S) "20 In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats
Their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
Which they made for themselves to worship,
21 In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs
Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to make the earth tremble."
Isaiah 2:20-21 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 2
O) Like many prophecies about coming judgment, especially from the Old Testament, it is important to remember that the judgment may have already happened, since much of the writer's future is already our past. In this case, it seems easy to see that this is about the Final Judgment Day. However, when we look at the two verses above, we can see a lesson that transcends the circumstances of this particular judgment. What we see here, is people fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because they fear His righteous judgment. On that day, they realized the futility and wickedness of their idolatry, and they try to hide them, bury them, in the darkest places. Then, just like so many warnings about idolatry, they actually become just like their idols, and they try to hide themselves in darkness as well. We know that God is sovereign and omnipotent, and that nothing escapes His knowledge because He is omniscient. People can run, but they can't really hide, and even if they run, the Lord will overtake them.
A) This passage actually reminds me of the reaction Simon Peter had, in his first encounter with Jesus Christ. He fell to his knees, pleading with the Lord to leave him because he was a wretched sinner. The way I see it, there are basically two reactions, when humans are caught in sin and realize the holy righteousness of their Creator: heartbreak or flight. For myself, when I have sinned, my reaction can never be to run and hide, to try and conceal my sin (that idol, if you will). My reaction must be one of a broken and contrite heart, like David described in Psalm 51. Just as I could never hide my sin from God, I can never hide myself from Him, either.
A) This passage actually reminds me of the reaction Simon Peter had, in his first encounter with Jesus Christ. He fell to his knees, pleading with the Lord to leave him because he was a wretched sinner. The way I see it, there are basically two reactions, when humans are caught in sin and realize the holy righteousness of their Creator: heartbreak or flight. For myself, when I have sinned, my reaction can never be to run and hide, to try and conceal my sin (that idol, if you will). My reaction must be one of a broken and contrite heart, like David described in Psalm 51. Just as I could never hide my sin from God, I can never hide myself from Him, either.
P) Father, Your holiness and majesty are terrifying to me in light of my sinfulness. But, when I look at Your holiness and majesty in light of the righteousness of Christ, and in view of the cross, I am humbled and thankful, full of worship, repentance, hope, and peace. The question is not whether or not I will sin. You know every sin I will ever commit. Even in my sinfulness, Christ died for me. The real issue is my reaction to my sinfulness, not Your reaction. I confess that I am a sinner, still in need of Your grace and mercy and restoration. May I be humble forever, broken and contrite about my need for Your grace and mercy everyday. In Jesus's name I pray, amen.
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