The Lord Said: "I AM the One Doing This"

 Jeremiah 27:1 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 Thus the Lord said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. 3 Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: 5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave...22 They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the Lord. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”

The time had come.  After all the warnings and continued rejection, God announced that judgment on Judah and surrounding nations had come. He too would be the One to replace Babylon. He would bring back a remnant in His time and His way.  He is the God of History.

The Lord Said: "Don't Kill the Messenger!"

 Jeremiah 25:16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” 17 And certain of the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying, 18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“‘Zion shall be plowed as a field;
    Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
    and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death?'"

As we have seen, Jeremiah had a tough job: preaching repentance when he knew up front they would not repent. Because of his message of judgment, he faced much persecution and mistreatment - even the threat of death.  But God spared him - not because he himself pleaded for mercy, but some were able to see what was going on and spoke up on his behalf.  Do we stand up in defense of those who speak up for God?

The Lord Said: "It's Going to Be Crazy"

Jeremiah 25:15 Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.” 17 So I took the cup from the Lord's hand, and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it:... 

30“‘The Lord will roar from on high,
    and from his holy habitation utter his voice;
he will roar mightily against his fold,
    and shout, like those who tread grapes,
    against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
    for the Lord has an indictment against the nations;
he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
    and the wicked he will put to the sword,
declares the Lord.’

In this prophecy God shows Jeremiah beyond the exile to judgment on all the nations of the world, including Babylon. The "sword" of war will fill the earth; it will consume all nations. God will show himself to be the true Lion who roars and brings about righteousness.

God Said: "Bad News for Bad Figs"

Jeremiah 24:8 “But thus says the Lord: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. 9 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. 10 And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”

The judgment against Jerusalem and Judah was irreversible. God had spoken and warned what was going to happen.  Some had accepted the fact and submitted to the Lord's will, willing to do whatever God saw fit, whether it be taken into exile, like some already had, or left among the ruins. As we saw yesterday, God held out hope and promises for their future after the exile; He would treat them as "good figs," who would bring delight to God wherever they were. But many-even most- resisted the plan of God. They either did everything possible to hold on to their power or tried to run away from God to Egypt. Neither plan would succeed, and these "bad figs" would bring no pleasure to God, themselves, or anyone else.  

The Lord Said: "Good News for Good Figs"

Jeremiah 24:4 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 5 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

The Exile was inevitable. There were already people being taking into captivity. During that time they were to accept the chastisement of the Lord and continue to trust Him and live for Him. He would give them the security that they were His people no matter where they were, and some day He would return them home. They could and would have their confidence in their relationship with Him.  He would change them from the inside out. May He do so for us. 

The Lord Said: "About the Sabbath..."

Jeremiah 17:19 Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, 20 and say: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem... 24 “‘But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, 25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. ...27 But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.’”

The disregard for the sabbath was one tell-tale sign of how far the leaders and people of Israel had strayed from the Lord.  The temple gates were a place one could sit and watch to determine how things were going: who was going in and who was not; whether it was worship or business as usual; were they going to survive and thrive or watch Jerusalem burn.  They chose the latter.  Which would we choose? 

The Lord Said: "Simply Put..."

Jeremiah 16:10 “And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ 11 then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, 12 and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. 

Preceding this paragraph, we have Jeremiah's typical transitions: "The word of the Lord came to me..." and "Thus says the Lord...". God had told him to tell the people: "Don't get to comfortable here; you're not going to be here much longer," reminding them of the coming exile.  Their response is predictable: "Why?" God gives Jeremiah the response: "Simply put, you have turned your back on me for other gods, and you are the worst generation ever. Everyone wants to do what you want and is rebelling against Me." A long explanation is not warranted or needed. The evidence is obvious and blatant. Look all around you. Rebellion rules and righteousness has run away. Why should you expect the land of plenty and place of peace? Often, when we are prone to ask: "Why me?," we need to simply open our eyes and ears to Him. 

