A WORD FOR TODAY, November 7, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 7, 2024
“Yahweh spoke to me yet again, saying, ‘Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son; now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks. It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through. It will reach even to the neck. The stretching out of its wings will fill the width of your land, Immanuel. Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered! Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.’” Isaiah 8:5-10, WEB
Today’s passage gives us an image of God that makes us uncomfortable. God often used the enemies of His people to bring them back to Him. In today’s passage, God told Isaiah that He was going to use Assyria as an instrument to turn His people so that they might see that they need Him. These warnings seem so dire, and so unnecessary, and yet they always come with a word of grace and promise. Even though there will be a time of distress, God is always near, and He will turn things around. The enemy will be put back into its place and God’s people will be restored.
But we have a hard time understanding how a loving Father could threaten such a thing. Or do we? Anyone who is a parent knows that sometimes the little subtle reminders are not enough. We do not immediately yell at our children when they do something wrong, and we do not punish them for a first offense. We carefully explain why the thing they did is wrong. Then we tell them about the consequences and assure them that we will be near to help them stand firm in what is right. But when they misbehave the second time, we get a little firmer. We eventually become angry and harsher with the discipline if they continue to disobey. When a word doesn’t convince them that they have done something wrong, punishment might. While we allow our children to suffer the consequences of their own disobedience, we are never far so that we can protect them from their own foolishness.
A parent knows that a trickle becomes a flood. The Lord said to Isaiah, “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly...” This likely refers to the water from the Gihon Spring in Jerusalem that feeds into the pool of Siloam and describes the life-giving and healing power of God. The people refused to believe that God was able to accomplish what they needed, so they looked to others for their help. This sad truth is followed by the warning that the Lord will bring upon them the flood waters of the River, referring to the mighty army that will invade. When we turn from God, He allows our enemies onto our doorstep. He does not allow them to destroy us, though, because He is always present. He gives our enemies power so that we will turn to Him. When we turn to Him, we are healed and restored.
The promise in this passage is that God is Immanuel. He is God with us. He is never far away. All might seem lost, but it isn’t. God does not fail us, even when we fail Him. Sometimes, like a good parent who has to find a way to make us truly see what we are doing wrong, God has to let us suffer the consequences of our own rejection, but even then, He will not let us be destroyed. We can rest in the promise that He is near, and He will hear our cry for help. The Assyrians would not win in the end, because God will stop them. So, too, when we think we are in the midst of a raging flood, we need not fear, but instead cry out to God because He is Immanuel, God with us. He will not allow us to be destroyed, and He’ll bless us as we turn back to Him.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org