You felt secure in your wickedness. 'No one
sees me,' you said. But your 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' have led you astray, and
you said, 'I am the only one, and there is no other.' Isaiah 47:10
God’s chosen people weren’t perfect. They
were disobedient…like most children…and so God punished them by allowing them
to be taken away—out of the Promised Land—by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Here in the passage above Isaiah was writing to the Babylonians who had taken
the Hebrew people captive. In order to better understand a passage it is usually
always good to read the verses before and after a particular scripture
selection. Reading all of Isaiah and also the book of Daniel would be helpful
in this case. The whole Bible is so interconnected that you may even need to
read Jeremiah and Leviticus, as well as 1 and 2 Kings to get an understanding
of that historical era and the Israelites response to God.
O beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and
silence. Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms. For I was
angry with my chosen people and punished them by letting them fall into your
hands. But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy. You oppressed even the elderly.
You said, 'I will reign forever as queen of the world!' You did not reflect on
your actions or think about their consequences. Listen to this, you
pleasure-loving kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure. You say, 'I am the
only one, and there is no other. I will never be a widow or lose my children.'
Well, both these things will come upon you in a moment: widowhood and the loss
of your children. Yes, these calamities will come upon you, despite all your
witchcraft and magic. You felt secure in your wickedness. 'No one sees me,' you
said. But your 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' have led you astray, and you said, 'I
am the only one, and there is no other.' So disaster will overtake you, and you
won't be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won't be
able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will strike you suddenly, one for which
you are not prepared. Isaiah 47:5-11.
Clearly the Israelites disobeyed God in not
observing His commandments—particularly that concerning the resting of the
land. How often do we actually obey…or disobey…the Ten Commandments? When was
the last time that you truly observed the entire Sabbath day? What day do you celebrate
the Sabbath…Saturday or Sunday? Do you begin at sundown on the previous day? Do
you cook or go out to eat, forcing someone else to cook for you? When is their
Sabbath day? Life is complicated. How do we honor God? Are we making wise
choices?
Prayer
~ Lord God, give me wisdom and grace to follow Your commands…not as a ritual or
in a rote manner to the letter of the Law. Guide me in my choices and decisions
in such a way that our relationship is not broken, but that it is enhanced and that
You are honored.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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