The Lord said: "You Be as Bronze"

 Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore thus says the Lord:
“If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
    you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.
20 And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord.
21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
    and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”

After being used by God to pronounce judgment without relent, Jeremiah received a lot of grief. So much in fact, that in the paragraph preceding this one he laid out a complaint to God.  He, and a small remnant, had remained faithful, but no one was listening, and he was getting the brunt of it.  God reminds Jeremiah of who he is: His mouthpiece, and that eventually those who resisted his words would eventually come to him for advice. Through it all God would protect him; he would not be exiled; God would make him strong and he would survive all the judgments to come. Bronze is strong and does not rust.

The Lord Said: "It's Not You... It's Them"

Jeremiah 15:1 Then the Lord said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! 2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,
    and those who are for the sword, to the sword;
those who are for famine, to famine,
    and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’

Jeremiah was in a hard place.  Like others before him, he had been chosen by God to speak for Him to a rebellious people.  He was to announce judgment and warning, but there would be no repentance and turning away of God's hand.  When Moses interceded for his people over and over again, God would at times relent.  When Samuel pleaded for the people and Saul, God sent them David, but when these people refused to listen, except for a few like Jeremiah, God had had enough. The pestilence, war, famine, and exile He had pronounced was coming. There was no turning back. It wasn't Jeremiah's lack of effectiveness as a prophet of God; it was the intensity and severity of the sin of His people. 

They Lord Said: "They Cannot Run and Hide"

 

Jeremiah 14:10 Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
“They have loved to wander thus;
    they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the Lord does not accept them;
    now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins.”
11 The Lord said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

As we have seen in previous passages in Jeremiah, the people were running away from Him toward other gods.  At first, they wandered, then they ran toward them.  They refused to stop, turn, and come back to Him when called. Once again, God tells Jeremiah not to pray for them. He pronounces judgment by the big three: sword, famine, and pestilence, a summary of His tools of judgment from Egypt to the end times. They may run from Him to other gods, but they cannot run from His judgment.  No one can. 

The Lord Said: "Let Me Put It Another Way..."

 Jeremiah 13:7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.

God had been giving Jeremiah all sorts of pictures of why He was going to judge Judah and Jerusalem. This chapter begins with Him instructing Jeremiah to go buy a loincloth(inner garment), put it on, then take off, and then hide it by the Euphrates River(which led into Babylon, where Israel would be exiled.) After a length of time, God sent him back to get it, and it was dirty and rotted.  God then says the above. Just as Jesus was the master of illustration as He preached in the Gospels, the Lord was in the pictures He made in the Prophets. The message is the same: when will we learn to listen and stay close to Him? 

The Lord Said: "We've Been through This Before..."

Jeremiah 11:6 And the Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice. 8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.” 9 Again the Lord said to me, “A conspiracy exists among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them.

The Lord called upon Jeremiah to remind the people of what had happened in the past when they turned their back on Him. They have done it again - repeatedly. God goes on to tell them that this time, when they call out for deliverance, He will not listen.  He also calls on Jeremiah and others around them to not listen to their cries.  In fact, if they did, they would be punished as well.  This was hard for Jeremiah. He had to sit and watch Judah suffer. They needed to learn to listen themselves.  Are there any ways we never seem to learn our lesson?

The Lord Said: "Look, Walk, Watch... but No."

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I set watchmen over you, saying,
    ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’
18 Therefore hear, O nations,
    and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
    the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
    and as for my law, they have rejected it.

Through Jeremiah God gave the people lots of warnings. He had him point out the danger of the path they were on, as well as where the path of safety was, but they kept their dangerous course.  He sent a blast of the alarm, but they would not listen. Because they would not pay attention to Him, they would bring disaster upon themselves.  The same is true today. God is sending all sorts of warning signs, calling us to Him, His Word, His Way. May we pay much better attention and walk with Him.

The Lord Said: "Didn't They Learn Anything?"

 Jeremiah 3:6 The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore? 7 And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to me,’ but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. 9 Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. 10 Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Historically, when the kingdom divided, the southern kingdom of Judah has been much more faithful to the Lord than the northern tribes of Israel, but neither was faithful. It just took Judah longer to fall.  But when she fell, her fall was greater and harder.  Judah had watched everything that happened to Israel, yet not learned her lesson. It is never good for us to live by comparison with others, thinking we are better as they suffer for sin.  We need to beware the "I would never do that" attitude.  As the apostle Paul tells us: "Take heed, lest you fall."

