If one study the Old Testament, especially the Prophets, and you study history, it is clear that there is nothing new under the sun. The issues that the prophets of old addressed are very similar to the issues we are dealing with in this world, and yes, in the church. Injustice, exploitation, idolatry, sin, iniquity, falsehood, deception, greed, and disobedience were time after time mentioned, for it caused Israel to stumble when it came to the people’s relationship with God. Take for example “Isaiah 59: Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness. 4 None sues or calls in righteousness [but for the sake of doing injury to others—to take some undue advantage]; no one goes to law honestly and pleads [his case] in truth; they trust in emptiness, worthlessness and futility, and speaking lies! They conceive mischief and bring forth evil! 5 They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; he who eats of their eggs dies, and [from an egg] which is crushed a viper breaks out [for their nature is ruinous, deadly, evil]. 6 Their webs will not serve as clothing, nor will they cover themselves with what they make; their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. 7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths and highways. 8 The way of peace they know not, and there is no justice or right in their goings. They have made them into crooked paths; whoever goes in them does not know peace. 9 Therefore are justice and right far from us, and righteousness and salvation do not overtake us. We expectantly wait for light, but [only] see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity and gloom. 10 We grope for the wall like the blind, yes, we grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at noonday as in the twilight; in dark places and among those who are full of life and vigor, we are as dead men. 11 We all groan and growl like bears and moan plaintively like doves. We look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. 12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O Lord], and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know and recognize them [as]: 13 Rebelling against and denying the Lord, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and muttering and moaning from the heart words of falsehood. 14 Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) stands far off; for truth has fallen in the street (the city’s forum), and uprightness cannot enter [the courts of justice]. 15 Yes, truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.” Isaiah realised how far Israel has fallen, and so he described how it caused the people to stumble around like the blind, wandering in darkness. We read Isaiah 59 and we think this is Old Testament. The truth is Isaiah 59 can very much apply to every nation and so often to within churches. We live in a world where God’s Truth [including His laws, commandments, teachings] has steadily become abandoned, where dealing falsely has become natural, where God’s existence is being denied, where wickedness abound, and where lawlessness and iniquity is second nature to man. We look at churches today and we wonder where is the fear of the Lord, where is true repentance and obedience? We preach grace but remain lawless and without order to guide us. Exploitation is rife, spiritual abuse remains a festering wound and our own kingdoms remain of great importance. Yes, Jesus died to bring us all under a New Covenant so that through true remorse and repentance we may lead a new life. But God in all His glory has never changed since the creation of the world – the sins and issues of Isaiah 59 still speak loud and clear to heaven. God’s grace and mercy endures, but even Israel realised there are consequences when God is mocked. Lawlessness and man persisting his ways are above God’s keeps resounding throughout the ages, and then we wonder why there is so much chaos, darkness and pain? Only we truly come to God, submit to Him, yield to His ways and truth, will we begin to “see” and no longer be spiritually blind. God is Love, but He is also an all-consuming fire who stands for what is right in His eyes. Amen
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 09:41:44 +0000
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