should always strive to uphold peace: "Kingdom under" people more than any others. Nevertheless, we live in an imperfect world and the bliss that Dr. Boyd is striving for will never be realized until the Millennium. Shindler rescued the Jews from certain death as an individual. He had no military means at his disposal. This argument is apples and oranges. It should be noted that Oskar Shindler broke the law. Dr. Boyd would say that is okay because what the Germans were doing was against God's higher law; therefore Shindler was exhibiting civil disobedience. But, didn't the Germans think they were also obeying God's laws? Didn't they think they were put on earth as the superior race? Dr. Boyd uses this type of argument throughout the book in regards to war. "What if the people we are fighting believe their cause is just?" Unfortunately, it is not that black and white. The Islamics think their war of terror is just -- but we know that it isn't. Therefore, in the case of "America" versus "Terrorists" America is correct in trying to stop them. The Islamic terrorists won't "Sit down and talk" to come up with a peaceful solution like Dr. Boyd claims.

This is still a good book worth reading. I agree with the fundamental principles he has laid down. Where we disagree is in the application of the principles.

Review: REFORMATION THOUGHT BY Alister E. McGrath

McGrath presents a book that aims to introduce; explain; and contextualize the period of history known as the Reformation. In his introduction McGrath lays out a clear and concise understanding of the need for Reformation in the sixteenth century and just what the concept of the Reformation was. He creates a picture of what impact the printing press would have on the Reformation and then puts the ideas behind the Reformation in social context; that is, the social role of religious ideas

The backdrop of the Reformation takes place well before the sixteenth century. McGrath covers the important aspects of the rise of anti-clericalism and anti-papalism that was taking place in the fifteenth century. This rebellion, in part, had to do with taxes, in which the clergy was exempt.

McGrath's chapter on Humanism and the Reformation is helpful in understanding the word `humanism' as used by a twenty-first century writer vs. the sixteenth century writer or theologian. In the modern sense, humanism is an anti-religious philosophy, which affirms the human without any reference to God. According to McGrath, "humanists of the fourteenth, fifteenth or sixteenth centuries were remarkably religious..."

The book goes to great length to describe the intellectual movement of Scholasticism. He defines it "not as a specific system of beliefs, but to a particular way of organizing theology." McGrath says that to some, Scholasticism was just a form of theological nitpicking. Unfortunately, McGrath bogs down in this area. In fact, he says "I have found it impossible to simplify any further the material which follows...many readers will probably be gripped with a sense of utter tedium as I try to explain some of the leading ideas of scholasticism." In this he is absolutely correct!

I like the way McGrath presents a brief biographical introduction to each of the leading Reformers; Luther, Zwingli, Melanchthon, Bucer, and Calvin. He then enters into an interesting discussion of the doctrine of Justification by Faith. He says the central question forced upon the church by the rise of humanism was `What must I, as an individual, do to be saved?" It is at this point that Luther "wander[s] on to the stage as its chief actor." McGrath then proceeds to thoroughly discuss Luther's concept of Justification by faith alone, which is that the individual sinner is incapable of self-justification. Likewise McGrath explains the differing opinions of all the Reformers on this subject including that of the Roman Catholic Church. He follows his discussion of Justification by faith with a brief chapter on Predestination. Other doctrines presented by McGrath include the Doctrine of Sacraments and the Doctrine of the Church.

Since the idea of scriptura sola became the mantra of the reformers, McGrath takes time to look at the importance of Scripture in his chapter "The Return to Scripture." He summarizes the Reformation attitude toward Scripture by quoting William Chillingworth, a famous seventeenth-century English Protestant, "I say, the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants." McGrath's section on The Right to Interpret Scripture is important. He points out that Luther suggests that the ordinary pious Christian believer is perfectly capable of reading Scripture and making perfect sense of what he finds within its pages.

McGrath's chapter on The Political Thought of the Reformation gives us pause to examine our own thoughts and beliefs regarding church and state. He poses the question, "what happens if the state become tyrannical? Have Christians the right to intervene and actively oppose the state? He goes on to discuss all of the Reformers views regarding political thought.

McGrath spends some brief time on the English Reformation in Chapter 13. The origins are discussed stating that the background lies in Henry VIII concern to ensure a smooth transition of power after his death through producing a son as heir to the English throne. Unfortunately, his marriage to Catherine of Aragon had produced a daughter, the future queen, Mary Tudor. McGrath takes the reader through a maze of intrigue as Henry begins divorce proceedings, is faced with excommunication, and is faced with the threat of invasion from neighboring catholic states.

McGrath concludes with the Impact of the Reformation Thought upon History. He cites several positive impacts such as the idea that the real vocation of a Christian lay in serving God in the world and that working hard caused one to prosper.

I found the book interesting at times and at other times I could hardly comprehend what I was reading (as in the chapter on scholasticism). Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and will most likely use it as a reference for years to come.

The author concludes by admitting that the book is limited, but that it has tried to draw back the curtain a little, and allow us to understand better what otherwise might remain a complete mystery. To this, I agree.

God's Message Never Fails: Isaiah 6:8-13

I have always had the desire to win.  Although it has subsided some as I have become older I’ve always wanted to be first.  When I was younger, whenever I went on a hike with some friends, I had to be the first one to the top of the mountain.  Even as a little kid playing miniature golf I would hit the ball then run ahead to see if my ball went into the hole -- before anyone else had taken their turn.  I must have been very annoying!

