The Bible Paragraph which we are about to study reminds me of my country, the United States of America. Not completely, for we still do have “pockets” (or maybe better said, a “remnant”) of Bible Believing people, and dedicated Men of God to feed them … but we are progressively drifting toward a national state of slumber.
Isaiah to an erring Nation, Judah. “Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. 10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. 11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. 13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” Isaiah 29:9-14 (If you do not read Scripture this several times, you will “miss” the whole point of today’s Lesson.)
Yes, the Lord has sent them “deep sleep!” But not without reason! (God is not the Initiator here!) The Jews first departed from God! And He is righteously responding! Verse 13 proves such: “This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” They say the right things! But they do not live the right way! (They “talk the talk” but do not “walk the walk!”)
They have sinned and sinned and sinned!
And for this reason God has judged them with “stupor” and “instability” and “lethargy!” Even their leaders are made “dumb!” (Think of much of Congress!)
God can (and here does) “seal” His Book of Truth! There has come a “famine” of hearing the Words of Scripture! (Amos 8:11-12 is being fulfilled before our very eyes! “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.” Wow!)
Spiritually illiterate, ignorant!
Is there much true wisdom left in America? Other than in a few (very few) places?
And if things continue (as they did in Judah) God is planning something “marvelous, wondrous!” And this is not “good,” it is rather “judgment!” God is about (as per Isaiah 28) about to perform His “Strange Act,” His fierce Chastisement of His wayward people!
Apart from the bright future the Lord has planned for His people … everything would be dark, bleak, nearly hopeless in the world today!
Oh, have you heard? “Some golden Daybreak, Jesus will come!”
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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