The Lord Said: "What Do You See?"

 Jeremiah 1:11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”
13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land.

As we saw yesterday, the Lord called a reluctant Jeremiah to be His prophet. We might call this part of his training process.  God wanted Jeremiah to see what was going on as part of His plan, so that he could announce what God was doing and why.  God goes on to explain to him that the tribes of the north, would come and besiege Jerusalem, but that they should not fear; God was going to use the occasion to punish the invaders.  Jeremiah had to see things from God's perspective to speak and understand the truth of what was going. on. So do we.

The Lord Said: "Don't Talk That Way; Talk for Me."

 Jeremiah 1:4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”
9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Jeremiah begins with how he was called to be a prophet for God.  Like many of God's servants, his initial response was "You've got the wrong guy."  God knew his hesitancy; Jeremiah was afraid. It was not going to be easy or pleasant, but God was going to give him the words. It sounds a lot like Jesus talking to His disciples before his "exodus." God will give the words. We need to spend a lot more time listening to and speaking for Him, and a lot less time and energy talking back at Him. We'll be amazed what we see. 

The Lord Said: "Good News?"

Isaiah 39: 5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”

We talked yesterday about Hezekiah begging God for a longer life, and God granting that request. This led to him living to see some promises fulfilled, but also some things he probably would rather have not seen. Here we find an interesting interaction. God announces through Isaiah the coming exile and submission of Israel to Babylon.  Hezekiah has an interesting response: he sees it as good news because at least things would be good in his lifetime.  How often do we have that perspective in life? As long as it does not get in the way of my plans, my comfort, my happiness.  Thankfully, Isaiah does not leave Hezekiah or us in such a sad state. The rest of this book goes on to give comfort, hope, and good news in the coming of the Messiah. There is so much more than my little plans. God has great things ahead for His people.   

The Lord Said: I Have Heard and Seen

Isaiah 38:1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

God is fully engaged in the lives of His people.  We have seen over the last several months that He is the God Who sees, hears, and speaks. Here He shows and tells that to Hezekiah.  He gives Hezekiah advanced notice of his death, something many do not experience. He responds specifically to Hezekiah's plea for more days so that he can see God work out the prophecies which had been given about his kingdom: the Assyrian threat would be thwarted. God made it very clear that He was doing to do it all. Hezekiah would simply sit back and watch.   God kept His promise, but He did not protect Hezekiah from further damage he would do to himself. Length of days can be a good thing to see what God will do in answer to our prayers, but we will also see and do other things that break our hearts we could have done without seeing.

The Said: "I Am the Shepherd Lion

 

Isaiah 31:4 For thus the Lord said to me,
“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,
    and when a band of shepherds is called out against him
he is not terrified by their shouting
    or daunted at their noise,
so the Lord of hosts will come down
    to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it.”

6 Turn to him from whom people have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. 7 For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.

As God continues to call His people to turn away from trusting in pagan peoples and their idols, He wants us to see the flipside of His character. We picture Him often and rightly as the Good Shepherd, which He is.  But at times He will be more like a lion. When He is protecting His People and His House, He is the force to be reckoned with. All others will back down and flee. He will be a Shepherd Lion, protecting those who are His, and driving away all who would do them harm.  

The Lord Said: "Stop Trying to Run Away"

 

Isaiah 30:15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
But you were unwilling, 16 and you said,
“No! We will flee upon horses”;
    therefore you shall flee away;
and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”;
    therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
17 A thousand shall flee at the threat of one;
    at the threat of five you shall flee,
till you are left
    like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain,
    like a signal on a hill.

