HOW LONG?

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”

And he answered:

“Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”

Isaiah 6:11-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

God’s judgment was going to be imparted on His people. They had disrespected and disregarded Him one time too many and now the hammer was about to fall. Isaiah had been commissioned to be the messenger of bad news to the people for after Isaiah told God to send him to do His work, the first assignment he received was to tell the people the following:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10

As we saw in yesterday’s devotion on these verses, the people of Israel had tuned out God, choosing to give their devotion in worship to idols and false gods. God, in turn, was going to endure they remained tuned out for awhile.

How long would that be?

That was the operational question, one that we see Isaiah asking as we conclude our study of the sixth chapter of Isaiah. Look at this passage:

Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”

And he answered:

“Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.” (vv. 11-13)

Isaiah wanted to know the length of time the Israelites would essentially be separated from God. That was the essence of his question. Nothing had happened yet but destruction, ruin, and utter desolation - all by products of God’s penalty on Israel and Judah - were on the horizon. Everyone was soon to be sent away into exile and the once beautiful land of promise God provided His people would be laid to waste, not for just a short while but rather seventy years. That’s a long time to be sent out of your land into oppression, a long time to be a stranger who would be without God’s rescue while being mistreated in a foreign land.

How long? Isaiah asked.

Seventy years is a very long time.

Friends, this true story, which documents the sinfulness of the Israelites and the subsequent, lengthy punishment by God in response, should serve as a stern warning for us and the way we live. For God will not be slighted or insulted, snubbed or ignored. He will not tolerate us worshipping anything except Him for He and only He is worthy of our fullest honor, glory, and praise. That includes worshipping money, sex, work, food, alcohol, drugs, or anything else that might try and take our full attention away from the One who made us and made the way through His Son Jesus to save us. And if we so choose to pay no heed to the scriptures and this warning, then we can expect to face the consequences for doing so, consequences that might include our own personal or collective exiles, consequences that might leave us asking the Lord:

How long?

I tell you what. Let’s just live in obedience to the Lord, make His way our way, and seek to live always in His righteousness, giving our full worship and service unto Him. Then we’ll never need to worry about the question and instead can revel in living in His light, love, and favor forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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