Instruction
Scripture: Isaiah29:11-19
Isaiah 29 begins with a prophecy regarding God’s promised
protection for Israel. Despite the sins He condemned in their midst earlier in
the book, He says that He will defend His people from their enemies among the
nations. Interestingly, though, this promise moves into a complaint that God’s
people no longer hear and believe God’s word. Indeed, they cannot understand
the good news of what God is saying to them. So in this passage the Lord
laments that His people outwardly claim to follow Him, but in reality they have
followed only earthly wisdom. He therefore promises that He will do something
to recapture their hearts. The passage is a prophecy to confront our own sin
and to cause us to examine if we are living by faith or merely in dead ritual
while it also points us forward to Jesus – the only one to ever heal the eyes
of the blind – and the fresh joy in the Lord that He won for us.
Teaching
The observation that a people can honor God with their lips
while their hearts are far from Him is a call to examine our own faith. When faith
becomes about commandments taught by men, wisdom from wise men, and discernment
that is rooted in the politics of the day it causes a darkening of the heart.
Understanding of God’s Word is related to faith. Certainly anyone can read the
words of the Bible – ink on paper – but to perceive God’s Word on the page
requires faith, and only faith can perceive God’s salvation in the midst of the
tragedies of the world.
God knew even then that it was the way of people to deny
that God had formed them and that we are accountable to Him. We make ourselves
gods in this way, which is much like a clay vessel claiming the potter did not
make it. Ridiculous! Yet God chooses to allow a great reversal of roles. He
gives His Son to open the deaf ears and blind eyes – giving faith to receive
the great blessings He gives.
Life
This is a great passage to consider when we prepare to
confess our sins. Have we drawn near to God with our mouths and honored Him
with our lips while our hearts were far from Him? Have we ever gone through the
motions of a religious life without any actual faith and trust to move us? Have
we allowed human wisdom to become greater than God’s Word? The honest answer to
all of these is that, yes, we have. But here is something to think about: If we
can see and perceive that, it means that we are not blind. We may sometimes
turn things upside down, but God is still at work to give the fresh joy of His
forgiveness to poor people like us who see our sin and who hope in him to save
us.
Prayer
This prayer is written
in the themes of Confession and Petition.
O Lord, it is true that sometimes our hearts are far from You
and we prefer human wisdom to the truth of Your Word. We get things upside
down! We make ourselves gods of our own lives as though we made ourselves and
are only accountable to ourselves. Please forgive us for Jesus sake.
You have opened our deaf ears to hear Your Word, and given
sight to our eyes to perceive Your glorious grace. Please keep them open! Help
us to live each day with faith that draws near to You with our hearts. Give us
joy in You, O Lord, and let us exult in You for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Comments