I have been studying through the Book of Isaiah for the past number of weeks and thought I would pause and share thoughts from chapter fourteen. As I have been thinking about writing this I wondered if blog posts should be positive and upbeat, let us even say fun. I guess based on my looking back at many I have written, if that is the case, then I don’t write blogs properly. As I said when I started writing these just over a year ago, these are my thoughts, ponderings, ideas, and observations I make in my faith walk. Isaiah fourteen is one of those which has really made me pause for quite a while to consider.
The Book of Isaiah is about Israel’s relationship with the Lord. In that relationship we find the failure of God’s people to follow as well as warnings about what is to come. Now in those warnings we find judgement and restoration, but I think as we look at this, we see hope. Hope not only for the nation of Israel, but the hope that we have in our lives. As Isaiah fourteen opens we see in verses one and two the actions of God in regard to His people. The actions of God are truly not based on any actions other than those of God (this is not a typo – are actions do not merit God’s mercy and grace). As we look at this in our current context do we not see that we to receive the inheritance of God, as He has adopted us? God’s mercy and grace extended beyond the nation of Israel and consequently we are grafted in (Romans 11:17-24).
As we look further into Isaiah fourteen, we do find the judgement of God coming upon those who do not walk with the Lord. Verse five prepares all people for the fact of the impending judgement of God. I pause here as I think about the day God’s judgement. How do I feel about it? Is it a feeling of victory? Is it a feeling of “somebody is going to be sorry?” Is it a feeling of sadness for those who will not know the Lord on that day? It is at this point that I look at what Jesus has done for me. Nothing I could have done was capable of saving me. This is very humbling of course, but even more so it shows the greatness of God. Now, I do not think that the word “greatness” even can describe God properly. The salvation of which believers have in Jesus, can it really be described or placed into words? I read the words of Isaiah 14:13-14 that are, “I will” and realize this was life before Christ. Great thoughts of how we would accomplish things or make ourselves good people. I think many of us actually before truly knowing Christ had a concept of God and thought that are own merits were ample actions to get us to heaven.
Isaiah fourteen pushed me forward as I read it and reflected on it. Lord, You have saved me, You have adopted me, Lord use me. It is I? No Lord It is and has always been You.