Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:15 (NIV):  "Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured."

Thought:  To me, there is still hope after stumbling, falling, breaking, being snared and captured.

Question:  Am I one of the "many" who will stumble?

"Many of them will stumble".  We are speaking here of the Jews who are being assaulted by a strong enemy, the Assyrians.  Isaiah is prophesying the coming of this cruel horde of attackers.  They come as an allowed judgment of God's.  They come as a direct result of what the Jews themselves had sown:  rebellion against God and the sins of idolatry, oppression of the poor, immorality, etc.  

What is meant by "stumbling"?   As mentioned in yesterday's blog, they stumble over the "rock", God Almighty, Who seems to interfere (from their standpoint) with their chosen lifestyle.  They would rather recognize other nations and kings.  As described in Isaiah 1:4; "Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption!  They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him."  In Isaiah 2:6 we see a "preference" made in place of Jehovah, God:  "You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob.  They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans."  And so we see Israel stumbling, beginning to lose their balance and headed for a fall, in their choices of who to worship and who to respect. 

After stumbling comes falling.  "...they will fall and be broken."  Brokenness is a tragic, yet hopeful, experience.  One who collapses into brokenness has need of another to help pick him back up.  He cannot recover on his own.  This is a golden moment for the one who helps to show his kindness, compassion and concern.  Will Israel be open to the compassion of God?  Will they let God restore them at this time?  Have I ever been through an experience of brokenness?  In God's sovereignty, He often lets us fall down completely.  For many of us it is the only way our eyes will be opened to His kind love.

Yet Israel seems to need even more "discipline."  "...they will be snared and captured."  God permits the enemy to take hold of little Israel.  They will held in Satan's clutches.  And there they will remain "trapped" for a time.  We often think we have chosen a middle ground where we can be the captain of our own choices.  But the truth of the matter is, there is no such gray zone.  Either we are servants of God, or we have chosen to serve the evil one.

One last thought...

Our verse today says, "many of them will stumble".  "Many", but not all.  There are always those who remain periennially true and faithful even though the majority choose to go astray.

Prayer:  Lord God Almighty, may I be always faithful to You, Lord.  But if I do stumble, fall and break, help me back up into Your arms, Father!  In You and close to You is the best place to be.  Amen.     

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