|
G
|
OD gave Isaiah a message directed at ancient Ariel; that is,
Jerusalem. Many troubles were ahead for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. This is
not surprising. There are many warnings recorded in the Bible, warnings which
were originally issued against those unbelieving Jews who lived there in those
days. So, it is vital that we look for some outstanding characteristic of this
particular prophecy. For me, the great
trait of Isaiah 29 is how the full circle of Israel's rejection and return is
discussed. God's wrath is on display
(Isaiah 29:6). God's intent to use many nations to punish His nation is
apparent (Isaiah 29:7). The severity of the suffering of the elect nation is
emphasized. But, there are many other chapters which deal with those issues.
This chapter covers something special. It covers both the spiritual blinding
and the spiritual healing of Israel.
We dealt with the spiritual blinding of Israel briefly when
we were discussing Isaiah 6 (Matthew 13:13-15, II Corinthians 4:3-4, John
12:37-41, Zechariah 7:11-12 & Isaiah 6:9-10). Now, we have the doctrine
presented succinctly (Isaiah 29:10-11). Who closed the spiritual eyes of the
Jews? God closed their eyes. Why? Because He lacked interest or compassion?
Certainly not! Isaiah 29:13 tells us why. Because the people were only nominal
followers of God. Their hearts did not belong to God. The religious positions
that they did have were human constructs rather than revealed truth. Hence,
since they had ignored the law and the prophets, God intended to remove those
opportunities until a future time when truth would actually be appreciated by
them (vs. 18). God will be feared and
reverenced of sincerity someday. (vs. 24). The blindness of the Jews is only
temporary. They will see again. God will save His people from their sins, from
themselves and from their enemies (Matthew 1:21 & Romans 11:26).
No comments:
Post a Comment