08/31/2007
Isaiah 8:13-14a
The Lord Almighty is
the one you are to regard as holy,
He is the one you are to fear,
He is the one you are to dread,
And He will be a sanctuary;
But for both houses of Israel He will
be
a stone that causes men to stumble
and
a rock that makes them fall.
Isaiah made this prophecy in the time of King Ahaz. In this period, Israel had split and, in fact, was beginning to splinter. Ephraim, one of the 12 tribes had come against Jerusalem in battle. The people of both Israel and Judah had turned their eyes from God. He was giving warning that He would punish those who turn against Him, just as a loving parent will discipline a child when they rebel.
But these verses also hold a bit of information to our generation. What is “a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall”?
Have you ever been walking along and stumbled on something that you just didn’t notice? In this same sense, those who “walk” along in life with a philosophical idea that does not focus on God will “stumble” when they encounter the truth.
So many people want to invent a god who does not judge, but He does judge. So many people want to invent a god who serves them, but God requires that we serve Him. So many people want to invent a god that will let them be, but He created us to commune with Him. When these people encounter God and His truth, they stumble or fall. Because the true God doesn’t fit their mold – their idol they have created.
Should we fear or dread our God? Only if we are out of His will because those are the times He will discipline us. If we are in His will, we can enjoy the peace of His presence; He becomes our sanctuary. I personally am thankful for a God that calls me into account, who loves me, and disciplines me, and has sent His son, Jesus, to make a way to be with me.
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
©2007 Cleff Publishing, all rights reserved.
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