Devotionary

Faced with the threat of Assyrian troops knocking down the city walls and taking all the people captive, Hezekiah knelt before his God in abject humility and helpless reliance. He needed the one true God to do what only He could do: Save His chosen people.

Isaiah provides King Hezekiah with some much-needed encouragement: The Assyrians were no match for God Almighty. God was still on His throne, and the Assyrians were powerless to do anything outside of His will or without His permission.

Egypt would prove to be an unreliable savior. They had been quick to take Judah’s money but would be slow to offer any form of aid in return. And the people of Judah would learn a very painful lesson about misplaced trust and their missing faith in God.

In Isaiah 35:1-10, the prophet reveals that, in spite of their wandering ways, God will bring His people back and place them on His way of Godliness. It will be a future time of restoration and renewal that will impact not only them but the entire planet.

God makes it quite clear that His judgment is coming against Judah. And that judgment will be harsh and unavoidable. But God has also provided more than enough assurance that His divine will includes a day of future restoration and renewal.

In spite of Judah’s failure to repent, God promises to restore them one day. He announces a time when He will be their Mighty One – their king, judge, and lawgiver, restoring them to a right relationship with Himself – out of His love, mercy, and grace.

In Isaiah 33:1-6, Isaiah begs God to extend mercy to Judah. He longs for God to save them from themselves. And, one day, God will. His Son will save them and make it possible for them to be restored to a right relationship with their heavenly Father.

The women of Judah were guilty of finding their fulfillment and identity in material things. They had grown comfortable and complacent, enamored by their material possessions, and totally forgetting that they belonged to God.

God was going to extend His grace and mercy to the people of Judah, in spite of their centuries-worth of rebellion against Him. He would be faithful, even though they were not.

The people of Judah were in a bind, but rather than turning to God, they chose to put their trust in Egypt. Instead of relying on God Almighty, they decided to place their hopes in the might of Pharaoh and his army. But they would be severely disappointed.

God is patient and has a long-term strategy that entails both the discipline and blessing of Judah. They had brought down His judgment upon themselves. But the day is coming when He will bind up the broken.

God reveals that all Judah had to do to escape their difficult situation was to repent and return to Him. But they found this simple solution impossible to carry out and couldn’t bring themselves to confess their guilt and admit their need for God’s help.

Judah would have been much better served by repenting of their rebellion and returning in humble submission to God. But they were like stubborn children and would rather turn to Egypt for help than turn back to God in repentance.

Judah was facing judgment because of their sin, but God promises them future blessing because of His grace. They couldn’t stop rebelling against Him, but that would not stop God from pouring out His blessings upon them ­– in the future and according to His will.

Judah operated under the misguided idea that He existed to serve them. But they were in for a rude awakening. The potter rarely takes advice from the clay. He was in full control and they were in full subjection to His will, whether they liked it or not.