Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:14 (NIV):  "and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.  And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare."

Thought:  To me, knowing God is The Only Holy One is the fastest way to peace and safety.

Question:  Do I stumble over God's words or commandments?

If we, as seen in yesterday's blog, regard God as the only holy One, fearing Him and reverencing Him, then "he will be a sanctuary"--a safe haven for us.  Once we are rightly related to Him, devoting our whole heart to Him and not some other, then we can discover the secret hiding place "under His wings".  (Psalm 91:4: "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.")  Sanctuary is a word that reflects both purity of holiness and safety in being set apart from the world.  That is what we find with God.  

If we do our part:  (Isaiah 8:11-13), God will do His part:  (Isaiah 8:14a).  

Yet this verse contains that small connecting word "but".  "Both houses of Israel" will not find that sanctuary.  ("Both houses" being the northern 10 tribes, called Israel or sometimes the Ephraimites, and Judah and Benjamin, the 2 southern tribes.)  The warnings, found as the foundational theme of the entire book of Isaiah, were put down in print because all the Jews were guilty of much rebellion:  idolatry, injustice, usury, oppression of the poor and immorality, to name a few.  Their rebellious sin causes God Almighty to become problematic.  He becomes "a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."  They "trip" over God--He interferes with their selfish, forward progress.  He has gotten in their way.  Once God Almighty is no longer one's object of reverence, once unconfessed sin persists, then that person will first stumble, that is, find God a nuisance under their feet.  Then if their attitude is not corrected, the stumbling increases until there is a total collapse into sin as a way of life.  First we trip--then we fall.  

In either case, whether devoted to God or falling away from Him, God remains "the rock."  The New Testament teaches that Christ (God) will either become one's "cornerstone", upon which all true and good life can be built, or one's "stumbling stone", over which the wicked trip and fall into destruction.  (See Isaiah 28:16, Romans 9:33 and I Peter 2:6 - 8.)  There is no middle ground.  God is either your great leader and Father, or you will dislike Him and get hung up over His "demands."

The Jews in Jerusalem will go another step further and find Him "a trap and a snare."  To me, this seems to say that, having an aged heritage in the Lord, yet finding themselves in rebellion, they are, as it were "trapped" in their own law and religious system.  Just as a trapped animal cannot get away from the snare but is held to it, so these religious Jews are bound by their laws, yet their religiosity is empty and unrewarding--they are not enjoying the "sanctuary" under His wings.

Prayer:  Lord God my rock, thank You for providing a place "under Your wings" for all those that are devoted to You.  Thank You for the sweetness of that place of sanctuary!  I pray I would never come to find You an offensive stumbling stone.  Guide me away from beginning to take that road, Lord--guide me back to You.  Amen.  

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