Isaiah 29:14

The Bible says in Isaiah 29:14-24, “Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought. Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.”

The Apostle Paul quoted Isaiah 29:14 in the book of First Corinthians. It says in First Corinthians 1:18-30, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 29:15, “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?” It is very important to be aware of the presence of the Lord and the fact that He sees all things and knows all things. He is omniscient. The Bible says in Second Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” One of the best of all motivations for a person to improve his or her behavior is to be aware of the fact that Jesus is watching. He knows. And He is the Judge of the whole earth. Sooner or later everyone, both believer and unbeliever, will give an answer to Jesus for all the things that have been done in their body on this earth over which they had control. That is why Christians are warned in Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” And it says in Hebrews 4:14, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

It is interesting to notice also that the people of the earth are compared to clay, and God to the potter. It says in Isaiah 29:16, “Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?” God forms us just as a potter forms a vessel from the clay. We are made of clay. God took the earth and made man from the dust of the ground. God gives life. God is everywhere at work in every person’s life, forming us to be just what He wants us to be. And God does not make mistakes. We have not made ourselves. He is the potter, and we are the clay. Everything that happens to you is for a reason. The next time that something eventful comes into your life, be careful how you react. Remember that the Potter is at work in your life. He has allowed it to happen for a reason. You are the clay, and He is forming you into a vessel for His service. You might want to pray, “O Lord, help me to let this experience form me according to your purpose.”

Once again in the book of Isaiah we see a prophecy concerning the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. It says concerning His healing miracles in Isaiah 29:18, “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.” The Bible says concerning Jesus in Mark 7:31-37, “And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.”

Isaiah 29:19 says something very similar to what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. It says in Isaiah, “The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” And Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

It says in Isaiah 29:24, “They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.” That is what God is interested in doing: changing hearts and changing lives. Jesus said, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Someone might be going in the wrong way right now, (they might have “erred in spirit”); but God is able to turn their life around. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 30:1-7, “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach. The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them. For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.”

There are two main problems listed in this passage of scripture that the children of Israel demonstrated: 1. They were rebellious against God. 2. Instead of going to the Lord for council in the midst of their troubles, they went to the people of the world. When believers sin, God brings chastisement so that the believers will stop their sin, turn to the Lord for forgiveness. The Lord Jesus will forgive any sin, but He cannot forgive if we do not turn to Him. The Bible says to Christians in First John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus invites us to come to Him. He wants us to come to Him. If we do not turn to the Lord, then we have done the same as the Israelites: we have added “sin to sin.”

Often “Egypt” is used to represent the world. Christians are told in First John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” Whom do you respect? Whom do you want to be like? Whom do you want to learn from? Whom do you trust? You will either go to the Lord for council and advice, or you will go to someone in the world. What philosophy do you live by? If you do not go to the Lord and His Word for your philosophy of life, then you are a worldly person. The results of going to the wrong place for advice or other help will not be good. The Bible says in Isaiah 30:7, “For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose.”

Once a person becomes saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing more important than learning to trust in Him every day concerning every thing. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

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