Isaiah 1:1-9 Devotion

Isaiah 1:1-9 Text

1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks,"Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me. 3"An ox knows its owner,And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know,My people do not understand." 4 Alas, sinful nation,People weighed down with iniquity,Offspring of evildoers,Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD,They have despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away from Him. 5 Where will you be stricken again,As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it,Only bruises, welts and raw wounds,Not pressed out or bandaged,Nor softened with oil. 7 Your land is desolate,Your cities are burned with fire,Your fields--strangers are devouring them in your presence;It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. 8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,Like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. 9 Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors,We would be like Sodom,We would be like Gomorrah.

Devotion

Can it be that you and I are less intelligent than an ox or a donkey? They have no problem realizing who owns them and whom they obey. Yet, do we listen to the One who has purchased us with His own blood? It is a strong rebuke that God's own purchased people do not know or understand Him. Of course, this goes way beyond challenging us to just know His word. To know Him is to obey Him. As George MacDonald said, "It is better to be an atheist who does the will of God, than a so-called Christian who does not." Those who are quick to call Jesus "Lord" . . . are they obsessed with doing the will of God. It is our actions which always tell the story of whether we are also guilty of despising Him. I am thankful for George MacDonald for reminding me that having a correct theology does not mean I know God as I claim I do. It is the doing of the word that was important in the Old Testament and was important to Jesus. To refuse obedience is to refuse His lorship over my life and the end result is a forfeiture of His blessings in my life. Such a rejectin of the One true God can then result in our losing our minds and hearts to depression, grief, frustration, various illnesses, and eventual hardening and despair.

Thankfully, there is still hope for all as the history of Israel is designed to point out. God holds out grace for them (and us) at the end of this passage. There are survivors! It may surprise you to know Ezekiel 16:49: "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Of course, this describes us in America very well and reminds us that failure to love others can result in moral degradation which we see plenty of as well. The key question for my life and yours is: do I show that I know Him by my obedience to His will and ways? If you have revolted from obedience to the one who bought you, repent and turn back to following Him as your master and owner. Disobedience is rebellion. By God's grace show yourself one of the survivors who escape His judgment.