When the going gets tough, the not-so-tough often run away.  Thus was the history of Israel during the prophets.  Actually, often in their history they wanted to "go back to Egypt." God had called them to live in the promised land, stay there, and keep His covenant.  He often talked to them about entering their rest. It was not always running back to Egypt; it included fleeing other places instead of trusting and obeying Him.  Do you find yourself often wanting to run away? From consequences, from obedience, from God? Return to Him in humble, quiet obedience and trust.  Join with others in trusting Him, lest you find yourself alone and more vulnerable than ever.  

The Lord Said: "Where Is Your Wisdom?"

 Isaiah 25:13 And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
14 therefore, behold, I will again
    do wonderful things with this people,
    with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
    and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

God had told His people that judgment was coming. Though He for the time would spare Judah and Jerusalem from total destruction, they would soon be facing a siege.  Having seen the judgment all around them, one would think that they would "wise up" and submit themselves to God's rule, but instead they just pretended to, going through the motions, giving lip-service, with no real change of heart, trusting in their own wisdom instead of His.  They were going to have to be humbled.  Lest we shake our heads in wonder, may we too examine our lives to make sure we are not just saying the right things, going through the activities, our hearts not surrendered to Him.

For the Lord Has Spoken...

 Isaiah 25:6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
8     He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
    “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Often when I look at the prophets of the Old Testament, I wonder what kept them going. They had to announce rebuke and judgment on people who usually refused to listen, and who often resorted to the attitude of "kill the messenger." But announcements like this must have carried them through. In Isaiah especially we find the thread of hope throughout.  Notice in the midst of the passage above promised that we often associate with the Revelation: death ends, tears wiped away, reproach removed.  May we join with him in proclaiming: "Behold our God, the one we have waited for; let us be glad and rejoice!"

The Lord Said: "Watch and Listen"

 Isaiah 21:6 For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees.
7 When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, 

riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently, very diligently.”
8 Then he who saw cried out:
“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed whole nights.
9 And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!”
And he answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.”

As we have seen, Isaiah was given the difficult task of speaking to God's people who did not listen well. When he told them to not be afraid of the Assyrians but trust in God, they tried to appease their enemies. When he told them to get rid of their idols, they clung to them all the more.  God now tells them through Isaiah what will happen to Babylon, the even more fearful evil empire He would use to judge Assyria. If God could take them down, then maybe His people would learn to trust Him alone. Or would we? 

The Lord Said: "The Harvest Is Coming."

 

Isaiah 18:3 All you inhabitants of the world,
    you who dwell on the earth,
when a signal is raised on the mountains, look!
    When a trumpet is blown, hear!
4 For thus the Lord said to me:
“I will quietly look from my dwelling
    like clear heat in sunshine,
    like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is over,
    and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks,
    and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away.
6 They shall all of them be left
    to the birds of prey of the mountains
    and to the beasts of the earth.
And the birds of prey will summer on them,
    and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.

At the time of his speaking, Isaiah was watching his people struggle, like under the intense heat and humidity of summer. Days are full of either dry baking or ferocious flooding.  Isaiah's people sat there feeling helpless, suffering for their disobedience at the hand of pagan peoples. But when harvest time comes the days are clear and crisp, with a cooling dew in the morning. Then, the sickle flies, and whatever is left behind is taken by scavengers.  Isaiah's people needed to watch and wait: judgment day would come on all. 

The Lord Spoke: "Stay Clear"

Isaiah 8:11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 

We have seen the last two days that the Lord had told the people to not be afraid of their enemies, but to way and trust in Him.  They did not listen, but instead tried to appease and even join with their enemies in resisting the Assyrians.  What they could not see or would not believe is that Assyria was God's mighty arm of judgment. God spoke words of encouragement to Isaiah to not get caught up in what everyone else was thinking and doing. Much like Psalm 1, he was not to walk in their ways, get caught up in their fears. We are to remain true to a proper fear of the Lord.  God goes on to tell Isaiah that He will be with him: as his sanctuary of protection and solid rock of stability. To us He would say the same: don't be swept away. 

