Damariscotta Baptist Church

 

 

For those of you have been following closely to our reading through Isaiah, today I am switching chapters. We will be reading chapter 48, before chapter 47, because of its content relating far better to communion. Next week we will go back to chapter 47.

I am continually amazed just how closely the Jewish nation in Isaiah’s lifetime, relates to Christians in my lifetime. As I continue to read and study Isaiah, I am reminded that human nature hasn’t changed much, it’s just the “stuff” we have around us that has changed. As in today’s Scripture, the predominant question for the Israelites was “Is God dead? For the average Israelite, in captivity, it sure didn’t seem like He was around much or doing much. Maybe He had been defeated? Either by the Babylonian gods or perhaps by their sin.”

Our society pretty much proclaims a similar message. The average Christian might think, “God must be dead, if He ever existed at all. Look at all the evil in the world. Young children die, hunger, homelessness, refugees. And let’s face it, most of the people I know who say they are Christians, seem pretty hypocritical to me. They think they are perfect, but I know better. They go to church on Sunday, but during the week, they sin, just like the rest of us.”

God’s people weren’t listening then, and we have difficulty listening now.

Isaiah had given the announcement they should have been hoping for, he announced judgement on Babylon. But would they believe it,

or

would they give up their faith along the way.

Unlike God, humans have a sense of time, which means they would have to wait for deliverance. So when the time came for the prophecy to be fulfilled, would there be anyone next to Isaiah to act on the deliverance? Check out verse 8, I am reading from “The Message” Isaiah writes,

You’ve never been good listeners to me.

    You have a history of ignoring me,

A sorry track record of fickle attachments—

    rebels from the womb.

Do you think Isaiah might be trying to get their attention? There are 10 instances of Isaiah referring to “hearing” in this chapter, so my guess is the Israelites have an issue with listening. It doesn’t surprise me that they find themselves in bondage, however, it does surprise me that they still have an issue with listening. What does it take for people to hear God talking? This remains a poignant question for today.

Today’s Scripture begins with the descendants of Jacob and those from “the line of Judah” thinking they are God’s people, but Isaiah states, that the relationship they have is only in name, as their behavior shows they do not have a relationship. This is demonstrated three times where they were commanded to listen, v. 12, 14, & 16. The Hebrew word used in these verses sama or “listen” does not permit a separation between perception and action. Therefore, if you are really listening, you will do what you were admonished to do. If you don’t do it, it means you really didn’t hear it.

Evidence of hearing is doing,

and if one doesn’t,

it is understood they are rebelling.

 

 

Isaiah even gives reasons why the people should listen and put their faith in God. These reasons are still true today.

God is the sole Creator, v.12-13, before everything and after everything
He is the Lord of history, v.14-15, He summoned the stars and the heavens to obey, as well as a Persian emperor, to meet His purpose.
In comparison the idols and gods created by humans, they are not able to predict such things in advance, because unlike God, they are limited by the cycles of time and fate.

Then in verse 16, the challenge to hear is reiterated. God reminds us that He has been speaking clearly to us, not in secret, and He has been doing so with His Spirit, through prophets like Isaiah.

This chapter closes with God summarizing who He is with a group of His names and titles,

“your Redeemer,

the Holy One of Israel,

the LORD your God.”

He then reminds them,

had they paid attention,

in the past,

none of the tragedies that were to befall them,

in the Exile,

would have happened.

They would have received all His promises instead.

How often do we look back and realize, had we paid attention, we could have avoided a lot of tragedies?

And yet, with God, just as it was with the Israelites, even though they did not listen in the past, it does not mean that God had given up on them.

From this point forward, from the very point they really “heard” they could be delivered from Babylon, the very place into which they existed because of their deaf ears and hardened heart. Because, the One who created the earth, also has the ability to redeem those whom He has created.

Isaiah was the prophet of the rebellious. The entire book addresses the rebellion of God’s chosen people. When you think about it, the entire Bible addresses the rebellion of humans. It began in the Garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve. However, it ends with the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

When you think about it, rebellion, stubbornness and treachery are what sin is all about. And these attributes exist in us today, just as they did for the Israelites in Babylon. And like those Israelites, we can leave the “Babylons” that have enslaved us. However, like the Israelites, we are called to “listen.”

We are called to listen to the prophets, listen to what God says in His revealed Word. Or we can choose to listen to the world. The world says we are doomed to accept our fate, to be heroic and slug through it, to become a better person.

God says our fate can be changed, it can be redeemed. You see, God doesn’t change evil into good, evil is evil and good is good. What God does is called redemption. Redemption is “the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.” The action taken was God taking on our sins and shedding His blood, so we could be redeemed, which is defined as “the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.” God can do the impossible and bring about change, He is capable of doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The crux of the matter is not God’s ability, but our response.

The power of God to change our lives is limited,

it is limited by our response to it.

Just like it was for many of the Israelites listening to Isaiah, if they didn’t believe they wouldn’t be set free. Like the Israelites, we must demonstrate our hearing by responding positively to it. By doing so, God will be able to change the old things into new things for us. Yet in order for that change to occur, we have to “listen.”

Lord’s Supper