Isaiah 29:1-24 A Dream
Isaiah assures Jerusalem that she is going down. There is danger ahead but there will also be joy later on. It will be as if it was a dream on both sides.
Jerusalem was the hardest city for Israel to conquer. Those who lived within her walls could see an attack coming from miles off and defend themselves. They would hunker down within her walls and be safe. David figured out her weakness and was able to conquer her. He then shored up the method by which he came in. Those living within her walls now felt invincible. But just to be sure, they now made an alliance with Assyria for protection of her people around her.
Since Jeroboam took the northern tribes, Judah has had sole possession of the Temple of Solomon. The place where God put His name. Where His Ark rests. Where His presence dwells. Having God in the middle of your own home, one would think that the people would be VERY close to Him. Sadly, not so.
Solomon not only built the Temple for God but he built places of worship for foreign gods. He reintroduced Israel to other gods. He got their eyes glancing sideways. After Solomon, idol worship in Israel took off like a rocket and grew steadily in Judah. God is a jealous God and will NOT let this stand.
God repeatedly called out to His people to put away their sins. There were a few kings in Judah who listened and brought the people back to God. But it didn’t last. During Isaiah’s ministry he had seen one godly king go bad, two godly kings bring the people at least partially back to God, and one VERY ungodly king sandwiched in the middle of the godly kings.
During this ministry (other than during Ahaz’s time) regular worship was continuing in the Temple. The daily sacrifices were being offered. Vows were being made. Feasts were being observed. And the people were following most of the rules God had handed down to Moses. But their hearts weren’t in it. They were going through the motions. And worshiping other gods at the same time. They were trusting in the faith of their fathers instead of building a relationship of their own with God.
“That’s not good enough”, said God. “It’s ALL or nothing. I will NOT share your hearts.”
God KNEW what it would take to bring His people back to Him. First, it would take ‘pruning off’ the decaying parts. He WOULD bring Jerusalem down, no matter how safe she thought she was. She was trusting in herself and her human allies. They won’t stand a chance against God for HE is the one who had been keeping her safe all this time. With His hand against them instead of for them, there was honestly NO other outcome possible. Captivity was coming because they refused to listen.
But God was holding onto those who He knew personally. Those who refused to bow to other gods. Those who sought Him with ALL their heart. Those who didn’t rely on the faith of their fathers but built their own relationship with God. This is the remnant that He would bring back. The part that was still living.
To them, He was saying, “Hold on. When this is all over, what comes next will make all this seem like a bad dream. And to those who rose up against you, what comes next will be their worst nightmare!”
That ‘dream day’ is still yet to come. Israel is still refusing a real relationship with God and holding onto a ‘form of godliness’. They are going through the old motions and rejecting the completion God has provided through His Son Jesus. Only through Jesus can we have a personal relationship with God. Through the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, living in us can we have a living relationship with God. One that will sustain us when things in this world are bad. One that we can cling to, KNOWING the promise that is still to come. One that we can grow in every step along the way! A relationship that will make all this fade away like a dream.
When you wake, what kind of dream will it be? With Jesus, it will be an AMAZING awakening. With Satan it will be a NEVERENDING night mare!
Father God, thank You for Jesus! Thank You for Your Holy Spirit! Thank You for the relationship You forged in me. One of complete trust. I want to ‘wake up’ in Your arms and let all ‘this’ be a dream. One day it WILL happen.
