Being Reared

DEVOTION

ISAIAH

BEING REARED

Isa 1:1-3

1:1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know,

NIV

So, having examined the idea of a vision and how God speaks to us, let us begin to look at the first words spoken to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord is telling everyone to listen, all the angels in heaven and all the people of the earth. We remember a very old television ad that was for an investment group or a bank. It was some man who began to speak and everyone on the bus, or train, or in the subway or a restaurant, that was filled with the hub bub of noise, suddenly became extremely quiet and turned to hear what this man from Smith Barney had to say. Then the announcer would say, When Smith Barney speaks everyone listens. This is what God is wanting to happen here. When he speaks, everyone is to stop everything, put down whatever we are doing and turn our ear to the voice of God. It is not possible to share his voice with all the activity we are doing. We have to calm ourselves, sit and listen. It is the words of Psalm 46:10 which make this clear, “Be still and know I am God”. How can we hear that still small voice, that gentle breeze, as Elijah did, if we are making noise as an earthquake or a mighty wind or that of a crackling fire? Be still and listen, the Lord is speaking. Here He tells his chosen people that he has reared them and brought them up, but they rebelled against him. Even animals know who is master, and where their pen, or home is, but Israel has lost sight of who God is and what he has done for them. It is interesting the use of the word reared children. The Hebrew word implies to grow, or to become great, to magnify. It is interesting how we use the idea of raising children instead of rearing them. We have thought we raise corps and rear children. Proverbs 22:6 uses the word train up a child in the way he should go, and that Hebrew word implies to start, or disciple. So God has reared, he has caused Israel to grow, to become great, magnifying them among the nations. Yet they rebelled. Can we say this about ourselves? Can we say the Lord has initiated us, he has reared us? He has brought us up from the pit of sin and despair and darkness into his light. He has taken the sting of death from us, and replaced it with eternal life. He has reared us. He has done it all, making us grow, making us great, so we would glorify him. This is what Israel was supposed to do, honor God and bring him glory, but they rebelled. Have we rebelled as well? Do we pay close attention to every one of his commands? This is not about the list of do’s and don’ts that we have created, as that kind of thinking is not much different than how the Pharisees thought, adding all sorts of rules to the commands of God. This is about obeying his voice, living in a manner that glorifies him, that brings him honor and praise. This is about living a life of faith, believing God, believing his word, and honoring his word above all else. Our rebellious heart wants what it wants when it wants it, and God wants us to still our heart and listen to him, such as seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and then he will add all the stuff we need. They say patience is a virtue, so we wait on the Lord, we wait for he is God and we are his people, we know where our home is, and who is our master. We are being reared.