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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Here’s a logic test for you. God said, “When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.” (Isaiah 1.15). A spokesperson for God said, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.” (Proverbs 34.15). Given that both of the above statements are accurately quoted and can be trusted as truthful, what can you know about the people to whom God was speaking in the first passage?
If my thinking is correct, I believe that we can know that the people to whom God was speaking in Isaiah 1 were not righteous. Had they been righteous, His eyes would have been on them and His ears would have been open to their prayers. In this case, He said He would not hear even if they made many prayers. We can safely conclude that they were not righteous. But, just who were these people with whom God was so put out and whose hands were said to be full of blood?
Isaiah specifies his initial audience in the very first verse of his book. “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” (Isaiah 1.10). If one is somewhat familiar with biblical history, it is realized that Jerusalem was the site of the Jewish temple and the seat of government for the Hebrew nation. Therefore, for God to say that he would hide His eyes and stop His ears regarding this people was a truly significant statement. If there were any place on earth that should have been spared such an epithet surely it was Jerusalem. Nonetheless, God stated that their hands were full of blood.
When it comes to spiritual matters, location is not everything. Maybe the saying “location, location, location” has a place in real estate, but it has no bearing on one’s spiritual fortunes. A person can be born in America to the most devout of Christian parents and yet be separated from God’s fellowship. One can be a citizen of the most god-fearing community, be surrounded by god-fearing neighbors, and yet have no communion with God. Location has no bearing on one’s spiritual state. Neither do social, economic, genealogy, education, or other external factors. Not only is it true that location is not everything, it can be affirmed in spiritual matters that location is nothing!
Lot was a righteous man in the midst of a wicked city (see 2 Peter 2.7). Noah was a righteous man in the midst of a wicked world (see Genesis 6.1-9). Joseph was a young and inexperienced lad surrounded by pagan men and women, including one who had immoral designs for him; yet, Joseph maintained his innocence. To bring this line of thinking to a point, Isaiah was also a resident of Jerusalem and yet he spoke strong words of condemnation against the city. Though the hands of the city were filled with blood, Isaiah maintained his righteous relationship with God. Location does not prevent people of faith from living lives consistent with the will of God any more than location guarantees the faithfulness of those surrounded by righteous citizens.
It is not the case that God is disposed to cut men off! His wish and will is that all men would be saved (see 2 Peter 3.9). The greatest evidence of this is seen in the fact that He gave His only begotten Son so that those who believe in Him might be saved and not perish (see John 3.16). Though we live in a generation that does not seem to have the values of the one that preceded it, we CAN be faithful. Though we live in a community that does not seem to have the values of the one from which we came, we CAN be faithful. God does not wish to hide His eyes or stop His ears; He wants to look proudly upon His children and watch as we lead others toward and in the paths of righteousness!
Questions:
1. Why did God say that He would hide His eyes from the inhabitants of Jerusalem?
2. What does Joseph’s continued faithfulness have to do with the proposition that location is not particularly meaningful when it comes to following God?
3. What is the greatest historical evidence supporting the fact that God wants all men to be saved?
4. Can a person please God regardless of external circumstances? Why or why not?
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