Isaiah 1 – 6
I love Isaiah like many prophetic writings in the Bible, I wonder if they are for their time or ours. Verse 1:11 has God addressing the people since he is angry at them turning from His ways:
Eternal One: What do I care for all of your slaughter-gifts?
I have had enough of your burnt offerings.
I’m not interested in any more ram meat or fat from your well-fed cattle.
The blood of bulls, lambs, or goats does not please Me.
Imagine the LAW says you must sacrifice and repent from your sins and God rejects those sacrifices. What did they do to reject God so much? Then I read this and apply it to today’s church and nation. I wonder if our gifts are being rejected since many give expecting greater rewards and not out of honoring God. I know I have done this over the years before where I give with the expectation of a greater reward, which is justified since it will allow even more giving.
Later in verse 14 God says he “deplores” the holidays and celebrations. As we enter the Christmas season one has to wonder! The “holiday” was set on December 25th to “offset” the pagan celebrations of the time. It’s ironic that after 1400 or so years those “celebrations” the church was trying to squash has overtaken (in a way) the meaning of the holiday. The “ideas” are all perverted in the name of Jesus, although the giving is around a mythical character and not the real one.
Verse 3:4 & 5 again makes this visions look like it could apply today:
4 In the chaos of their absence, I will make mere kids rule.
Even infants will govern them,
5 Leaving people to take advantage of each other,
making their lives miserable.
Youngsters will terrorize the elderly,
and the most despicable will bully the upstanding.
Many parts of this nation are overrun by gangs that terrorize the neighbors and we have allowed a group of “minors” rule by their law and not God’s. We cower as those who “protect” us do little to nothing to reign in these thugs. Along with this our ability to defend ourselves is being choked. So the big question is when does this prophecy apply?
Funny how our leaders, although legally adults all seem to act like “infants” when they don’t get their way!
Verse 5:10 again points to today and not just another time:
Huge investments in 10-acre vineyards
will yield tiny dividends, mere gallons of wine.
Prime property planted with plenty of seed
will grow a nearly worthless amount of grain.
The “banksters” today are hoarding everything and not “spreading” the wealth. Sure one could argue for them that this is acceptable, but at the same time morals are not involved. Think about it, it’s all about the dollar and not the society. We have destroyed our nation by looting it and removing all the income producing opportunities. Think about it … you design a widget to compete against Apple’s iPad. You cannot build it here and compete. That’s what I am talking about; we have allowed the morals of the dollar take over basic fiscal morality.
I read these and look at history and see how society after society follow these same footsteps and wonder if we are “hardwired” to do this. Does Satan work his magic on all societies or do we just keep doing it to ourselves? Many argue we have evolved over medieval times, but really all that has evolved is technologies. We have the same innate drive for power, control and pleasure. That is what God says we need to control or society melts down, as it has over and over again throughout history.
Verse 6:9 is a response I would love, but terrifies me at the same time:
Then I heard the Lord’s voice.
Eternal One: Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?
Isaiah: Here I am! Send me.
Knowing the stories of those who have been sent, would you jump up? Think about it, really think about it. Moses did amazing things, but never stepped foot in the Promised Land. Samson died in the rubble. Of the 12 disciples, all but John were martyred. So before jumping up to be sent, think of the consequences. I know we a say we would jump, but define what that means and your answer may change.