LEARNING DAILY

 

Isaiah 8:12-14, “Do not call a conspiracy everything that these people call a conspiracy, do not fear what they fear, and not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread, 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. (New International Version)

 

The Lord is speaking something important to the prophet Isaiah. It is related to the verses 9-10. Isaiah has been trying to persuade Judah to seek the help of God instead of running to other nations believing they would be all the help they needed. God was trying, through Isaiah, to get the leaders of Judah to realize that their only hope of peace was through His presence with them. Isaiah was accused of conspiracy and treason.

 

Isaiah was being given a very personal word from God; he was not to join in with the people’s beliefs and their sinful practices. As a prophet of God, he was to bring forth the word God gave him for the people. He was also to live a way of life that was an example to the people. He was to remain faithful to God’s Word in every circumstance life brought. He was not to fear other people even when they brought some form of persecution to him. Isaiah was to fear only the Lord.

 

Isaiah spoke to the people what the Lord spoke to him – he was not to get involved with any conspiracy theories that was circulating among the people. Isaiah does not tell us what was circulating at the time. It must not be anything we needed to know. I doubt people were any different from people today; don’t we want to try to explain the things we don’t understand. Suggestions are made about someone being the power behind the scenes and fear helps others run with the story and before long all sorts of craziness are happening. You know what I am talking about, right!? The result can be people forgetting about the Lord, thinking they have no control over situations that may not even exist. He is telling Isaiah not to get caught up in all that and to trust Him alone, completely! That kind of fear is not from God.

 

Each of us have our trials and dangers as we walk the narrow way; and there are sure a lot of conspiracy theories to become absorbed in. But God’s warning to Isaiah holds true for Christians today. We are not to fear what unbelievers fear. That said, unbelievers may have things to fear – that fear is misdirected. It is God who they need to fear (v. 13). When there are times of danger, when trials come, God alone is the One to fear and the One to look to for our help and deliverance. Matthew 10:28 tells us, “And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. “Fear” of God is something far different from blind panic or terror. It is respect, honor, and obedience with healthy mix of “fear”. That simply means we fear the consequences of disobeying God. When we disobey, we return to Him in repentance, obedience and in true worship. To those who do this and who honor God, He becomes our sanctuary, our place of refuge and our protector.