Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Isaiah - Day 155

versebyverse | November 23, 2008 14:51

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:12 (NIV):  "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it."

Thought:  To me, fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  Not to fear Him is foolishness. 

Question: Do I succumb to worldly peer pressure? 

We have been discussing how "the nations" oppose Israel/Judah.  It is as though the whole world comes against little Judah.  But from Isaiah 7:14 we see a prophesied promise, the coming of the Christ, "Immanuel" which means "God with us."  Though the enemy nations will assault bitterly, God is with His people and will not allow utter defeat.  He will, in fact, use the enemy armies as instruments of judgment to refine Judah--to "fire" away, like the refining furnaces of silversmiths, the dross and sinful part of their natures.  

Yesterday's verse taught that, as God's children, we are not "to follow the way of this people", that is, the worldly assailants who bring huge pressure as they come.  Pressure to conform to their customs and mind-sets is great as they outwardly have the upper hand.  But just because a power has strength and is able to conquer outwardly is no reason to collapse under that evil influence and "follow" their inward "way."

Today the instruction is similar:  "do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy."  If your enemy has labelled God's ways, or your choices as influenced by God's principles, as "conspiratorial", you are not to buckle under that accusation.  If your enemy says a thing has been planned by evil motives, do not join with that reasoning just because "they" would want you to.  

"Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it" is God's further advice here.  What we truly fear defines us.  It "molds" us until we are dictated by that fear.  That fear moves us--becomes the underlying, forceful reason we choose to do anything we do.  God says do not fear or dread the same things your enemy fears and dreads, or, obviously, you will become like your enemy.  You will have the same basic motivators at work in your lives.  And if that becomes true, then we too will overpower someone else just as we were overpowered by our enemy.  How tragic!

Applied to the Christian life, we see clearly that what we fear must be different from what the rest of the world fears.  "These people" are the enemy:  do not become like your enemy, fearing what they fear.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to understand that, through proper reverence of You, I am not to join with the world in being caught up in fearing evil plans or conspiracies.  Help me to turn away from the fearful reasonings of the world.  Build my faith in You, Father, and in Your holy ways.  May I fear You, Father God.  Amen.

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