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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We return to Isaiah Chapter 2 - because there is a word here which is so very relevant.
We read these first five verses some weeks ago - where we saw Isaiah lifting up his prophetic telescope - and he looks down the corridors of time as God shows him that wonderful age which one day Israel will experience - and in which we will share because of our faith in Jesus Christ.
It is called elsewhere in the Bible - the Millennium - when Jesus Christ will reign and rule for 1,000 years on earth - and there will be a stream of humanity flowing to Jerusalem - a river of people of flowing up to Jerusalem - nations flocking to God's people for help and teaching - for disputes to be settled.
Nations are no longer building up armaments - but using their resources to produce food. In the world there is no aggression - there is no need for defence forces - nations no longer train and prepare for war - but all this is related and linked to the Coming Again of Jesus Christ.
When we come to verse 6 we return to the present situation - and Isaiah lays down his prophetic telescope - only to pick up his prophetic microscope - with this question in mind - "In view of what your God is going to do, why are you living as you are?"
And what we are looking at now is a tragic picture of men and women living without God. O, yes - the temple remains crowded - there are many at the Temple services - but the people have lost all spiritual values - and God's people are forsaken.
How were they behaving? Men were given to idolatry. They were turning to superstition - and trusting in money - in military power - in pacts and coalitions - and worshipping idols. The scene today is very similar - tragically similar.
When people abandon God that is what happens.
Verses 6 to 11 describe the folly of men. God's Word was ignored - eastern superstitions came in - magic practices - fortune tellers and horoscope writers - we are witnessing this happening in our own land. Hardly one popular magazine would go to print without its horoscope article - and now we have computerised horoscopes on the Internet.
It is peculiarly unbelievable that so-called scientific people would want that.
But here God's people were walking hand in hand with paganism - and dabbling with dangerous fire. And anyway - only God knows the future.
Isaiah was writing these words in a time of prosperity and the people became immersed in material wealth.
Verse 7 . They were putting their trust in money - they were trusting in military might - they had forgotten God had said - "I will protect you." They were depending upon chariots - which was the most advanced form of warfare at that time.
And - they were worshipping idols. Man can be so proud of what he can make - his achievements - and he bows down before his own efforts and worships them. The people of God were arrogant and proud - until there was no room for God - because the people felt no need for God. Look at the wording – "full" of superstitions - "full" of silver and gold - "full" of horses - "full" of idols. All of this caused the people to forget God.
Verses 12 - 18 . The Lord Almighty has a day - when He is going to act. This phrase refers to a coming day of judgement. In one day God will bring all these things crashing to the ground - trees - mountains - towers and walls - trading ships - and men will run to caves in the rocks trying to hide from God. Do you see the fear that will be all around?
John takes this up in the book of Revelation 6 verses 15 to 17 . Some men would rather die than face the living God. Some men would rather be killed than face the risen Christ. But, when we die, we do face Christ - and it will be a joy to Christians - and to others He will be the Judge - but there will be no escape.
Verse 22 . What a verse for some national occasion - Stop trusting in man. Our whole national outlook is so focussed upon man - and God is more or less ignored. What does He think of it all?
As we move into Chapter 3we see what God is going to do. God begins to remove the basic essentials - food and water. Isaiah sees a time when God allows disaster to come upon the people of Jerusalem. Then - he removes the leaders. Now this actually happened - all were taken away - 2Kings 24verses 11 following - princes, leaders, elders, rulers, police, army - were all removed. Everything that people had depended upon.
And children were given their freedom and they became rulers! What follows is national disintegration - incompetence - anarchy and chaos and violence.
It is like holding up a mirror to what we experience in 2024 – it began a few years ago – back in the 1970’s and 80’s in our country – and there appears to have been no one who has been able to put a stop to such deterioration. But remember how Isaiah Chapter 2 starts.
God gave us hopeful good news to which we can hold onto in Christ Jesus.
“Hear us as we pray, gracious and merciful God – situations have deteriorated before – and You have shown great mercy in answer to the prayers of Your people. Hear us Father as we continue to pray – remind us that we are in a battle – involved in spiritual warfare – so may we wear that armour You provide in Ephesians Chapter 6 and emerge victorious giving You the praise and glory and thanks – in and through Jesus Christ.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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