The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock
Greetings in the Lord!
For the past couple of weeks, I've been led to read a lot from Isaiah 21, 16, and 6. The first two are similar because they talk about some of Israel's enemies--Moab, Babylon, Edom, etc. getting what is due them for all their wicked behavior. Basically, it's cosmic payback time. The chapter verses tell about invaders coming to destroy their cities and all of the people are in flight for their lives. In Isaiah 21, a watchman is told to look for oncoming chariots, pairs of horses and other riders on donkeys and camels--indications that attackers were coming. He eventually sees them in the distance and announces that "Babylon is fallen, fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!" O my people, threshed and winnowed, I have told you everything the Lord of Heaven's Armies has said, everything the God of Israel has told me. Isaiah 21:9b-10. The interesting thing is that I got this passage earlier this year and at that time it referenced Hollywood and Silicon Valley elites. Just like Babylon was in its heyday, it was full of luxuries, power and thought itself invincible. However, the Lord decreed it was time for those unrepentant ones to reap the whirlwind, so to speak. And so it is for those two industries as well.
In Isaiah 16 it is Moab's turn; she will be overrun by Assyria because of her insolence and pride. Though a small nation, they felt themselves very important and always delighted to be a thorn in Israel's side. Now the tables have turned. In Moab's distress, they are advised to send tribute to Jerusalem to curry favor with them and take refuge there, for their land will be trampled and the 'glory of Moab will be ended' and within three years only the feeble will remain. I have gotten this passage many times about the situation in Syria, and I know one thing, their disaster could happen to any disobedient nation--they are a sign for us to learn from. And so I lament, just as Isaiah did, at what has happened there. In fact, in both chapters the prophet laments over the destruction of those places, for he sees how thoroughly the disasters will sift and thresh their lands. But that leads into his original calling, given back in chapter 6. When Isaiah volunteered to go and speak on God's behalf, he was told to preach and prophesy, but that many people would not heed his warnings.
"Go and say to this people, 'Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.' Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing."
Then I said, "Lord, how long will this go on?" And He replied, "Until their towns are empty, their houses deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; until the Lord has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted. If even a tenth--a remnant--survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed." Isaiah 6:9-13.
Pretty heavy stuff, I realize, but we are seeing it all around us in the United States. People are arrogant and self-sufficient; they pursue what they want and harden their hearts to the words of God and reject it. Maybe they have a form of godliness [self-righteousness] or some variant of "truth" they believe, but when it comes right down to the word of God their hearts repel it. They will not listen anymore because their hearts have become hardened beyond repentance. This is usually because they have come to embrace the rebellion in their lives, even finding justification for their beliefs and get very angry when anyone would mention the word of God. And though we have many current examples of the wicked reaping what they've sown and bringing disaster upon their own heads, still, the prideful rebellious cannot see it or learn from it. Such is the case with the United States. Though we have many examples of corrupt countries full of hate and greed and false worship, our society is still full of people who think we can do the same and not reap the same problems. Sorry folks, it doesn't work like that. That's the lesson of the Old Testament. If you learn to imitate the ways of the nations around you, you will also suffer the same fate. But on the plus side, any nation that makes God their Lord will be blessed! An equal opportunity God!
So, I still maintain that we are in a special time now, a window of opportunity, where as God brings His heavy hand upon the wicked, the wise and repentant can run to Him and be saved. So naturally, while we will see more and more revealing of corruption and the demise of the wicked, I expect to see more "Kanye West" type of conversions happening in Hollywood and other industries as God moves in their midst as well. I'm waiting to see who it will be Silicon Valley and elsewhere, even in the most unlikely of places, as God will preserve a remnant. His people will be blessed and set aside for great things in the Lord, even as the wicked reap the whirlwind. As the parable goes, the wise man built his house upon the Rock, and when the floods came up he was saved. Amen
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
For the past couple of weeks, I've been led to read a lot from Isaiah 21, 16, and 6. The first two are similar because they talk about some of Israel's enemies--Moab, Babylon, Edom, etc. getting what is due them for all their wicked behavior. Basically, it's cosmic payback time. The chapter verses tell about invaders coming to destroy their cities and all of the people are in flight for their lives. In Isaiah 21, a watchman is told to look for oncoming chariots, pairs of horses and other riders on donkeys and camels--indications that attackers were coming. He eventually sees them in the distance and announces that "Babylon is fallen, fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!" O my people, threshed and winnowed, I have told you everything the Lord of Heaven's Armies has said, everything the God of Israel has told me. Isaiah 21:9b-10. The interesting thing is that I got this passage earlier this year and at that time it referenced Hollywood and Silicon Valley elites. Just like Babylon was in its heyday, it was full of luxuries, power and thought itself invincible. However, the Lord decreed it was time for those unrepentant ones to reap the whirlwind, so to speak. And so it is for those two industries as well.
In Isaiah 16 it is Moab's turn; she will be overrun by Assyria because of her insolence and pride. Though a small nation, they felt themselves very important and always delighted to be a thorn in Israel's side. Now the tables have turned. In Moab's distress, they are advised to send tribute to Jerusalem to curry favor with them and take refuge there, for their land will be trampled and the 'glory of Moab will be ended' and within three years only the feeble will remain. I have gotten this passage many times about the situation in Syria, and I know one thing, their disaster could happen to any disobedient nation--they are a sign for us to learn from. And so I lament, just as Isaiah did, at what has happened there. In fact, in both chapters the prophet laments over the destruction of those places, for he sees how thoroughly the disasters will sift and thresh their lands. But that leads into his original calling, given back in chapter 6. When Isaiah volunteered to go and speak on God's behalf, he was told to preach and prophesy, but that many people would not heed his warnings.
"Go and say to this people, 'Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.' Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing."
Then I said, "Lord, how long will this go on?" And He replied, "Until their towns are empty, their houses deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; until the Lord has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted. If even a tenth--a remnant--survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed." Isaiah 6:9-13.
Pretty heavy stuff, I realize, but we are seeing it all around us in the United States. People are arrogant and self-sufficient; they pursue what they want and harden their hearts to the words of God and reject it. Maybe they have a form of godliness [self-righteousness] or some variant of "truth" they believe, but when it comes right down to the word of God their hearts repel it. They will not listen anymore because their hearts have become hardened beyond repentance. This is usually because they have come to embrace the rebellion in their lives, even finding justification for their beliefs and get very angry when anyone would mention the word of God. And though we have many current examples of the wicked reaping what they've sown and bringing disaster upon their own heads, still, the prideful rebellious cannot see it or learn from it. Such is the case with the United States. Though we have many examples of corrupt countries full of hate and greed and false worship, our society is still full of people who think we can do the same and not reap the same problems. Sorry folks, it doesn't work like that. That's the lesson of the Old Testament. If you learn to imitate the ways of the nations around you, you will also suffer the same fate. But on the plus side, any nation that makes God their Lord will be blessed! An equal opportunity God!
So, I still maintain that we are in a special time now, a window of opportunity, where as God brings His heavy hand upon the wicked, the wise and repentant can run to Him and be saved. So naturally, while we will see more and more revealing of corruption and the demise of the wicked, I expect to see more "Kanye West" type of conversions happening in Hollywood and other industries as God moves in their midst as well. I'm waiting to see who it will be Silicon Valley and elsewhere, even in the most unlikely of places, as God will preserve a remnant. His people will be blessed and set aside for great things in the Lord, even as the wicked reap the whirlwind. As the parable goes, the wise man built his house upon the Rock, and when the floods came up he was saved. Amen
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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