God is Speaking

DEVOTION

ISAIAH

GOD IS SPEAKING

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, my people do not understand."

NIV

There is always someone who hears the voice of God. Throughout the history of mankind, God has always found a man who would listen to him. There have been many who have not listened to him, but even if there is one, God speaks to him. We know God spoke with Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We know he spoke to David, Nathan and many others throughout the Old Testament times. Scholars have determined two types of men who God used to speak to his people, the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets. It may be the difference is in the length of their words. We begin with this Major Prophet Isaiah to see what he said to Israel and how that is might apply to us, the people of God, today. We must first recognize that God spoke all this to Isaiah in a vision. What exactly a vision consists of is not precisely explained, however the Hebrew word does give us a clue that it is something seen that is unseen. That is something revealed as in a dream, or some ecstatic state. What this means in the context is to have an experience of mystic self-transcendence, to be somewhere other than in the normal state of mind. This would be as a result of Isaiah being in worship, or prayer, or seeking the Lord in some way. It is not a happenstances of life, but a determined course of action. This might give us some clue as to how we might hear the voice of God. It would seem if we are so busy with life, with the pursuit of our own ambitions, we would not attain any state of mind that would allow God to voice his desires for us into our heart and mind. Although this word of the Lord given to Isaiah in this vision was for the whole of the people in Judah and Jerusalem, which meant all of Israel, God now speaks to all people in various manners. He has not necessarily selected just one man to speak to the nations, but speaks to whoever will listen. He speaks in or through his recorded word, we call the Bible. He speaks through the Spirit who dwells within us. God can speak to us in an audible voice, directly into our ear. Of course there may be many other ways in which he can chose to speak, for who are we to put God in a box, deciding how and when he will speak and to whom. But the point is God will speak to his people and we need to hear his voice and response positively. As God spoke through Isaiah, the people of Israel had a choice, to hear or to ignore. Let us not ignore the word of the Lord in and for our lives for God is speaking. We will move forward to what he has said to Israel, but for now let us just consider, God is speaking, and we are to listen and obey.