We all have the desire to succeed in what we do.  No one wants to be a failure.  That's ultimately why we get out of bed in the morning:  We have an inner (most likely sub-conscious) sense that today might be better than yesterday.  While some people handle failure better than others, the bottom line is, no one wants to fail.

In our passage today we are going to see that God was about to call Isaiah into a ministry that, from a worldly viewpoint, would be a complete failure.

BACKGROUND

In our last study we learned about Isaiah's vision.  It was a future glimpse of heaven for Isaiah.  Jesus, the Son, was sitting on the throne next to God, the Father.  God's Spirit filled the temple and fiery angels were present glorifying each Person of the Trinity as one angel called to another "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts".  It was a wonderful picture of the majesty and glory of God. 

The picture of Jesus that Isaiah saw was awe-inspiring.  He was "High and lifted up" indicating his Sovereignty over the entire universe.  There is no other name above the name of Jesus.  The apostle Paul wrote in the book of Philippians,

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11).

Isaiah was confronted with the Living Christ and as he viewed his majesty and perfection he was immediately aware of his own sin.  That's what happens when we truly "see" God.  We come to the end of ourselves and we become his servant.  We recognize our sin and we confess it before him so that we might be cleansed and become free from guilt (Isaiah 6:7).

And that is where we find Isaiah in our passage today.  The blood of Jesus Christ has atoned for his sin and his guilt has been removed (Atone means to compensate for a wrong.) Now, Isaiah is eager to serve God fully.  God, the Holy Spirit, (See Acts 28:26-27) announces that he is looking for someone to take a message to the people of Israel and Isaiah immediately steps up to tell God that he is ready, "Here I am! Send me." 

THE POINT OF NO RETURN (Isaiah 6:9,10)

Surprisingly, these two verses are quoted more often in the New Testament than any other passage in Isaiah (Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:26-27).  And who quotes these verses in the New Testament?  In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John it is none other than Jesus.  In the book of Acts, Paul quotes the passage giving credit to the Holy Spirit for speaking the words to Isaiah [another indication that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were present in Isaiah 6.] 

These two verses seem like a strange command from God.  God is essentially saying:

"Isaiah, your message is going to fall on deaf ears."   Your message is going to fail.

What an interesting passage!  Sometimes God's message seems to be a mystery.    Isaiah 55:8 says,

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." 

It appears that there is a point in a person's life where God draws the line and pronounces judgment on that person.  The people of Jerusalem, as a nation, had obviously reached that point.  They had chosen to be arrogant and indifferent to the message of the Lord even after they were given clear instructions on how to turn back to God (Remember their false worship back in chapter one?  See God's solution in 1:16-18). 

HOW LONG?  (Isaiah 6:11-13)

The question Isaiah asked is "How long until the people repent?"  The Lord gives a rather startling answer; until the cities become ghost towns and the people are taken far away into captivity (This would happen in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians).

There is a hint of hope.  God compares the people to a tree that is cut down and only the stump remains in the ground.  He tells Isaiah that some of the people (10%) will return (and they did, 70 years after the Babylonian captivity) but again they would be subject to God's judgment, but not complete eradication.  Finally, there will be a small "righteous" group that will survive, "the holy seed" and the promise of the Messiah is guaranteed.

APPLICATION FOR TODAY

1. God wants us to "Go" and leave the message to him.  We tend to get caught up in how we are going to share the good news with a family member or a co-worker.  We analyze the situation and determine the gentlest human way of sharing Christ with that person.  The last thing we want to do is fail or be rejected or made fun of.  We should be gentle and humble when we share the message of Christ, but if we truly believe that God is as real today as he was in Isaiah's day, we should leave the message and the results to him.

When Moses questioned his ability to speak properly God gave him a harsh answer in Exodus 4:11, "Who has made man's mouth?  Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind?  Is it not I, the Lord?  Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."

The God of the universe who is "high and lifted up" is certainly able to put the proper words in our mouths so that we might speak for him. 

Jesus told us what would happen when persecution comes to us because of our belief in him.  He said, "And you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake...do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.  For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." 

Not only does God help us to speak his message to others, he even helps us in times when we are so emotionally and spiritually weak that we don't even know how to pray.  In Romans 8:26 we read,

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." 

It is God who puts his message in our mouths.  Stop trying to outthink God and allow him to work through you.

2.  There comes a time when God allows hearts to be hardened.  It is true that God is not willing for any to perish and for all to repent (1 Peter 3:9), but it is also true that God disciplines those he loves.  Look at the repeated warnings that are given in the book of Hebrews:

"How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" Hebrews 2:3
"Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts."  Hebrews 3:8
"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God."  Hebrews 3:12
"Don't be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13
"Do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 4:7
"The Lord disciplines the one he loves."  Hebrews 12:6

The point is that God does not deliberately harden a person's heart.  When anyone chooses to reject right, he will be hardened in the wrong.  Here is another way to look at the concept of a hardened heart:  The hearts of people are not hardened so that they can be lost.  Rather, they are hardened because they are lost.  That is why the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:2, "Now is the day of salvation."  Those who wait to completely turn their lives over to Jesus might wait too long, causing their hearts to become even more hardened -- But ultimately that is their choice.  When we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others we never fail.  God always uses it for his glory.

This Week:  Ask God to give you the words to share his message of salvation with someone you love.  Examine yourself to make sure you are not being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Study Questions:

1.  Do you think it is fair that God allows the hearts of some people to become hardened?  Why or why not?

2.  Is it okay to question God?  Explain.

3.  If God loves us, why does he discipline us?