Isaiah 30:12-14
New International Version
12 Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“Because you have rejected this message,
relied on oppression
and depended on deceit,
13
this sin will become for you
like a high wall, cracked and bulging,
that collapses suddenly, in an instant.
14
It will break in pieces like pottery,
shattered so mercilessly
that among its pieces not a fragment will be found
for taking coals from a hearth
or scooping water out of a cistern.”
The God of Israel is the one true God. He is the Holy One of Israel. Because He is holy His people are called to be holy. But instead of living according to the covenant and law that God has established they rejected the word of God, oppressed the poor and took advantage of the helpless, and depended upon deceit. They lived in rebellion and wickedness and as a result rejected the Living God and were in direct opposition against Him.
We must remember that God’s throne is built upon the pillars of righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14). This means that God must deal rightly and perfectly with sin and wickedness. In His mercy He has sent His Son and the wrath of God that we deserve was poured out upon Jesus as our substitute. But Israel throughout its history over and over again chose rebellion over obedience. They had no one to blame but themselves because God had given them His word. God had sent them prophet after prophet who spoke the Living Word of God to the People. When the word of God is rejected, God is rejected. The only thing left is destruction.
The judgement of God would come swiftly on the people for their continued sin. It would happen suddenly like a crack and a bulging in a high wall that will collapse suddenly. It will seem like it comes suddenly, but only after God had spoken to the people over and over again. So many think the God of the Old Testament is vengeful and quick to pour out wrath upon sin. But this is so far from the truth. He is slow to anger, but abounding in love (Psalm 103:8-18). God sent forth His word over and over again. When the word of God is rejected and people continue in sin and wickedness, judgement is on the horizon.
We may look at the wicked and ask the question “why do the wicked prosper”. It seems their actions go unchecked. But this is not the case with the Living God. In His appointed time God will rightly deal with the wicked. In His appointed time God will bring correction to His people. The right and easiest course of action is to simply surrender one’s life to God and walk in obedience to His word.
The judgement of God would also be like the smashing of a potter's vessel. The judgement of God would be swift and complete. When God was done it would look like a vessel that had smashed into a million tiny pieces. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. In His word it says God will not be mocked (Galatians 6:7). This is the truth because God will always have the final word. No matter how well laid the plans of Satan are, those who get in bed with the devil, will in the end be destroyed by the very schemes they mean to destroy.
We live in a time in which it seems the wicked go unchecked. But this is why God tells us to fix our eyes upon Him. We are not to lean on our own understanding. We are to trust the Lord, walk intimately with Him, pray for those who are lost, and pray that the wicked would repent and turn from their wicked ways. But for those who mock the Living God through their actions and are driven by the desire for money, power, and influence, God in time will rightly deal with them in full measure.
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