Israel’s Sin
“This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away. Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold, My rebuke dries up the sea; I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.”
The Servant’s Obedience (Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20; Luke 22:63-65; John 19:1-15)
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back. I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle. Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame.
The One who vindicates Me is near. Who will dare to contend with Me? Let us confront each other! Who has a case against Me? Let him approach Me! Surely the Lord GOD helps Me. Who is there to condemn Me? See, they will all wear out like a garment; the moths will devour them. Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who array yourselves with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and of the firebrands you have lit! This is what you will receive from My hand: You will lie down in a place of torment.”
Again, we read these verses and wonder whether Isaiah is speaking about himself or the Messiah. Both interpretations would work. God called Isaiah by touching his lips with coals of fire, and ever since then Isaiah has been faithfully proclaiming the word of the Lord. But the people of Judah and Jerusalem don’t want truth; they want convenient lies that will allow them to persist in idolatry.
God first questions his rebellious children, stating that he has never divorced Israel, so why wasn’t anybody waiting for Him when He arrived? If God is all-powerful, why haven’t His children trusted Him?
“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back. I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle. Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame.”
If anybody has born the cost of discipleship, it is Isaiah. God has given Isaiah some of the most comforting messages ever; yet, rather than take those messages to heart, Isaiah’s listeners have abused him. Ultimately, wicked King Manasseh will have him murdered in a ghastly fashion. It’s quite likely that before finally dispatching Isaiah, his tormenters pull out his beard and spit in his face. Beards were a sign of manhood and masculinity; for someone to damage a man’s beard was a major insult. At the same time, these verses can also refer to Jesus’ abuse at the hands of King Herod, the religious establishment, and the Romans.
“Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who array yourselves with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and of the firebrands you have lit! This is what you will receive from My hand: You will lie down in a place of torment.” Recently on a reality TV show featuring the Australian border patrol, an incoming tourist was stopped with a huge amount of obviously fake American money. What was going on and why was this lady carrying all this pseudo cash? This lady was Asian and worshiped traditional deities; celebrations included burning money as a symbolic sacrifice. Sadly, once that paper money was burned, the worshipers would still have to repeat that act on a regular basis to ensure good favor with their god. Following false gods only leads to anxiety that one is not doing enough. Demons always demand more; that is their nature.
APPLICATION: We call them “the persecuted church,” and they number in millions and billions. Around the world, Christians are suffering and dying for their faith. Worshipers in Nigeria and other places are being slaughtered during church services and their church buildings torched. Believers in North Korea can be run over by bull dozers in public for daring to show a Christian video to a few friends. Believers in Muslim countries know that they and their children face an uncertain future as they try to share the Gospel with those around them. When will one of their listeners turn out to be a spy for extremists? Will they have to watch as their children are beheaded? What comfort can these people take?
“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back. I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle. Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame.
The One who vindicates Me is near. Who will dare to contend with Me? Let us confront each other! Who has a case against Me? Let him approach Me! Surely the Lord GOD helps Me. Who is there to condemn Me? See, they will all wear out like a garment; the moths will devour them. Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.”
In 1937 Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book entitled The Cost of Discipleship. At that time, Hitler’s Nazi regime was gaining control of much of Europe while he appealed to the churches by manipulative statements. Bonhoeffer’s message was centered on the Sermon on the Mount, and he pointed out that true discipleship might cost everything, including one’s life. Later, Bonhoeffer himself paid with his life for his stand as part of the Confessing Church, just as the prophet Isaiah had paid with his life centuries earlier. Let’s examine these verses.
- “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word.” Nobody can be strong 100% of the time. If we as believers fail to encourage others, there will be nobody to encourage us when we need help.
- “He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.” Early morning Is the best time to begin the day with the Lord by reading His Word and praying. Once embarked on, days have a nasty habit of overwhelming us if we are lacking spiritual resources.
- “The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back.” If you think God is Santa Claus and that He will always tell you what you want to hear, then you don’t know God very well! A story is told about Saint Teresa of Avila, a Spanish saint. When Teresa’s oxcart got stuck in the mud, she is reported to have rolled her eyes heavenward to say, “No wonder you have few friends if this is how you mistreat them!” We can refuse to obey God openly or we can merely shrink back a little; either way, we are still being disobedient and rebellious. We should pray that God will open our ears AND our hearts, so that we will be obedient, no matter what.
- “I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle. Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame.” Standing for righteousness is never easy; there are always those who want to pull you down, either because they once were righteous and have now turned away or because they were never righteous in the first place. Generally, those who were once righteous and have since turned away are far more dangerous because your stand puts them under conviction. Such people will do anything to destroy you.
- “The One who vindicates Me is near. Who will dare to contend with Me? Let us confront each other! Who has a case against Me? Let him approach Me! Surely the Lord GOD helps Me. Who is there to condemn Me?” In the midst of Job’s suffering, he still affirmed, “I KNOW that my Redeemer lives!” God stands with the righteous, even when they are suffering. As the apostle Stephen was being stoned to death, he cried out that he saw Jesus at the right hand of God. We must stand for the right, trusting that God will strengthen and uphold us.
- “See, they will all wear out like a garment; the moths will devour them.” Here “moths” may refer to any kind of spiritual or physical attack. One thing is clear: actions have consequences and sin has everlasting ones.
- “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.” There are many times when we feel we are wrapped in darkness so deep that it is sinking into our very spirits. But God is there, and God can penetrate any darkness with His glorious light. Keep trusting in the Lord and leaning on Him. Darkness flees at the sound of His Word! Recently, I was reviewing some documents from several years ago at a time when I was still heading our mission hospital. I realized that I had forgotten just how difficult some of those times were and how fragile we felt. There were many issues about which we could only maintain silence while our critics continued to rage against us. But even when we saw no light at all, God was still there and God sustained us. Remember that after Jesus’ death at Calvary, he still arose on Easter at Gethsemane. Calvary was not the end of the story!
Perhaps you have entered a season of suffering and see no light at all. We used to joke that the only light we saw at the end of the tunnel was on the front of an approaching train that was about to annihilate us! BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL!!! God will NOT allow you to be destroyed. Trust God! Hold on! Joy comes in the morning!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please help all those downhearted and broken who are reading these words to take fresh courage and hope! Speak to their hearts and assure them that You are closer than their breath and their heart beats. Lord, help us to trust You and to lean on You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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