Scripture and Devotion for the Friday after Populus Sion: December 13, 2013
Scripture: Isaiah 29:15—30:14 (NKJV) 29:15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, and their works are in the dark; They say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?" 16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? 17 Is it not yet a very little while till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? 18 In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. 19 The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the terrible one is brought to nothing, the scornful one is consumed, and all who watch for iniquity are cut of—21 who make a man an offender by a word, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just by empty words. 22 Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now grow pale; 23 But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will hallow My name, and hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel. 24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine." 30:1 "Woe to the rebellious children," says the LORD, "Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; 2 Who walk to go down to Egypt, and have not asked My advice, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame, and trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation. 4 For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. 5 They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, or be help or benefit, but a shame and also a reproach." 6 The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, from which came the lioness and lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people who shall not profit; 7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose. Therefore I have called her Rahab-Hem-Shebeth. 8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for time to come, forever and ever: 9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD; 10 Who say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. 11 Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us." 12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: "Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them, 13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant. 14 And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter's vessel, which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments a shard to take fire from the hearth, or to take water from the cistern." Devotion Throughout the Book of Isaiah the prophet is trying to call God's people to repentance and return to the Lord. However, the people have their own plans and decided rather than turning in repentance to the Lord they would seek help from the nation of Egypt. They trusted in man and their own wisdom rather than God. This problem has been around since Adam and Eve had their own plan in the Garden and ate the forbidden fruit. In fact, in Romans 3 St. Paul writes, "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God." This is a terrifying statement. Sinful man always chooses to trust his own wisdom instead of God and His Word. St. Paul says there are no people who have their own righteousness. No one can save themselves. We still have, however, a merciful God. When sin came into the world, so did God's promises. When the Israelites sin, God's promises come. When Paul declares all people to be sinners, God's promises come. Therefore, St. Paul concludes in Ephesians 2:5ff, "Even when we were dead in trespasses, (He) made us alive together with Christ…For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His work of art, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Thanks be to God that He loves us enough to send His Son to save us from our own sinful plans.
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