Rachel Workman: 13 For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent.
They will not seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
14 Therefore, in a single day the Lord will destroy both the head and the tail,
the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.
15 The leaders of Israel are the head,
and the lying prophets are the tail.
16 For the leaders of the people have misled them.
They have led them down the path of destruction.
17 That is why the Lord takes no pleasure in the young men
and shows no mercy even to the widows and orphans.
For they are all wicked hypocrites,
and they all speak foolishness.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.
His fist is still poised to strike.
The key statement is “For all this
his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still".
This is the outstretched hand of God’s judgment, not His mercy. God judged them
for their pride in thinking that their present difficulties were temporary and
the nation could rebuild itself better than before. He also judged them for
their hardness of heart in their refusal to repent and return to the Lord.
God’s loving purpose in chastening is that we yield to Him, but if we harden
our hearts, then chastening becomes judgment. Israel was being led astray by
false prophets and foolish leaders; the nation would not listen to God’s Word.
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John Burnett: 13 The people did not
turn to him who struck them,
nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.
14 So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day—
15 the elder and honored man is the head,
and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
16 for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,
and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
17 Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,
and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is godless and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks folly.[a]
For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still. This passage is talking about Israel and the consequences for their sin but it could just as easily be applied to today’s world. There is a great falling away in the church when it comes to the truth of the Word. Women Pastors, LGBTQ in the church and even in the pulpit, social justice, and the turning away from sound doctrine are just a few of the worldly influences that have effected today’s church. There are many who are leading people astray and some are easy to notice. Others are very subtle and speak enough truth to sound good but they have just enough lies mixed in to condemn those who adhere to these teachings. Verse 17 shows not only the condition of Israel at the time but also the condition of the world at this time. Unless God has opened your eyes to show you the sinfulness of your sin, His anger has not turned away from you. If He opens your eyes, His hand is still out stretched and He will save you if you repent and believe.
nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.
14 So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day—
15 the elder and honored man is the head,
and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
16 for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,
and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
17 Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,
and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is godless and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks folly.[a]
For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still. This passage is talking about Israel and the consequences for their sin but it could just as easily be applied to today’s world. There is a great falling away in the church when it comes to the truth of the Word. Women Pastors, LGBTQ in the church and even in the pulpit, social justice, and the turning away from sound doctrine are just a few of the worldly influences that have effected today’s church. There are many who are leading people astray and some are easy to notice. Others are very subtle and speak enough truth to sound good but they have just enough lies mixed in to condemn those who adhere to these teachings. Verse 17 shows not only the condition of Israel at the time but also the condition of the world at this time. Unless God has opened your eyes to show you the sinfulness of your sin, His anger has not turned away from you. If He opens your eyes, His hand is still out stretched and He will save you if you repent and believe.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Tomorrow’s reading for Isaiah
9:18-21
18 This wickedness is like a brushfire.
It burns not only briers and thorns
but also sets the forests ablaze.
Its burning sends up clouds of smoke.
19 The land will be blackened
by the fury of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
The people will be fuel for the fire,
and no one will spare even his own brother.
20 They will attack their neighbor on the right
but will still be hungry.
They will devour their neighbor on the left
but will not be satisfied.
In the end they will even eat their own children.[g]
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim,
Ephraim will feed on Manasseh,
and both will devour Judah.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.
His fist is still poised to strike.
It burns not only briers and thorns
but also sets the forests ablaze.
Its burning sends up clouds of smoke.
19 The land will be blackened
by the fury of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
The people will be fuel for the fire,
and no one will spare even his own brother.
20 They will attack their neighbor on the right
but will still be hungry.
They will devour their neighbor on the left
but will not be satisfied.
In the end they will even eat their own children.[g]
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim,
Ephraim will feed on Manasseh,
and both will devour Judah.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.
His fist is still poised to strike.
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