Scripture Passage
Scripture Focus
“But because the rest of you have forsaken the LORD
and have forgotten his Temple,
and because you have prepared feasts to honor
the god of Fate
and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny,
now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword.
All of you will bow down before the executioner.
For when I called, you did not answer.
When I spoke, you did not listen.
You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes—
and chose to do what you know I despise.”
(Isaiah 65:11-12 NLT)
Observation
Israel has simply pushed it too far with God. They have repeatedly and flagrantly violated the terms of their covenant with Him and face the inevitable consequences of their actions. Remember back in Exodus when God brought Israel out of Egypt? They were so delighted to be free from bondage, and so ready to enter covenant with this awesome-beyond-words God who had delivered them. How confidently they announced, “We will do everything the LORD has said" (Exodus 19:8 NIV).
All of that has fallen by the wayside, and in one of the saddest verses in all of Scripture…
The holy and beautiful Temple
where our ancestors praised you
has been burned down,
and all the things of beauty are destroyed.
(Isaiah 64:11 NLT)
How does that happen? Well, *part* of the cause, at least, is identified in 65:11-12—Israel forsook the Lord and forgot His Temple and choose, instead, to honor the gods of “Fate” and “Destiny”.
Sorry—but I can’t read that without thinking about how (within one generation) the neglect of Sunday worship has become pandemic while “gaming” (as we call it) has gone from national vice to national pastime. At the risk of sounding like, well, like a fire-and-brimstone patriot, what kind of future can this nation expect given our growing fascination with and addiction to amusement and chance? Who (please tell me) is worshipped at the casino when the cards are dealt and the bets are placed? To whom are heartfelt prayers offered at the convenience store counter when lottery tickets are bought and sold? It’s not Jehovah—the Holy One of Israel!
I’m frustrated with the unwillingness of Americans to take an honest look at ourselves and see where all this leads. I understand that we’re not in covenant with God the way Israel stood in covenant with God, but the principles by which God’s blessing is obtained and God’s judgment avoided remain the same—
“Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.”
(Proverbs 14:34 NIV)
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.”
(Psalms 33:12 NIV)
Here's the trouble with all this ranting (so far, anyway): The point of this journey66 blog is personal devotion—experiencing my own personal devotional moments, not sermonizing towards someone else's. So what do I take from my own concerns here? Two questions I'll ask myself today. The first is personal: In what ways is my worship of Jehovah tainted and/or incomplete? What are my blind spots? Where have I forsaken the Lord and forgotten His Temple?
The second is pastoral: How can I effectively address valid concerns over social ills (especially, today, the familiarity and comfort that many professing believers seem to have with gambling, alcohol, questionable entertainment, etc.) while not losing sight of (or muddying the waters regarding) the big picture truth that it is only and always by God's grace—not adherance to rules—that anyone is saved.
***
2 comments:
Pastor, I'm so Excited about this reading I could bust! This is right up my alley. Whenever I read about how Isreal failed (again) and God steps in with his fix, it just amazes me that he seems to be including us in that Plaster patch. The start of Chapt. 65 is awesome. In the Message, it says "I've made myself Available to those who haven't bothered to ask. I'm here ready to be found by those who haven't bothered to look. I kept saying 'I'm here, I'm here' to a nation that ignored me." (65:1-2)
In Verse 3 it says they even "make up their own kitchen religion, a potluck religiolus stew." Anything they can throw in there they do. Anything that is, but God.
Until finally God says, "I, God will put you to death and give a "New Name" to my servants. Then whoever prays a blessing in the land will use my "faithful name" for the blessing. And whoever takes an oath in the land will use my "faithful name" for the oath, Because the earlier troubles are gone and forgotten, banished far from my sight." (verses 15-16 msg) I know what that name is too. CHRISTIAN! And I know the name we pray in. JESUS!
Everytime I read how God includes Gentiles in his Devine Plan I can't help but paraise and thank him. His design for us goes as far back as his word. Praise God for thinking of me and mine.
Verses 17-18 say, I'm creating new Heavens and a New earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be Forgotten. Look ahead with Joy. Anticipate what I'm creating. I'll create Jerusalem as sheer JOY, create my people as pure DELIGHT. I'll take joy in Jerusalem, and take delight in my people:
Pastor, Not that your question in the last paragraph was directed towards us personally to answer, yet, I will here: I believe you do a great job 'preaching' the truth about these social ills.
It's up to the Holy Spirit to move upon the hearts of the professing believers to move to a place of repentence, acknowledge the blessing and providence of a God who is so willing to forgive and not only that but He CHOOSES even to forget!
The passage in the Message: Isaiah 63 says," Why, God, did you make us wander from your ways? Why did you make us cold and stubborn so that we no longer worshiped you in awe?" I think it's this 'cold and stubborn' place that hinders me, personally, from receiving the full blessing on my life that God wants to give. Maybe when we submit to God in these areas of sin (for me it might be unforgiveness, for someone else it may be drunken parties) we can be at a place where we are fully submitted to God and in this place of 'worshipping in awe' with our lives. My prayer is to be at that place again. I don't want to worship any other thing or exalt any other thing above my Lord and Saviour. Lord help to soften my heart to be at that place of worship again so You might "meet those (me) who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work." Isaiah 64, The Message.
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