Following Their Own Devices

Isaiah 65:1 ESV

“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;

    I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.

I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’

    to a nation that was not called by my name.”

Much of the book of Isaiah prophesies of the Messianic age, and this is one of those prophecies. This is a prophecy regarding God inviting the Gentiles (non-Jews) into Israel, to be one with his people Israel by genuine God-given and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ. And the apostle Paul quoted Isaiah 65:1-2 in Romans 10:20-21. And this meant that all Jews who did not believe in Jesus Christ were cut out of Israel (Romans 11:17-24), but if the Jews do not continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted back into Israel.

And Paul also taught that not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and that not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring. For it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise. And who are the children of the promise? The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed (Jesus Christ). So if we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the Promise (Romans 9:4-8; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Ephesians 2:14-18).

Isaiah 65:2-5 ESV

“I spread out my hands all the day

    to a rebellious people,

who walk in a way that is not good,

    following their own devices;

a people who provoke me

    to my face continually,

sacrificing in gardens

    and making offerings on bricks;

who sit in tombs,

    and spend the night in secret places;

who eat pig's flesh,

    and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;

who say, ‘Keep to yourself,

    do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.’

These are a smoke in my nostrils,

    a fire that burns all the day.”

Now this was God speaking to the Israel of the Old Covenant, but this can certainly be applied to the church today, to the Israel of God of the New Covenant, comprised of both Jew and Gentile who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, but who may be presently living in spiritual adultery against the Lord. Or who may be professers of faith in Jesus Christ by lip service only. For the Scriptures teach that if sin is what we practice, and if obedience to our Lord is not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

For, in reality, at least here in America, this is a fair description of the majority of those calling themselves Christians who are still walking in sin, still living for themselves, still doing what they want to do regardless of what God requires of us all. And God has been indeed spreading his hands out all the day to his rebellious people who are presently walking in ways which are not good, following their own devices. And it appears that not many are responding to his pleas to return to him as their only Lord (Master).

And sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks, etc., is in reference to idolatry, to the worship of what is not God. And this doesn’t have to be worship of any known false god of this world, for idolatry has to do with anything we give our hearts, passion, desires, time, and devotion to in place of or over and above genuine devotion and worship of the one true God. So idols can be entertainment, possessions, distractions, intelligence, talents, other people, preachers, politicians, and the like.

Or an idol can be a sinful addiction like alcohol or drug or food or sexual addiction (enslavement), i.e. anything we give our hearts and passion and desires to which keeps (prevents) us from giving our lives to Jesus Christ in surrender to his will for our lives. For much of the idol worship of the Old Testament involved sexual immorality of some kind or another, I believe, even the sacrificing of their children to idols, which can parallel today to handing smart phones to minors giving them a door to all sorts of evil.

Isaiah 65:6-7 ESV

“Behold, it is written before me:

    ‘I will not keep silent, but I will repay;

I will indeed repay into their lap

    both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together,

says the Lord;

because they made offerings on the mountains

    and insulted me on the hills,

I will measure into their lap

    payment for their former deeds.’”

Even under the New Covenant that we who believe in Jesus have with God, we are promised judgment on all those who are walking according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, who are living in sin and not by faith in Jesus Christ. For we can’t just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, have all our sins forgiven, be on our way to heaven, know that nothing will take it away from us, if we are those who are still making sin our practice and who are not walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Seek the Lord  

An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him. 

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you, 

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/379408296