02/01/2009

Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Proverbs 29:21 Being kind without pampering.

Scripture reading: #632

No study this evening! Stay warm and safe

Wednesday at 7 p.m.: Paul’s approach to being a child of God; baptism; mysticism in spirituality; and, communion.

Holding onto 'vision' (Isaiah)

Isaiah 30.1-13 (755-695 B.C.)

1. "Woe to the obstinate children," declares the LORD, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; 2. who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge.

3. But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame, Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace. 4. Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes, 5. everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them, who bring neither help nor advantage, but only shame and disgrace."

6. An oracle concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches on donkeys' backs, their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation, 7. to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless. Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing.

8. Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness. 9. These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction. 10. They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.

11. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" 12. Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit, 13. this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant.

"Because you have relied on oppression and depended on deceit..." Israel had looked to the safety and protection of a neighboring country, adopting their values, thinking that this would protect them from other enemies. God's ways, which abhor the use of 'oppression' and 'deceit,' were disdained.

There will always be problems when the methodology and rationale of the world are used in attempting 'Kingdom' endeavors, whether for peace or for survival.

The reason why God has always had a problem with any of His children resorting to the world's popular methodology and rationale, whether witchcraft & divination (in Saul's case), or 'numbering the people for war' (in David's case), or turning to Egypt for keys to success against the Assyrians - is this: God is to be our source!

This means that His ways, His values, His precepts, and His priorities are to be sought, adopted and utilized in all our endeavors if they are to ultimately be successful. Anything other than that will end in disaster.

The methodology and rationale that is to be our model of operations, regardless of the task - whether interpersonal or international, must be that which we hear from the Words of Christ.

The 'wisdom' of the world will almost invariably run contrary to the 'wisdom' of the Words of Christ. Winning through love, compassion, mercy, and the persistent assistance in enabling success is the way of Jesus. The way of the world is survival of the fittest, embargos, disenfranchisement and isolation, intimidation and wars.

What is your “vision”…what is your perception of righteousness, of justice, of wisdom? Our vision determines the path we take. We walk where we look. To whom or what are we looking? We walk that path.

What vision are you holding onto?

Isaiah made it very plain that God would not honor any nation, not even one that proclaimed that God was their God and that they were His people, if they used the methods of the other nations - oppression and deceit. Nor will He honor individuals who do the same.