Truly Follow the Lord

Isaiah 48:1-2, 4,9-13: "Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel but not in truth or righteousness- you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel-the LORD Almighty in his name . . . . I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze . . . . For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my name sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another. . . . I am the first and I am the last. My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them they all stand up together."

If we have ever wondered whether God is patient and longsuffering towards humanity, we only have to read chapter 48 of Isaiah to see the evidence. God begins the chapter with a rebuke against these descendants of Abraham for having a form of religion but not being obedient to the Lord in "truth and righteousness." They may have thought themselves privileged because they were associated with the covenant community (and they may have been quite impressive in their rituals of worship) but their stubbornness and hardheadedness would bring Divine retribution in the "furnace of affliction." When intense heat is applied to refine a precious metal, the impurities (dross) are burned away leaving the metal in a purer form. So too was God's chastisement through the Babylonian invasion (605-586 BC) designed to bring forth a faithful remnant who would be uncompromising in their allegiance to the Lord.

Still, for the Lord's own namesake, we find that He was relenting in His execution of judgment to give opportunity for the Israelites to repent. Truly God is a "compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15). God is longsuffering, bearing our iniquities with patience and providing the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin with the hope of contrition, confession, and submission (John 16:8, 13). Still, because the Lord is the Alpha & Omega (the Beginning and the End) who alone is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory, He will not yield His glory to another. It is not because God is insecure and fearful that another would challenge His Lordship; rather, it is because God cannot transfer His Sovereign Glory to another without propagating the ultimate falsehood. No one is comparable to the Lord of Hosts (see Exodus 15:11) . . . therefore all glory is due Him! He alone is the Eternal, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Ever-Present, Transcendent Lord who alone is to be worshipped.

We would do well to learn from the Israelites in this passage of Scripture. They were good at practicing a "form of religion, but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:5). God was merciful for no other reason than because He is mercy and grace. Still, His Holiness would not be mocked by their rebellion; and in His Divinely appointed time, He would unleash His wrath for His Glory. This is quite telling: God is glorified in bestowing mercy; God is also glorified in the execution of His righteous wrath.

Let us surrender to the Lord in righteousness and truth, knowing that God wants to give us the abundant harvest of His blessing.