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“And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Exodus 8.16-19).

Isaiah’s countrymen were determined to pervert the purposes of God and to honor the pagan practices around them. Their will to follow God was much weaker than their wish to be aligned with the cultures into which they had been assimilated. Hence, Isaiah’s task, as well as the task of many of the Old Testament prophets, was made more difficult than perhaps we realize. Passages such as today’s focus text graphically point out just how corrupt the culture was and just how strong these heroes of faith (the prophets) really were.

The passage quoted at the outset of today’s message needs some clarification seeing it is quoted without the entire context. For our understanding, we need to see that paganism was the arch enemy of God and His people. Those who had pagan roots were prone to appeal to the gods of paganism through mediums and wizards. They would cry out for their “right” to seek guidance through channeling or other forms of spiritism. Isaiah and those who upheld the principles of godliness were instructed as to what their response should be to those who demanded such rights. The godly person was coached to say, “Should not a people seek their God?” This would be in contrast to seeking the pagan gods. Further, they were to ask the rhetorical question, “Should they seek the dead in behalf of he living?” The irony of such answers the question for any thinking person!

To further equip the godly to respond to the ungodly practices of paganism, they were told to charge the advocates of all error to go “…To the Law and to the testimony!” In other words, the followers of God were to challenge all proponents of error to examine their practices in view of what the Holy Scriptures had to say. There was a standard available; they had but to use it appropriately to expose the errors of spiritism and paganism. A final statement in today’s text reveals the futility of such religious discussions when the Scripture was not the accepted code of conduct and behavior. Isaiah spoke well when he said, “If they do not speak according to this word [scripture], it is because there is no light in them.” The final arbiter in any religious matter ought always to be what God says!

This was the attitude of those in Berea who heard Paul speak. Luke records that these were “…more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17.11). Why did they search the Scriptures? Why did Isaiah coach his countrymen to consult the Law and the Testimony? Simply because, just as the psalmist did, godly people recognize “…Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119.89). Further, they know “…All Your [God’s] commandments are faithful.” (Psalm 119.86). If truth is to be known, it can only be discovered in one place and it certainly is not in the words of pagan advocates and philosophers!

We live in a culture that claims to cherish truth, but like so many other things many people seek it in all the wrong places. Truth is not to be found in the books of men nor on the mountaintops of the mystical East. Truth is expressed by and ONLY by God’s word. To the Law and to the Testimony!

Questions:

1. What is a medium as mentioned by Isaiah?

2. How absurd is it for the living to seek answers from the dead? Think about it!

3. What does it mean that God’s word is settled in heaven?

4. Why should God’s word be “the final arbiter in any religious matter?” Do we always operate in a manner consistent with this fact? If not, in what ways do we fail to see God’s word as final and absolute truth?

"Voice of Inspiration" from Andy Castro

Pretzel Love-Psalms 91:14