Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Scripture:  Isaiah 7:20 (NIV):  "In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River--the king of Assyria--to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also."

Thought:  To me, shame is really a good thing because of the reformation it can produce.

Question:  Do I respect God more or less for arranging the exposure of my sin?

This is a picture of shame.  Judah will be made ashamed, humiliated, by the enemy's attack.  The Assyrians were known for their grizzly torture methods and poor treatment of those they conquered.  Here they emasculated their enemies, degrading them and mocking them.  In this culture the removal of a man's beard was an act of deep shame, as was the removal of the hair on their legs and head. 

God "hires" this attack--orders this attack--ordains it, upon Israel.  He "will use a razor", (Assyria), as a punishing instrument upon Israel.  Because Judah has not confessed or admitted their sin, God will urge it out of them, as it were.  What God does is for their good.  We must grasp this truth, as difficult as it is to understand sometimes, and realize that God is doing this out of love for Judah.  God wants Judah restored to a right relationship with Him--one free of idolatry and immorality and dishonesty.  Any parent who has properly loved a difficult child should know the value of a tough approach.  Often it is the only way to get through to someone.  Sometimes people need to see themselves as they have been unable to see themselves before--they need to have their eyes opened to reality.     

Shame is a powerful way to open someone's eyes to that reality.  A very important part of any process that restores a broken relationship after sin and wrongdoing is this element of shame.  If restoration is sought after sin is committed, that sin must first be admitted.  This admission leads to vulnerable openness and exposure of the sin, producing shame.  Shame is like an acid that flows out from the inside sin and actually begins to cleanse the person.  It is very painful and extremely difficult to initiate on one's own, but God may bring it upon a person, or group as is the case here, to achieve a good end.  Shame brings a revision in thinking patterns.  It should not be something feared or avoided, but should rather be bravely faced for the good it can produce in the end.

"In that day", the Day of Judgment, there will be quite a bit of "corrective activity" initiated by God.  The question remains, will people respond by allowing the natural outflow of shame, or will they harden themselves against God even further, becoming even more arrogant and resistant?

Prayer:  Father of Love, thank You for Your good "parenting" of us!  Thank You for a pure, strong love that is as tough as needed to keep me in line and out of sin.  Help me to accept the process of shame as used by You during times of discipline until my love for You increases as much as You desire.  Amen.      

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