"He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."
Isaiah 66:3-4
This is a juxtaposition mainly between doing what we want to do and doing what the Lord asks.
In the first verse, even things that seemed good at the time (having to do with the Mosaic law and symbolic animal sacrifice) were interpreted in an evil way... not because the act itself was evil, but because it was done selfishly, and not done for the Lord.
In the second verse, God reminds us that even when we do what we want, or do what he asks for our own purposes, God is still in control. Even our delusions and our fears are in his hands, and if things start going badly, that is a good reminder to repent, and start taking God's will seriously.
I think sometimes we react instinctively against things like this because there is that resistance in us, and that desire to be "ourselves" and to resist being a cookie-cutter cookie. I get that, and I sometimes feel it too, but I think what is actually going on is that we, as essentially 4-year olds, are jumping up and down in the kitchen and so God lets us help, and we don't listen to his patient instructions, and so instead of cookies we are basically making disgusting dough-balls made with salt and pickle juice instead of the ingredients he told us to use. ... God isn't teaching us to grow up so we can become robots or Stepford Wives. We still get to be ourselves and have personalities and senses of humor and all of it... he's just teaching us how to work in the world to achieve our potential -- fine baked goods, if we continue the analogy, rather than the disgusting concoctions that are the only things we can make without some guidance.
Let's remember today that no matter how cool an action seems, that the Lord is looking at our hearts and our intentions. To truly come unto God, we have to get there with actions AND attitude, truly doing, and wanting, the things that God wants. Let's work on that.
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."
Isaiah 66:3-4
This is a juxtaposition mainly between doing what we want to do and doing what the Lord asks.
In the first verse, even things that seemed good at the time (having to do with the Mosaic law and symbolic animal sacrifice) were interpreted in an evil way... not because the act itself was evil, but because it was done selfishly, and not done for the Lord.
In the second verse, God reminds us that even when we do what we want, or do what he asks for our own purposes, God is still in control. Even our delusions and our fears are in his hands, and if things start going badly, that is a good reminder to repent, and start taking God's will seriously.
I think sometimes we react instinctively against things like this because there is that resistance in us, and that desire to be "ourselves" and to resist being a cookie-cutter cookie. I get that, and I sometimes feel it too, but I think what is actually going on is that we, as essentially 4-year olds, are jumping up and down in the kitchen and so God lets us help, and we don't listen to his patient instructions, and so instead of cookies we are basically making disgusting dough-balls made with salt and pickle juice instead of the ingredients he told us to use. ... God isn't teaching us to grow up so we can become robots or Stepford Wives. We still get to be ourselves and have personalities and senses of humor and all of it... he's just teaching us how to work in the world to achieve our potential -- fine baked goods, if we continue the analogy, rather than the disgusting concoctions that are the only things we can make without some guidance.
Let's remember today that no matter how cool an action seems, that the Lord is looking at our hearts and our intentions. To truly come unto God, we have to get there with actions AND attitude, truly doing, and wanting, the things that God wants. Let's work on that.
No comments:
Post a Comment