Friday 25 January 2019

Responsibility

So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray.                                                                Isa. 9. 14-16


God is not pleased with His people. Isaiah continues his screed with a description of the people: … for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks vileness.(v17)

God is displeased and He will take action. The head and the tail, the palm branch and the reed are expressions that apparently derive from the Egyptian leadership. In regard to the Israelites, God is talking of the elders and prominent men who lead the country, together with those prophets who teach lies. Certainly there are true prophets who speak forth God’s word as He gives it to them. But this word is too harsh for the people, who deny it and spurn God.

God will punish the errant leaders. They will be “cut off” from the nation. It is not clear to me what this means, but there is a sense of finality about it.

I think of the situation today. We have the non-believers, who parallel the pagans of old. The body of believers equate with the people of God in Isaiah’s time. And Christian leaders compare with the elders, prominent men and the “false” prophets of the former age.

These latter, including myself, have a responsibility to proclaim, teach, and live the Word of God as He would have us do. I desire to do this, but I wonder if I do so as He would have me! I pray for myself and all others appointed by Him to live by His Word, and show it to the world.



Lord God,
I am conscious of the responsibility I have in You. I pray for myself and all others with an equal calling. May we be open and alert to Your Word. May we share it and live it as You would have us do. May You strengthen and support us every step of the way. Thank you.             Amen.

No comments:

Post a Comment