Isaiah 29
COMMENTARY:
: 1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add you year to year; let them kill sacrifices. (2282 “sacrifices” [chag] means feast days, festival, hold a festival, religious feast, festal procession, pilgrim-feast, or holy festival.)
DEVOTION: It seems that many think that “Ariel” means lion of God which stands for the city of Jerusalem. This is where the Temple was located and where the gathering of the children was to take place when they had their festivals to worship HIM.
However, we find that like today the festivals turned into times where they only thought of themselves rather than God. So we find that the LORD had to judge the city for their treatment of their times of worship like it was not really to worship the LORD but to just have a good time together.
This has happened to the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus today. We call the time period Christmas which should be a time when we gather all our friends and relatives together to remember the birth of the Savior of the world but it turns out that we are just looking for good time and not a time of worship.
The children of Israel were doing the same thing with their times of worship of the LORD. It was turned into a party for themselves rather than a time to genuinely worship Jesus and hear a message of salvation both in homes and in churches.
The children of Israel wandered from genuine worship and today in our churches we are not really worshiping with our whole heart and soul but looking to be entertained by the service.
God wants our hearts as well as the hearts of the children of Israel to worship HIM alone in spirit and in truth. This can only be done with our hearts concentrating on winning others to HIM and our wanting to serve HIM with our whole body, soul and spirit.
CHALLENGE: Have you wandered away from genuine worship of the LORD? If so, walk back to a place where you can genuinely worship the LORD in spirit and in truth.
: 13 Wherefore the LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men (4687 “precept” [mitsveh] means tradition, commandment, prohibition, man-made rules, or authoritative directive.)
DEVOTION: There are laws in every nation in our world. Each country has its own laws. Some laws are based on human tradition and some are based on the Word of God. Our nation started with a belief in God and with laws based on the Word of God. One of the reason people came to this land was for religious freedom. They put a statement in the constitution regarding “freedom of religion” and stated that there should not be any one established religion for everyone in the nation. There were states that had state religions when they started. This has all changed.
Our world has no absolutes according to those who teach in our state colleges and institutions of higher learning. The problem is that even some Christian schools are beginning to change the beliefs they were established on. Things are changing.
This was true in the days of Isaiah. The LORD stated that the people were saying that they believed in God. Their lips seemed to have all the right words to honor the LORD.
However, it was the heart that the LORD wanted. Their hearts were far from the LORD. Their beliefs changed. They thought that the things that the priests were teaching were coming from them and not from God. They thought that the basis of their teaching was just human tradition. The problem is that in Christ’s day that was true of the Pharisees.
If they believed that it was just the traditions of man then there was no real authority for them to worry about. They could act as they pleased and not worry. This displeased the LORD.
HE would have to show them that what was given to Abraham and Moses came from HIM and HIM alone. They were not just human instructions they were HIS instructions.
HE didn’t want their outward appearance to look like they were believers when their heart was not actively seeking to please HIM. This is true today as it was in Isaiah’s day.
The LORD wants our hearts. HE is more concerned with our thoughts and our attitude than with our outward appearance. We can fake our outward appearance to make people think that we are good people who follow the LORD but in reality our heart are only interested in pleasing ourselves.
CHALLENGE: What is your heart telling you about your relationship with the LORD? Are you faking it? Is the LORD real to you and because of this reality you want to truly worship and serve HIM?
:15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, and their works are in the dark; they say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). מַעֲשֶׂה [maʿaseh /mah·as·eh/] work, labour. 1C business, pursuit. 1D undertaking, enterprise. 1E achievement, deeds, work)
DEVOTION: Isaiah warns the people of Israel that their freedoms were dependent upon the Lord and not themselves. Their city walls may protect and enemies be repulsed but it was God who reigned over the land. Repeatedly God warns them that their arrogance would lead to deaf, blind and drunk responses to God’s words and actions. People are sinners until the Lord opens their senses to the word and work of God! Whereas previously the vision had been sealed and unreadable now the promise is for fruitfulness and joy! Individuals may think they can hide their sins with darkness or secrecy but God sees through the darkness and into secret places.
David thought he could avoid Nathan’s rebuke and Ananias and his wife thought they could test the Spirit of God. (Acts 5)
Whether it is Old or New Testament God works to teach His people of sin and righteousness. Do you know the Lord’s forgiveness and cleansing power? Have you had your eyes opened to the sin and depravity you have committed?
CHALLENGE: Jesus will protect and guide His children as we walk in His ways! If we seek to deceive and hide our wickedness He will reveal it in sometimes unpleasant ways. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. (3948 “doctrine” [leqach] means learning, teaching, insight, instruction, or persuasiveness.)
DEVOTION: Isaiah states that judgment is coming to Ariel or Jerusalem. The LORD is going to visit them with thunder, earthquake, great noise, storm and tempest.
During this time period people that are hungry and thirsty are going to dream that they have these things provided but it will only be a dream. The LORD has caused Jerusalem to fall into a deep sleep because they don’t want to listen to HIM.
They talk like they are following the LORD but their heart is far from the LORD. They think that God doesn’t see what they are doing. They think they can hide in the darkness from God. However, Isaiah ends the chapter with hope. There is coming a time of joy and rejoicing. There is coming a time of worship. There is coming a time of understanding the plan of God. There is coming a time when followers want to learn about the teaching of the LORD.
One of the things that is happening today is that many churches and pastors are saying that there only needs to be one doctrine and that is “salvation is of Christ.” That is a good doctrine but there are MANY basic BIBLICAL teachings that are important to salvation and spiritual growth. . One such teaching is regarding the substitutionary atonement of Christ. Those who say that Christ didn’t die for our sins are changing the cross to mean something else. If Christ was not our substitute on the cross then we are still in our sins and on our way to hell.
There are churches that teach that God doesn’t know the future. There are churches that are teaching that there is no hell. There are churches that are teaching that everyone is going to heaven. These churches are WRONG. The Israelites were following men who had the “book” but didn’t want to read it or didn’t care what it said. They were going to answer for their beliefs. We are going to answer for our beliefs. Are our beliefs Biblical? How do we know? The Holy Spirit will instruct those who are honestly seeking for wisdom from HIM what is the truth.
In the end times there will be instruction regarding the true teachings of the “book.” Are we just going to wait around until then or are we going to start learning now????
These daily meat devotions list the twelve basic doctrine of the Word of God. The devotionals are a study in Biblical Theology, which leads to Systematic Theology from which we practice Practical Theology.
CHALLENGE: We had a friend who stated that true Biblical doctrine or teaching is: “In the book!” Learn what the “Book” has to teach you. Our only book of FINAL authority is the BIBLE!!!)
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