In sharing the gospel or ministering to other people, have you ever had
someone bring up the topic of hypocrisy within the church, or a Christian's
life that hinders them from believing or trusting in God? How do you answer
people when they try to hide behind the insincerity of others? A better
question would be – “Is there any hypocrisy in my life today making it
possible for others to hide behind such an excuse as this?” Are there
any areas of your life where you are just going through the motions in
your walk with the Lord?
While reading chapter one of the book of Isaiah, I found the prophet addressing
the corruption of the Jews and the ungodliness of their lives as well
as the direction they were headed if they didn't repent. I'd like to encourage
you to take the time to read all of chapter one before proceeding with
the rest of today's devotion. It is such a picture of our nation today
and the condition of the people living within it, Christians included!
The Lord is using various images in this chapter to describe His people
to us....
Isaiah 1:2 (KJV)
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have
nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
God wants us to hear the state of affairs within the church today – there
is rebellion against God; believers are guilty of refusing His love and
authority. We have arrogantly turned our backs on our entire life support
system, ignoring the fact that the basic necessities of life are provided
by God. Not a pretty picture, is it? What makes the word “rebelled” seem
so ugly in this verse is the word “nourished” which precedes it. Nourishment
is often associated with genuine love and concern, like that of a God-fearing
parent when raising their child. A loving parent has nothing but the physical,
emotional, and spiritual well being in mind for their child and at all
cost, will make sure their child gets it. Perfect health is the end of
nourishment. Ladies, the Lord's goal for us is to live healthy, prosperous
Christian lives - apart from the sickness of sin. Thankfully, He has given
us the directions for such a life in His Word! But our response to His
fatherly care and kindness in wanting to bring our souls to a perfectly
fit condition is oftentimes rebellion....
Isaiah 1:3 (KJV)
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth
not know, my people doth not consider.
Oxes and asses are dumb animals, yet even they have enough sense to know
who they should follow! Even a stray cat will remain devoted to the hand
that feeds it… But do we? Scripture says, “Israel doth not know, doth
not consider...” When we despise God’s commandments and choose to stay
disobedient to the Lord, by no means are we moving toward an intimate
relationship with Him. How close have you become to your Master, your
Owner, since the day of your salvation? Oh, how much God desires for us
to KNOW Him! You see ladies, the more we truly know the Lord, the more
we would trust and follow Him. We would realize then that He is the one
who feeds us good things and has our soul's true health and nourishment
in mind! That is the reason for the crib mentioned in this verse, for
it is the place where these animals are fed, where their Master nourishes
them. Do you take yourself regularly to the "Master's Crib" for the sustenance
your soul requires? Or are you foolishly living your Christian life in
hypocrisy - without eating spiritual food?
Isaiah 1:4 (KJV)
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers,
children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked
the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
Sounds like this verse ought to be the headlines on the front page of
today's newspaper, doesn't it?
"Sinful nation" - choice words implying that the entire contents of the
nation are wicked!
"People laden with iniquity" - implying that even individual lives are
full and heavy with sinful choices, bent over with the extreme weight
of it all!
"Seed of evildoers" - implying that children have had parents living unscriptural
lives who did not bother to nourish them in the Word of God and they too
will likely continue on living wicked lives themselves!
"Children that are corrupters" - implying that these unholy children warp
the way of God, warp His Word and follow after their own way!
"Forsaken and provoked the Holy One to anger" - implying that judgement
is coming for such a nation and such a people as this!
"Gone away backward" - the only direction there is if you aren't willing
to obey God and His Word!
Yes, it definitely sounds like America to me... Isaiah 1:5&6 go on to
give us the Lord's uncomplimentary image of such a nation:
Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the
whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. [6] From the sole of the
foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises,
and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither
mollified with ointment.
Ladies, this nation needs celestial nutrition - holy nourishment found
on the pages of the Bible! Truth is a powerful diet that can heal a sick
head, a sick heart, old scars, bruises of life, and the putrefying wounds
that sin causes! With the spiritual health God has for us, those sores
that have never been closed up can find perfect healing once and for all!
Yet we refuse complete curing. Instead, we opt to be sick with sin from
the top to the bottom of our souls....
Isaiah 1:7 (KJV)
Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land,
strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown
by strangers.
Today we have given the strangest groups "rights" and have turned over
our country to the leadership of such "strangers" who know not God. As
Christians, we have been sitting by and letting sin run rampant before
us. We've kept our mouths shut in hypocrisy by not speaking out against
what God calls sin! The cause of Christ has been overthrown and America
is desolate as a result. We have allowed the Bible to be taken out of
the schools along with prayer, and "strangers" have come in. Philosophies
that go against the Word of God have overthrown truth and Christians permit
it to happen! Our cities burn with the fire of sin and God's people have
lit the match that set it off....
Isaiah 1: 8-9 (KJV)
And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge
in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the Lord of hosts
had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and
we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Imagine the insult of having to be compared to Sodom and Gomorrah! Their
whole problem was that they did not heed the scriptures and they were
left barren. Praise the Lord though, that there's always a remnant somewhere
that wants to do right, a small group of believers that pays serious attention
to truth. Incidentally, of what group are you a part, dear lady? Is it
that very small remnant - the minority, or are you part of the crowd -
the majority that is sin sick in soul and rebellious toward the Lord?
How have you been living your Christian life? Is it full of secret sins
that you bring into the house of the Lord each week? Or do you crucify
the deeds of the flesh and desire to live an obedient life to God? Are
you bringing yourself regularly to the Master's Crib for sustenance? I
hope you have not been guilty of pushing away the caring hand of your
heavenly Father who has nothing but your soul's health in mind! When presented
with the opportunity, do you usually speak out against sin or do you silently
allow sin to settle comfortably in your presence, perhaps so you can join
in as well? God help us to be a part of the remnant that will stand up
for right and not rebel against the Lord!
Let me leave you today with this thought provoking paragraph from one
of Aesop's Fables....
THE FLIES & THE HONEY-POT
“A number of flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had been overturned
in a housekeeper’s room, and placing their feet in it, ate greedily. Their
feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that they could not use
their wings, nor release themselves, and were suffocated. Just as they
were expiring, they exclaimed, “O foolish creatures that we are, for the
sake of a little pleasure we have destroyed ourselves.”
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
