Throughout the first 16 verses in chapter 48 of the book of Isaiah, God reminds Israel how He will consistently fulfill the prophecies He had promised so they can not give credit to idols or any other excuse. He didn't have to tell them what He was going to do ahead of time...but He did, so they would know it is Him.
This chapter falls hot on the heels of all of His prophecies against Israel and how they will be carried into captivity by Babylon. He also specifically has named Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire 100 years before he is born and that he will be the one to conquer Babylon. God doesn't want any dispute...He says He will do it...and we know from history, that He was true to His word.
Then in verses 17 through 19 are the verses that shake me up every time I read them:
17 "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
'I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention to My commandments!
Then your well-being would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants would have been like the sand,
And your offspring like its grains;
Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence." (Isaiah 48:17-19, NASB)
This past week, I was asking Why Doesn't the Simple Thing Work Anymore? I do believe our lack of suffering has great influence on our perceived need for a Saviour. But what does God say to Israel in the passage above? "If only..."
Yes, those commandments were essential to vitality, nourishment and life. Their descendants could never be counted "If only..." Can we apply this to ourselves and learn some lessons? Absolutely!
Think about this: We were all called to 'Go and make disciples, baptize them and teach them God's commandments'. (see Matthew 28:19-20) We were, by design...created to replicate our faith in others...a sort of "birthing", if you will. Why doesn't that happen in our lives until our spiritual descendants are "like the sand"? Is it only the Billy Grahams, the Chuck Swindolls and the Max Lucados that are destined to father so many spiritual children?
I don't think so.
And Jesus taught that the greatest two commandments summed up everything else that God commanded. Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul and might and Love your neighbor as yourself. (see Luke 10:27) These were the two at the top of the list and they were uncompromisable.
Maybe I'm taking the Scripture above too liberally...and simply...but, then again...maybe not. How do we point people to the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, bring innumerable others into the knowledge of God's saving Love so that their name will never end (a.k.a. eternal life)?
"If only..."
This chapter falls hot on the heels of all of His prophecies against Israel and how they will be carried into captivity by Babylon. He also specifically has named Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire 100 years before he is born and that he will be the one to conquer Babylon. God doesn't want any dispute...He says He will do it...and we know from history, that He was true to His word.
Then in verses 17 through 19 are the verses that shake me up every time I read them:
17 "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
'I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention to My commandments!
Then your well-being would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants would have been like the sand,
And your offspring like its grains;
Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence." (Isaiah 48:17-19, NASB)
This past week, I was asking Why Doesn't the Simple Thing Work Anymore? I do believe our lack of suffering has great influence on our perceived need for a Saviour. But what does God say to Israel in the passage above? "If only..."
Yes, those commandments were essential to vitality, nourishment and life. Their descendants could never be counted "If only..." Can we apply this to ourselves and learn some lessons? Absolutely!
Think about this: We were all called to 'Go and make disciples, baptize them and teach them God's commandments'. (see Matthew 28:19-20) We were, by design...created to replicate our faith in others...a sort of "birthing", if you will. Why doesn't that happen in our lives until our spiritual descendants are "like the sand"? Is it only the Billy Grahams, the Chuck Swindolls and the Max Lucados that are destined to father so many spiritual children?
I don't think so.
And Jesus taught that the greatest two commandments summed up everything else that God commanded. Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul and might and Love your neighbor as yourself. (see Luke 10:27) These were the two at the top of the list and they were uncompromisable.
Maybe I'm taking the Scripture above too liberally...and simply...but, then again...maybe not. How do we point people to the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, bring innumerable others into the knowledge of God's saving Love so that their name will never end (a.k.a. eternal life)?
"If only..."
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