LEARNING DAILY

Isaiah 50:10-11, “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on God. Look all you who kindle a fire, who encircles yourself with sparks: walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled – this you shall have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment.

God is speaking to His people in exile through the prophet Isaiah. He is also giving warning to those who oppose God and His messenger; those described as having sparks that start a fire. To God’s people, Isaiah is telling them that even though they have “no light and walk in darkness”, they are to be faithful, trust in God and obey the voice of His Servant. For the Church today that would mean Believers must follow the voice of Jesus, the Word of God. For this passage in Isaiah, does it mean to follow what he has spoken to them prophetically as the Lord speaks through him?

Here is the meaning to what Isaiah speaks to the people: For those who trust in the Lord, remain faithful to Him even though they may have to walk in darkness – difficult times – due to the apostacy of the nation. What does apostacy mean? It occurs when people fall away from their faith when persecution or difficult times come. It is when one turns away from following Jesus or when one lives in open rebellion and sin.

Isaiah was giving God’s people warning about those who “kindle a fire”, those who oppose Jesus Christ and walk in their own ideas and ways, those who do everything they can to oppose and destroy the teachings of God’s Word and those who do all they can to follow it. Isaiah tells God’s people those who “encircles yourself with sparks” shall be judged accordingly.

Just like the time of Isiah, this nation is faced with apostacy, and it threatens the body of Christ. Think of the people who have come into this country and/or those who have lived here for a long time who have to have anti-American, anti-Christian views who are attacking, killing, destroying the American way of life. Those who have come into this country illegally that have done terrible things – each of you reading this knows what I am writing about. We have just seen another horrible destruction of human life in New Orleans and a car explosion in Las Vegas. There are also articles being written about terrorist cells and warnings about stuff that might be coming in the days ahead. Does that sound like Isaiah’s warning about “walks in darkness and has no light?”

Sounds grim, doesn’t it! The encouragement is that Believers serve a God who knows what is happening and is in control. Nothing happens without His knowledge or His permission! Isaiah’s encouragement to us today in these times: “Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on God.” He writes in 51:7-8, “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law: do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation.” Isaiah continues in the next verse, “Awake, awake, put on My strength, O arm of the Lord!”

Believers, we know that the sin and darkness around us will grow in these last days. As we see it grow, we put on God’s strength, trust in Him alone, knowing the His kingdom is near because we walk with the King and He has promised to guide and protect us – even through the darkness!