Carefully compare the passage from Isaiah to the next passage from 2nd Timothy. Isaiah 30:9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of YHWH: 10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: (RNKJV) 2nd Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (RNKJV) Did the people spoken of in Isaiah want the ‘prophets’ (people who spoke on God’s behalf- or sometimes false prophets who spoke for false gods) to speak smooth things that the people wanted to hear? Do people today want preachers and teachers to speak smooth things that they want to hear? Do people tend to turn from the TRUTH to deceit? People with itching ears are those who wish only to hear what they want to hear. Jesus said that the way to eternal life was narrow and there would be ‘few’ who would find it. Jesus said that His followers were not to expect to be popular, because if we follow His path, then we need to consider where His path led Him. Many will note that His path led to the cross, and we are told that we are to take up our cross and follow Him. However, let us also note that looking beyond the cross, we see that His path leads to an eternal home He is preparing for those who follow Him. But if you wanted to be popular, and lead many down your path, when only a few will find the true path, then what do you preach to get people to follow you? Apparently not the truth, but to be popular, then you have to preach what people with ‘itching ears’ want to hear. So do you want to teach the path that is followed by many, or that narrow path that few will find? Isaiah 33:13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might. 14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? 15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. (RNKJV) Are there those who preach to those with itching ears that there is no Hell with eternal torments but that the unsaved would simply cease to exist? But who are those that God spoke through the prophet about those sinners (even the ones in Zion/Jerusalem/the Holy City no less) would “dwell” with everlasting burnings? The Hebrew for ‘dwell’ is ‘gur’ which is also translated as ‘remain, or sojourn’. But who are those ‘righteous’ (that walk and speak uprightly) when the Scriptures teach that there is no one who is truly righteous, no, not even one? It is those who have been accepted by God as ‘righteous’ as Abraham was credited with righteousness for His faith in that Righteous One Who sent His Only Begotten Son Who offered Himself as a sacrifice for our unrighteousness. Hereafter we are to learn and to grow in that righteous walking and speaking. It does not mean that we do not fall, but when we fall, we are to be sorrowful for our fall, and get up and keep on walking and speaking righteously. Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house, when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (RNKJV) Throughout the Old and New Testaments, both teach that the entire law of God as it is built on that law of love is designed for people to reach out to one another and meet one another’s needs. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritans were considered enemies to the Jews. Here, Jesus was saying that we are to do good, even to our enemies. We are not to seek to be enemies, but to seek to befriend and do good unto all. Not all understand this. Not all accept this. You decide what the Holy Spirit says to you. If you see someone in need, do you in God’s law of love hurt with their hurts because of their needs? Do you reach out to help to lift one another up? I don’t care if you’re sitting in the finest church, the largest church, or if you sing “glory, hallelujah, praise the Lord”, and dance in the aisles with your “joy in the Lord”, if you see your neighbor (and remember, your ‘enemy’ could be your neighbor) in need of food, lodging, transportation, help, assistance and you may go to him and “pray” for him, but if it is in your means to help, and you refuse to assist him, then I feel sorry for your position.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 03:42:22 +0000
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