The Lord Spoke: "Not a Good Choice"

Isaiah 8:5 The Lord spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”

We saw yesterday that the Lord had told the people to not be afraid of Rezin, but to trust in Him and He would take care of things.  Instead, they chose to ally themselves to those they feared, putting their trust in them rather than Him.  This was a bad decision, as God was going to use the great Assyrian Empire to take care of those nations.  By association, this put Judah at risk.  Assyria would surround them and threaten their very existence.  Often, God offers to help and save, but we choose to try to find our own way out of our messes. That never ends well.

The Lord Said: Don't Worry; I've Got This

 

Isaiah 7:2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah...7 thus says the Lord God: “‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.

Sometimes, knowing we are imperfect and sinful, makes us worry about every potential evil story that comes our way.  We often live in fear of what might happen.  God wants it to be clear when we are being judged for our sin or just experiencing the fallenness of this world.  The people of Judah heard that other nations were plotting against them and where scared to death.  God wanted to make it clear that they needed not to worry, but to trust in Him.  The chapter goes on to give the promise of Immanuel - God with us - a promise for that time as well as the coming of the Messiah. Stop worrying; trust and listen to God. 

The Lord Said: "Now You're Listening."

Isaiah 6:4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”...

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: 

“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; 
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
    and their ears heavy,
    and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”

As noted yesterday, when the Lord speaks in the prophets, it's usually with words of rebuke. Isaiah had been overcome with the holiness of God and the sinfulness of himself and His people. In the skipped verses above, the Lord's angel promised forgiveness before God Himself spoke to Isaiah. Isaiah was now ready to listen and to speak for God. Sadly, most of Isaiah's people would not be ready to listen, repent, and respond in faith and obedience. Are we ready to listen?

The Lord Said: "It's Not Going to Be Pretty"

 

Isaiah 3:13 The Lord has taken his place to contend;
    he stands to judge peoples.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment
    with the elders and princes of his people:
“It is you who have devoured the vineyard,
    the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people,
    by grinding the face of the poor?”
declares the Lord God of hosts.
16 The Lord said:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
    and walk with outstretched necks,
    glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
    tinkling with their feet,
17 therefore the Lord will strike with a scab
    the heads of the daughters of Zion,
    and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.

Often in the prophets when we read The Lord Said it is followed by a message of judgment. The setting is also often like this one: God is seated as Judge - not of pagan nations, but those claiming His name. Their selfishness and pride will find them out, thinking they are above judgment. As Paul tells the Corinthians (chapter 10) we need to learn from their example. If not, things can get pretty ugly, like a scab, and worse.

God Has Spoken in His Holiness...

 

Psalm 60:6 God has spoken in his holiness:
    “With exultation I will divide up Shechem
    and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet;
    Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my washbasin;
    upon Edom I cast my shoe;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have you not rejected us, O God?
    You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11 Oh, grant us help against the foe,
    for vain is the salvation of man!
12 With God we shall do valiantly;
    it is he who will tread down our foes.

Psalm 60 may not be in the top ten of your favorite psalms, but it is one of a few which reference God speaking. David begins by crying out to God about how difficult it was to drive out pagan peoples who were harassing Israel. In the midst of his cry, God answers, claiming every part of the Promised land for His people, even if not yet subdued.  David replies with a renewed cry for God to go with them. The last verse is the only one that rang a bell as I read it, but it is powerful. It is with God that we shall do valiantly; it is He who brings the victory!

The Lord Said: "You are My Son. Ask Me."

 Psalm 2:7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
    today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
    and I will make the nations your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron;
    you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Interestingly, though understandably, we have less than a handful of statements in the Psalms where God/The Lord "spoke" or "said."  The nature of the Psalms is to reveal man's response to God's action and revelation. This psalm of David is an exception, where he quotes what God has said to Him.  This was a promise to him, which also foreshadowed the Messiah.  God said "You are my son; ask Me."  Those words impacted David greatly, and we find most of the time he acted as if he knew God's loving favor and faithfulness to His promises. It is also interested to consider how this statement impacted the Son of God when He was being tempted by Satan. Satan offered Him the nations of the world. To be sure, the voice of the Father echoed in His heart and mind: "You are My Son. Ask Me."