March 28th

There comes a point with every generation that if they ignore God long enough, God will hand them fully over to what they long for.  This was the fear of Isaiah and the reason why he asked in his prayer: “Why, Lord, do You cause us to stray from Your ways and harden our heart from fearing You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while, our adversaries have trampled it down. We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, like those who were not called by Your name” (Isa. 63:17–19). Because Isaiah remembered how God showed up in powerful ways not just in his lifetime, but throughout the history of the Hebrew people, he asked that God show up powerfully again to bring revival to his people.

Judah had continued in her sin long enough.  The spiritual and moral climate of a nation that prided itself on holiness and fidelity to the Word of God, had wandered away from God: “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our wrongdoings, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have surrendered us to the power of our wrongdoings” (Isa. 64:6–7).

For 414 years, God gave his people every opportunity to turn from their sins, but they refused him: “I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’ to a nation which did not call on My name. “I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts...” (Isa. 65:1–2).  Although pockets of revival did come under the leadership of king Josiah (2 Ki. 22:1-23:35), Ezra, and Nehemiah, Judah never recovered from her idolatry and rebellion against God.  After God’s patience eventually ran out after more than 400 years, Judah was destroyed, and her people were exiled by the Babylonian Empire. 

There is a verse in Isaiah that comes to mind as I write this e-letter: “Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down...” (Isa. 64:1).  God has come down, and as you know... He did it through the person of His own Son.  Not only is redemption now available through Jesus, but we can also experience Psalm 23 through Him, as He said: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).  This Sunday we will begin a sermon series exploring the implications of what it means to know and to be known by the Lord who is our Shepherd. 

I hope to see you this Sunday in our 9AM or 11AM worship services.  

Grace,

Pastor Keith