07/18/2020 – Day 048 – Isaiah 34 – 39
In answer to Hezekiah’s prayer, God miraculously delivers Israel from the mighty army of Assyria and Sennacherib, their king is killed by by two of his sons. And Hezekiah is also healed from near death, with his life extended fifteen years. Then Hezekiah turns right around and betrays his people by showing the Babylonians the house of treasures, hiding nothing from a known invading power.
So when Isaiah informs Isaiah in the concluding verses of our reading that his family will be wiped out and exiled to Babylon in the future due to this folly, Hezekiah callously replies: “The Word of the Lord which you have spoken is good! For he said, “At least there will be peace and truth in my days.” How despicable is that?
Isn’t it interesting that we get to contrast this with our reading tomorrow in Romans 11:12 , noting in particular “Living Sacrifices to God” – Chapter 12.
Isaiah 29:13: “Therefore the Lord said: Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths / And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hears far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men…” But through all this our merciful God promises, immediately following in verse 14: “Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder, For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”
Check out this footnote in my bible on 29:13:
“How perfectly this sums up our generation. We have millions who sit within the contemporary Church and sing songs and read words that don’t match their sinful lives. Once again , the problem finds its roots in a lack of the fear of God. An insipid and imaginery loving god, devoid of any sense of justice, is preached from pulpits and reproduces itself in the hearts of its hearers. Sinai needs to be thundered from the mouths of preachers whose hearts tremble for fear of the Lord.”
Your brother in Christ,
Jimmy