Rev. Don Campbell
Isaiah 31-34
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, July 23, 2019
“WHAT DOES A GOD-FEARING NATION LOOK LIKE?”
Once again Isaiah turns from announcing God’s judgment against the nations to give those whom he addressed a ray of hope. In Isaiah 32:1-8 he describes the reign of the Messiah. From that description, we can discover some characteristics which any nation claiming to be a God-fearing nation should manifest. First, read the passage from the New Living Translation:
Look, a righteous king is coming!
And honest princes will rule under him.
Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.
Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth,
and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it.
Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding.
Those who stammer will speak out plainly.
In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes.
Scoundrels will not be respected.
For fools speak foolishness
and make evil plans.
They practice ungodliness
and spread false teachings about the Lord.
They deprive the hungry of food
and give no water to the thirsty.
The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil.
They plot crooked schemes.
They lie to convict the poor,
even when the cause of the poor is just.
But generous people plan to do what is generous,
and they stand firm in their generosity.
In any nation that invokes God’s name, will be a shelter from the winds and a refuge from the storms of life (v.2)
In any nation that invokes God’s name, communication will be open and honest (vv. 3-4)
In any nation that invokes God’s name, true character is respected, as fools will not be heroes and scoundrels will not be respected (v.5). Fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. Scoundrel plot crooked schemes, pervert justice for the poor, lying to convict them when they are just. In contrast in a truly godly nation, people are generous.
CONNECTIONS
1. We may excuse our favorite politicians with words like “Well, that just his/her personality” when they manifest all the characteristics of a fool and a scoundrel. What did Paul say about giving approval to the wicked? (Romans 1:32)
2. If the driving force of a nation is the accumulation of wealth who is its God? (Matthew 6:24)
