ISAIAH’S LOG, TUESDAY, AB 30, 749 B.C.

I just realized something.  I made a mistake in the posting of the last date.  I guess I was so moved by the witness of the Spirit of God I was not paying attention to the writing of the year. It is in fact the year 749 B.C.

The Holy One so wants to open our minds to reason with Him.  It seems to me that His heart must break at the sight of sin in the hearts and lives of His people.  I pray that I will never forget that He is the Holy One of Israel.

“Reason” seems to be a forgotten thing with the people of my day.  They are more concerned with emotions, feelings, amusements, comforts, entertainment.  Anything that requires thought is a nuisance that we can live without in the minds of some of my people.

It is, however, time for God’s people to begin thinking of their spiritual plight.  Reason is a good thing.  God is telling us to think, to reason with Him.  The idea is to see His way of things.  It is good, if we are going to walk with God, be godly, that we think His thoughts and not our own.

O, how our sins must be like scarlet to Him.  How He longs to forgive and cleanse us, and to make us as white as snow.  He desires, longs, to make what is crimson, to be as wool.  He is a gracious God.  He is the Holy One.

The Holy One desires what is best for His people.  He has promised the good of the land to all who are willing and obedient.  If we refuse and go our own way there only awaits destruction.

HEAR, O HEAR, THE WORD OF THE LORD -

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”  (Isaiah 1:18-20)

ISAIAH’S LOG, THURSDAY, AB 25, 249 B.C.

I really cannot begin to imagine how the Holy One is angered by all the sin and hypocrisy that is seen on the streets of our cities.  Surely they are very similar to Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of their destruction.  How much further will the Holy One let us go?

O rulers of Judah, religious and political; you must hear the Word of the LORD.  You are in the same shape as Sodom, you are an odorous scent to the name of the LORD our God.  How it grieves my heart to see such pretense in the sacrifices that are made.  The blood of all those innocent animals; and for what, when it comes from an evil heart, which is given to rebellious, wicked, evil, idolatrous living.

For what purpose is a sacrifice if it is given in hypocrisy?  A sacrifice is given to one you love, and at a cost to the giver, out of a deep devotion, trust, commitment, and for the glory of the One to whom it is given.  Our people have become so extravagantly wealthy that they no longer know what sacrifice is.  They continue to slay the lambs, bulls, goats and such, but they know nothing of God, His Word, or His way for their lives.

The Holy One is sick of these empty sacrifices which mean absolutely nothing to the giver of them.  Offerings of sacrifice without a right heart with GOD is an abomination to Him.  This is what is totally detestable to Him.

We have these feast days, and they have meaning and purpose only when the hearts of the one’s remembering them, are given completely to the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.

Our men who are supposed to pray to God for mercy on God’s people, and plead for the people to honor, obey, trust, depend, and look only to God; the priests; are no different than the political leaders.  They take the peoples “Sacrifices”, and make a mockery of what it is, because of unrighteousness in their hearts and lives.  When they offer praise God will hide His eyes, and when they offer a prayer, God will not hear.  Their hands are bloody. 

What does the Holy One want of those who are His?  To be washed and made clean.  To put away pretense, especially in their sacrifices.  Cease your evil actions.  Do good things for no other reason than to glorify the Holy One.  Seek and do that which is just.  Help those who are less fortunate than yourself – orphans, and widows; see that they are defended, protected, and cared for.  This is right in the eyes of the LORD.  The godly religion is the way we ought to be – we must minister to the orphans and widows in their need, and keep ourselves from the evil practices of those around us.

 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.  To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.  When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

                                                                    (Isaiah 1:10-17)

ISAIAH’S LOG, SATURDAY 20 AB, 749 B.C.

I am learning about the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.  He is not pleased that His people are overcome by sin.  They have become so burdened down, just loaded with sin, shame, guilt, and have forgotten that the HOLY ONE is desiring us to draw nearer to Him.

Here it is the Sabbath day, and it is apparent that the hearts of the people are not into God.  There is just a way that you can tell.  It is hurry, hurry, hurry, and let’s get this worship thing over.  They have turned their backs on the HOLY ONE, and turned to their own ways.

Such a sinning nation.  Such a guilt burdened people who turn to sinful practices to ease the guilt of their sin.

What is going through their minds?  Do they want more judgment to come upon them?  They are sick of heart and soul.  I know that in the mind of God their sins are like an infected, open sore which stinks in the nostrils of the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL  Their sinful wounds run with pus, and they do nothing.

O, people of Judah, do you not know that your country is in ruins.  We are left like an unguarded vineyard.  There is none who cares.

The only one who cares is the HOLY ONE of Israel, the LORD of hosts.  He has left a remnant, a seed.  If it were not for God’s grace we would have been in the some predicament as Sodom, and made like unto Gomorrah.

May the HOLY ONE have mercy upon us.

“ Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” Isaiah 1:4-9 (KJV)

ISAIAH’S LOG, WEDNESDAY AB 17, 749 B.C.

Being a member of a noble family I sometimes become frustrated by having other people waiting on me and doing things, which I know I could do. Nevertheless, I have a good life, really it is too good.  I am truly blessed

As I was walking by one of our fields yesterday, I noticed a familiar site.  One I had seen many times before; one of our servants walking behind an ox, prodding him with a goad, guiding his direction, and that ox did exactly what this man directed him to do.  If the man tapped the ox on the left side of the neck the ox turned right.  If the man tapped him on the right side he turned left.  When the ox was tapped on the rump he would increase his speed.  The ox gave no sign of hesitating to any tap of the goad.

This became of great interest in my heart.  God, holy God; began speaking to me through this ox working in the field.  If the ox does not hesitate to obey its master and turns wherever he is directed, then why does God’s people not obey Him?  This was the question which came to my mind.

As I was going back to the house I went by the stables, and I noticed a donkey which had just been brought back from carrying a heavy load of trade goods.  This donkey just went right to the trough, knowing that his owner had put feed there for him.  Once again the Spirit of God showed me how rebellious the people of God had become.

O, how terrible, that the people of God forget the merciful, providencial, gracious, loving, hand of God.  They go on their way, but do not consider.  It is as if, they do not even know God.

“The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib: but Israel does not know, my people does not consider” (Isaiah 1:3).

O, that the people of God would only “Consider” these matters.